Welcome aboard to our first blog from the R/V Pelagia in the Black Sea. Yesterday we joined this Dutch research vessel in Istanbul. We were stuck at the customs for a while before we were able to board the ship. Luckily we brought our “sea survival kit” (aka playing cards) with us and passed the time with few rounds of hearts in no men’s land.
Today we entered the Bosporus. Our private Bosporus tour was a very welcome break in-between the unpacking and preparations. From the boat we had a beautiful view of the Hagia Sofia and many other historical buildings. We were also accompanied by some curious dolphins that were playing near the front of the ship for quite some time. A perfect photo opportunity in the sun before we all had to go back to our cold labs to prepare for our first station tomorrow
Today we entered the Bosporus. Our private Bosporus tour was a very welcome break in-between the unpacking and preparations. From the boat we had a beautiful view of the Hagia Sofia and many other historical buildings. We were also accompanied by some curious dolphins that were playing near the front of the ship for quite some time. A perfect photo opportunity in the sun before we all had to go back to our cold labs to prepare for our first station tomorrow
Today’s preparations included a lot of labeling. A lot of labelling! This is a very important part of every cruise because we need to be able to identify all our samples back in the lab at home. Check out Wytze and the expression of intense concentration on his face – or maybe he’s just wondering what’s for dinner…