On the colour of the sea: June 6-7th, 1811

On Thursday blubber finally replaced the ballast in the casks in the fore hold, the Resolution made sail in constant snow. Scoresby notes that they passed the Henrietta and the Margaret, which had 20 and 26 whales respectively. Although they saw no whales, Scoresby became fascinated with the colour of the water, which he describes as:

very deep green. The Ice all around at the edges tinged of a deep yellow colour from the deposit of some substance in the water which gives it the deep green colour. This colour is evidently permanent not changing in fine weather or foul. Clear or Cloudy, fair or Snowy. Calm or Stormy. I preserve a bottle of it for future analysis.

Soon a gale sprang up, and the sea became high: “Plying to Windward tacking or wearing at the Ice every 4 hours” with four or five ships in sight: “Lively of Whitby 4 Fish Experiment of London 8″.