AFTER 33 years faithful service in some of the world's most treacherous oceans, the SA Agulhas is making one last voyage along the South African coast before heading off to Antarctica and Marion Island - and retirement.
From early next year, Africa's only ice-strengthened polar research vessel will be replaced by the SA Agulhas II - a R1.5-billion state-of-the-art icebreaker that will elevate South Africa's role as a leading global researcher in the Southern Ocean to a whole new level.
During its trip along the coast from Cape Town, the grand old dame will stop in Port Elizabeth today and then in Durban to raise awareness about the COP17 climate change talks.
Oceans and Coast deputy director-general, Dr Monde Mayekiso, told scientists who will be testing equipment for the final voyage to Antarctica next month that the Durban trip was the perfect opportunity to increase awareness about South Africa's activities in the Southern Ocean.
He said the ship had played a huge role in helping to understand the "impact of oceans on climate and of course the impact of climate change on us".
Though only a "select few" scientists had access to the SA Agulhas over the years, this last trip along the coast will be an opportunity for the public to look her over and learn about vital climate change issues.
Mayekiso said over the past 33 years the SA Agulhas had collected vital oceanographic and meteorological data that helped cement South Africa's position as a leading researcher in the remote Southern Ocean territory.
The SA Agulhas had also "provided the capacity for South Africa to deploy drifting weather buoys that have increased weather-predicting capability ".
SA Agulhas makes way for R1.5bn icebreaker
AFTER 33 years faithful service in some of the world's most treacherous oceans, the SA Agulhas is making one last voyage along the South African coast before heading off to Antarctica and Marion Island - and retirement.
From early next year, Africa's only ice-strengthened polar research vessel will be replaced by the SA Agulhas II - a R1.5-billion state-of-the-art icebreaker that will elevate South Africa's role as a leading global researcher in the Southern Ocean to a whole new level.
During its trip along the coast from Cape Town, the grand old dame will stop in Port Elizabeth today and then in Durban to raise awareness about the COP17 climate change talks.
Oceans and Coast deputy director-general, Dr Monde Mayekiso, told scientists who will be testing equipment for the final voyage to Antarctica next month that the Durban trip was the perfect opportunity to increase awareness about South Africa's activities in the Southern Ocean.
He said the ship had played a huge role in helping to understand the "impact of oceans on climate and of course the impact of climate change on us".
Though only a "select few" scientists had access to the SA Agulhas over the years, this last trip along the coast will be an opportunity for the public to look her over and learn about vital climate change issues.
Mayekiso said over the past 33 years the SA Agulhas had collected vital oceanographic and meteorological data that helped cement South Africa's position as a leading researcher in the remote Southern Ocean territory.
The SA Agulhas had also "provided the capacity for South Africa to deploy drifting weather buoys that have increased weather-predicting capability ".
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