The venue : Environment and Tourism Antarctica and Islands Offices
View from the building: The one side...
On the other side this was parked. The SA Agulhas is South Africa's polar research vessel. She has been in service for almost thirty years and is nearing the end of her term of service. The Agulhas is used to service the three SANAP research bases in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica as well as various research voyages. She spends most of her time out of harbour.
The SA Agulhas is South Africa's only Antarctic research and supply vessel and works hard to complete her yearly schedule.
The ship has accommodation for 98 passengers and 40 crew, cargo holds, research laboratories and recreation areas. There is a meteorological station on board from which weather observations are conducted while the vessel is underway.
It is possible to track the our research and supply ship SA Agulhas online while she is at sea. The position is automatically reported to the sailwx.info site, which provides up-to-date information on the ship’s position and local weather. See: http://www.sailwx.info/
The SA Agulhas is classed as a steel hulled, ice strengthened Antarctic supply and oceanographic research vessel. Her keel was laid at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shimonoseki, Japan in 1977. She is 6122.96 GRT, 111.95 m long with a breadth of 18.05 m. Her range of 15 000 nautical miles also means an endurance of approx 90 days. She is operated by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Directorate: Antarctica and islands.
The guests
Nerina
Close up
Wall painting by Nerina. Antarctica is the, coldest, driest, windiest, most moutainous and inhospitable land mass in the world. It is also the most remote continent and the only one that has not yet been completely mapped. Read more: http://www.mcm-deat.gov.za/antarctica/logistics.html
