Endurance

It is icy cold, but we are happy to send our dive robot into Antarctic waters for the first time, going several thousand meters deep to the seabed. Everything is in position.

Our mission to the seafloor begins.

After several hours in the deep sea, our robot reappears behind "Polarstern". It will be a long night for the scientists. All the samples we have collected on the seafloor now have to be processed in the laboratories. The next morning, an iceberg welcomes us.

Saunders Island offers a breathtaking panorama.

Our volcanologists are planning a visit to the island. They want to take samples and survey the active volcano Mount Michael with drones. The dinghy is ready. Will the landing be successful?

. . . which shows us its strength, and smokes exactly as a volcano should.

Even if the weather looks nice, the strong wind thwarts a landing with the dinghies on the volcanic island. However, we steer the ship in close circles around Saunders Island, and our volcanologists launch their drones from "Polarstern" to gather data.

Still in a good mood.

Always focused.

After almost seven stormy weeks at sea: We are done, but happy. We were able to map 6,700 nautical miles with the echo sounder systems. This is an invaluable record that needs to be worked up when ashore. Despite winds up to Beaufort force 12, we were able to send the ROV on a mission to the seafloor seven times. We have successfully conducted 20 gravity cores, 3 piston cores, 18 CTD deployments, 13 multi-corer samples and 10 OFOBS profiles.

Hard work has been done on deck.

Tirelessly, we deploy the devices.

In the lab, we worked through the nights.

Tinkered again and again to get the best results.

In icy temperatures . . .

. . . and in the worst storms.

“We must always remember with gratitude and admiration the first sailors who steered their vessels through storms and mists, and increased our knowledge of the land of ice in the South.”

Roald Amundsen (1872–1928)