by Ria Olivier | Mar 8, 2021 | Announcement, Current Event, International Days, SANAP
Today on International Women’s Day we are celebrating all those women involved within the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP). International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8 March of each year. 2021 Theme: “IWD 2021 campaign theme: #ChooseToChallenge; A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we are all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively we can help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.”
Within SANAP, women take on many roles. Throughout SANAP we find women in leadership positions which we celebrate; the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Minister Babara Creecy, the Director at Knowledge Advancement and Support (KAS) of the National Research Foundation Tracy Klarenbeek, Deputy Directors Kusi Ngxabani and Chuma Phamoli. (Above l-r: Min Creecy, Tracy Klarenbeek, ChumaPhamoli, Kusi Ngxabani)
In the science environment there are many Principal Investigators and the chair for the National Committee of SCAR, Bettine van Vuuren(left). The Champion for the Antarctic Youth Coalition for Antarctic Gateway Cities is Rudzani Silima(right). There have been several students and other women over the past years within SANAP. See slideshow on ALSA Archive and Womens day 2020 on www.sanap.ac.za
Cover Image : Tahlia Henry
by Ria Olivier | Jan 29, 2021 | Antarctica, Discover, Legacy, Oceanography, Research, SA Agulhas II
In an article in January 2019 you were introduced to the South Africans on the Weddell Sea Expedition with the S. A. Agulhas II. Many scientific articles have since been published and a lot of research has been done with samples taken during this expedition.
Since then a documentary has been made for the History channel by Atlantic Productions. The documentary will be viewed on DST Channel 186 on Sunday 31 January 20:00. See trailer on YouTube.
Research included different institutions from South Africa, and you will be able to recognise a few faces such as Dr Sarah Fawcett Tahlia Henry and others. Captain Knowledge Bengu (interview)with the crew of the S.A. Agulhas II can be seen in the video as well as Freddie Lighthelm as Ice Pilot.
There is lot of great footage of our vessel in this Antarctic Weddel Sea and history has been made.
Watch the documentary on History Channel.
by Ria Olivier | Jan 27, 2021 | Announcement, Marion Island, News, Newsletters>Marion Island Newsletters, Overwintering Team, sub-Antarctic, Team member
In this edition:
- Meet the small team of 8 members – they were the ‘original’ M77
- Thereafter field assistants and a film crew were able to join the team – meet the complete 77th Marion Island Overwintering Team and some members of the film crew
- Want to know how the weather treated the islanders the past few months?
- See some photos of the adventure from Cape Town to Marion Island – second part of the M77 team onboard the Pelagic Australis yacht
- Read some birding and sealing fieldwork stories
For all this and more make sure to check out this 1st edition of The Wanderer by the 77th Marion Island Overwintering Team.
Click here to download this issue of The Wanderer.
Click here to view a list of all The Wanderers (newsletters) available on the ALSA Archive. Click on the team number you are interested in.
by Ria Olivier | Jan 5, 2021 | Antarctica, SA Agulhas II, SANAE, SANAP, Uncategorised
After stormy weather at the dawn of 2021, the SA Agulhas II arrived at Penguin Bukta at 11h30 UTC on 4 January!
This year the vessel entered notable ice cover at 67° 50′ S. It was mostly easy going with some ramming during the early hours of 4 January. The later departure of the SA Agulhas II has resulted in ice navigation later in the summer. The ice is more depleted by now and navigation has been more straight forward.
The SA Agulhas II skirted a storm in her approach to Antarctica. She was peppered with winds of 50 to 60 knots underway. (Left) If you are lucky enough to escape motion sickness the sea spray from bow slamming compliments the spectacular sunset. (Right)
The ship enters notable sea ice on the morning of 3 January. Here the ice floes are about 10 m in diameter and concentrated at about 80% with some snow cover and only a few centimeters of ice thickness. (In our science we also visually observe the ice and our ‘data’ may vary due to subjective opinion – Do you agree?).
The ice cover becomes increasingly dense but the ship is not required to show her steel yet – owing to the voyage being postponed later in summer. How will her later departure in March influence the ice conditions and will she need to show her steel then?
On 4 January the SA Agulhas II arrived at the ice shelf in Penguin Bukta to bask in the calm after the storm
Thank you to Nicholas Bunn and Karl Pferdekamper (Stellenbosch University, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering who are on board and have sent this information). Poor internet hampers their access to Facebook, but they could get this information to Prof Bekker via WhatsApp. Photo credits: @Karl Pferdekamper.
Text by Prof Annie Bekker of the Sound & Vibration Research Group of the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering at Stellenbosch University.
by Ria Olivier | Jan 4, 2021 | Legacy, Marion Island, Overwintering Team, Uncategorised
The Marion 77 Overwintering team celebrated Christmas and New Years eve with a few activities.
The one action that will stay with our SANAP community is their lighting of their candles on New Years eve as requested by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa in memory of those who lost their lives through COVID-19. They had a moment of Silence and sang our national Anthem “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika”
They had a great Christmas Lunch where Mpho Mashau made special biscuits for everyone.
After lunch Santa(Tom Hartwell) handing out gifts to the team and then they played a lot of different games.
Thank You Marion 77 for sharing your celebrations with everyone
Within SANAP, women take on many roles. Throughout SANAP we find women in leadership positions which we celebrate; the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Minister Babara Creecy, the Director at Knowledge Advancement and Support (KAS) of the National Research Foundation Tracy Klarenbeek, Deputy Directors Kusi Ngxabani and Chuma Phamoli. (Above l-r: Min Creecy, Tracy Klarenbeek, ChumaPhamoli, Kusi Ngxabani)
In the science environment there are many Principal Investigators and the chair for the National Committee of SCAR, Bettine van Vuuren(left). The Champion for the Antarctic Youth Coalition for Antarctic Gateway Cities is Rudzani Silima(right). There have been several students and other women over the past years within SANAP. See slideshow on ALSA Archive and Womens day 2020 on www.sanap.ac.za
Since then a documentary has been made for the 
Watch the documentary on History Channel.
This year the vessel entered notable ice cover at 67° 50′ S. It was mostly easy going with some ramming during the early hours of 4 January. The later departure of the SA Agulhas II has resulted in ice navigation later in the summer. The ice is more depleted by now and navigation has been more straight forward.
The ship enters notable sea ice on the morning of 3 January. Here the ice floes are about 10 m in diameter and concentrated at about 80% with some snow cover and only a few centimeters of ice thickness. (In our science we also visually observe the ice and our ‘data’ may vary due to subjective opinion – Do you agree?).
They had a great Christmas Lunch where Mpho Mashau made special biscuits for everyone.
After lunch Santa(Tom Hartwell) handing out gifts to the team and then they played a lot of different games.
