PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The area in the southern Indian Ocean where the search for the missing Malaysia Airline plane MH370 is currently concentrated lies closer to the waters of icy Antarctica than to the Australian coast, according to a reporter who was on board a search flight.

ABC News reporter David Wright was embedded on the first flight over the search area on Thursday and he described the 6,598 square kilometres zone as being closer to Antarctica than Australia.

The search was initiated after Australia said satellites had spotted two objects that might be debris from the missing flight

"The sailors conducting this high tech search scouring 4100 sq miles of open ocean closer to Antarctica than to Australia due south of KL..." Mr Wright tweeted after the flight.

"Alas our 9 hour trip aboard the P8 - including 3 hours of intensive searching did NOT turn up any evidence of debris."

At the conclusion of the search, the disappointed reporter did not have much to report.

"Nada today - except for a freighter and 2 pods of dolphins. They'll be back out tomorrow - eager to provide answers to those families."

The search for the missing plane entered its 13th day on with efforts redirected to a location some 2,500 kilometres south-west of Perth after Australia announced that the two objects had been spotted.

Officials are stressing caution, saying the objects will be difficult to find in the vast Indian Ocean and might not be related to Flight 370.