Day 4 and 5 of our cruise held some interesting surprises for us, and we learned first hand that sometimes things on a research  vessel might not turn out as planned. After a long day of CTD measurements and filtration of water samples at our second sample station, we were eager to hear that against all hopes we would we able to come into visible range of the Madagascan coastline.

In the end, we could celebrate the birthdays of our companions in a nice Madagascan fashion. We happily worked on our cross-cultural exchange, and did si by not only sharing anecdotes about South African-Swiss-German habits, but also by celebrating a dance party highlighted by a unique mixture of South African hip hop and Helene Fischer.

Kenny, our Madagascan observer, teaching us local party style. Photo: Folkard Wittrock

As of day 5, we had to slightly modify the course of the ship. Thankfully, that also gave us the chance to investigate promising meteorologic occurrences for which we are still adjusting the sampling pattern for the days to come. This includes a higher number of radiosonde launches, and increased underway water sampling.

We are currently cruising around the southmost edge of Madagascar, taking a detour around a giant coral reef (Banc L’Etoile). This also means we are entering more exposed waters, and thus a comeback of lecture-room seasickness. We hope that the “Bergfest” tomorrow will cure this 🙂

by Kosmas Hench and Jessica Holterhoff