Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 02/22/2012 - 10:45
Forums
Seafloor Organisms and Changing Ocean Conditions in Antarctic

Hi Miss Hermann,

We hope you are enjoying your time in Antarctica! It must be so cool to see such an unexplored place! We read your journal on your dive tending expeditions, and the whole process sounds so exciting! How was your first time out on the zodiac? Did you have to do any training before you went? It must have been scary but an amazing experience!

Hope to hear back!

Maggie Wilson and Caitlin McGlaughlin

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 13:24

Nell Herrmann

Hi Maggie and Caitlin,It's wonderful to hear from you! Thank you for writing.
I'm really enjoying my time here; I'm working hard and am learning a lot. I didn't have any specific training before I got here, but Dr. Amsler did go through a list of expectations on the LMG while we were traveling here. He also showed me some pictures to give me an idea of what it would be like in advance too. I have been on zodiacs and other boats before; in the summer I work in Maine as a naturalist for a small, non-profit organization to teach people about the Gulf of Maine. I've never been out on boats in such cold water, though, and have never had to steer around icebergs. It is just a little scary; I don't love driving the zodiac, but the dive tending part is fun. The whole experience is definitely amazing.
Keep in touch,
-Ms. Herrmann