The S.A. Agulhas II departed from the Port of Cape Town at around 10pm, 02 September 2019 and will return on 07 October 2019. Click here to view the voyage schedule.
Who is onboard:
The 65th Gough Island overwintering team – this team will be joined by the Gough64 field assistants forming part of Gough65.
Scientists from South African Weather Service, University of Pretoria and Nelson Mandela University.
Advanced party of the Gough Island Restoration Team led by Andrew Callender (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds).
Team to deploy the new Gough Island emergency hut led by Dr Guy Preston.
Team of the Department of Public Works.
Logistics and coordinating team from the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF).
Mid-Winter is celebrated right across Antarctica by all the nations & stations. It is the 0ldest tradition in Antarctica and refers to the Winter Solstice (or hibernal solstice). It occurs when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky.
At the pole, there is continuous darkness or twilight around the winter solstice. Its opposite is the summer solstice.
The winter solstice occurs during the hemisphere’s winter. In the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice (usually 20 or 21 June). Although the winter solstice itself lasts only a moment, the term sometimes refers to the day on which it occurs. Other names are “midwinter”, the “extreme of winter” (Dongzhi), or the “shortest day”.
So, for Antarctic Expeditioners / Overwinterers the worst is over with regards to dark (lack of light and sunlight).
Happy Mid- Winter to all – share this email far and wide.
From all of us
Jasmine Arnold
Office Administrator to The Ship’s Operations Manager | Directorate: Southern Oceans & Antarctic Support | Office address: East Pier, Waterfront | Direct no: 021 405 9485 | Switchboard: 021 405 9400
Mid-winter Event Pretoria, South Africa – organised by Carol Jacobs :
Physically hard working individuals and communications engineer needed!!
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) announced the availability of positions for the Gough Island Restoration Programme (GIRP). This programme is planned to commence in 2020 and aims to get rid of the bird-eating mice on Gough Island.
The next Gough Island Overwintering Expedition will depart from Cape Town in September 2019. This will be the 65th Gough Island overwintering team who will return to Cape Town in October 2020.
Positions currently advertised:
Medical Orderly
Electrician
Diesel Mechanic
Communications Engineer
Senior Meteorological Technician
Assistant Meteorological Assistant (2 posts)
If you are interested in applying to overwinter, please click here.
Please note that applications close between 04 and 14 March 2019.
Please download the PDF advert of the position you are interested in and follow the application instructions as set out in the advert.
Read more:
Recent article (Afrikaans) about the Gough63 team (Click here).
Click here and here for more information on Gough Island (English).
The next Gough Island Overwintering Expedition will depart from Cape Town in September 2019. This will be the 65th Gough Island overwintering team who will return to Cape Town in October 2020.
