Part I: Seals teeth and whales ears - Scott Polar Research Institute ...

I had a very good night's sleep, despite the boat rolling and pitching -
although nothing to what we must expect. The log showed 222 miles since we
dropped the Pilot at Dungeness. With Bob Spivey (formerly a paratrooper) I
was on watch on the bridge from 8 o'clock to noon. The Second Officer, Tom
Miller, pointed out the various instruments and duties and I took over the
wheel for a short time. The swell was quite heavy and I found it difficult to
steer a straight course - to an observer the ship would have seemed to be taking
evasive measures! Several gannets crossed the bow flying north-north-westerly
and a school of bottlenose dolphins joined us. There were about a dozen and
several turned and accompanied the ship, playing in the foam and turmoil
created by the bows. They darted across the bows and back again, showing
their white bellies. When they broke the surface, the blowholes opened and
closed regularly, the dorsal fin cutting the surface made a spray and they went
back to their play. In their movements they are the aquatic counterpart to the
gulls astern, which that day consisted almost entirely of kittiwakes. Later in the
day I saw two guillemots and Pat (Toynbee) reported a whale blowing about
two miles away.
Dr Vivian Fuchs was the leader of the expedition, older than the rest of us
and with some Arctic and African experience. He was sharing a cabin
amidships with Dr Stuart Slessor who had been down with FIDS already as
Expedition Leader and had much experience of dog-sledging. After lunch I
helped him and Mac to sort out some engine parts, did some painting and then
chatted until teatime. At 10 o’clock I went on watch. It was very pleasant to
stand on the bridge, with lowering clouds thinly veiling the moon. There were
very few ships about - in fact I saw only four that watch. The time passed very
quickly.
Next I had a free day, which I spent mainly on the bridge, watching the
birds - kittiwakes, skuas, gannets and a lesser-black-backed gull and a puffin.
The Christmas tree was decorated and I painted a large Christmas card to go on
it. The weather became noticeably warmer on Christmas Eve, and apart from
the sea breeze it was very warm. We took to wearing shorts and little else and
shortly after Christmas began to sleep out on deck, continuing until nearing the
Falkland Islands some weeks later. There were 46 of us including the crew on
board the ship and we all had a very enjoyable time, except that some people
were seasick initially. The Bay of Biscay was really quite calm for December. I
felt very fit and the food was excellent. Our Christmas celebrations were very
jolly and there was a traditional Christmas dinner washed down with some
good wine, followed by much merriment and fun, although it was my
misfortune to be on galley duty. This was not at all pleasant - smells and heat -
and for the first and only time in my life I suffered from seasickness.
An appropriate church service was held on the foredeck, and we sang "For
those in peril on the sea" and a carol. The Christmas dinner was up to all
expectations. At 10.30 am we had broached several bottles of sherry, gin,
vermouth etc. and so by first sitting an hour later all were quite merry. The
photographers were leaning at crazy angles from all vantage points trying to
catch us off our guard, but we bore up to it admirably.
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