Handover

Summer has arrived here! The weather is good, the sun is out, the temperature is around 13 ° C and the wind is blowing hard.

Now that the OP is over, we begin the handover with Laura and Olivier. We spend a large part of the week at Pointe Bénédicte, the hut where the measuring instruments are. The trail we walk to get there is nice, we pass by the fur seals along the coast to the north. Little by little I am discovering the island landscapes away from the base.

I get to know the different instruments and start my first manipulations. The GMOStral manipulations (my program) and those of the Ramces program (CO2) are independent, but some are used for both research laboratories (IGE and LSCE), such as the ozone measurements carried out with the instruments in the photo below . From right to left: Laura, Yaël, Rémi, Olivier, me and Marc, who is taking the picture.

The first days were focused on logistics and moving, a lot of storage was done to free up space in the rooms. We made several round trips between the base and Pointe B by tractor to repatriate the equipment.

Depending on the type of manipulation that needs to be done, sometimes there is no time to return to the base for the meal served at 12 noon. So we have a snack, the sun is out, it's really cool. Day at Pointe B = picnic day!

Back on base, I take my first sea water sample, as part of the research program on emerging organic contaminants (microplastics). The water is taken off the hold, which is a concrete wharf formerly used for transporting equipment by boat. Today, the state of the wharf is not good enough to allow OP logistic operations to be carried out by sea. However, the hold is used for fishing and swimming. There is a ladder that gives direct access to the water. There are fur seals everywhere around the wharf, you have to be careful but you get used to them.

When collecting water samples, there are at least 6 other people present who are responsible for removing the seals and being ready to help if needed. To swim, you must be in a wet suit with mask, snorkel and flippers.

Last briefing before taking the plunge ... and let's go!

Laura accompanied me for this first attempt. So impressive to see fur seals underwater !! They are not at all aggressive, they swim quietly around us, looking curious. They are so elegant underwater!

Mission accomplished! We're surrounded by sea lions haha, who are all nice underwater.

I have taken three water samples since November. The last was followed by a general swim! It was great to share this moment with everyone, I was able to better enjoy my time in the water watching the seals. The water was clear and we saw lots of beautiful things on the seabed, including lobsters. We all enjoyed this day.

Out of the water, fur seals are less friendly, you have to be careful. But they are still very cute, and by taking the time to observe them we begin to better understand their reactions. They walk around, alternating swimming and naps. Hard life 😊

What a style they have when they float on the surface of the water!

(photo bomb haha)

And five minutes later ...

Improbable napping spots ...

Skuas fly around the wharf.

On several occasions we saw Killer whales off the base !

I have actually seen killer whales from my window when I get up in the morning…

What a luxury! I have a view of the sea and the tennis court.

One evening, 5 of us hiked to Ribault, one of the cabins around the base. The cabin can accommodate 8 people, and is located right next to a fur seal colony.