Algae Group Expeditions: Antarctic Voyage (2) – Christmas in Antarctica and getting used to life on the frozen continent

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Antarctica! I have now been here for exactly one week, after leaving Punta Arenas, Chile, on Christmas Day. We had a lovely Christmas dinner immediately after landing here. Like during my previous trip to Rothera in Dec. 2010-Jan. 2011, I bailed out from the party at about 10.30 pm and went for a hike around Rothera Point (the peninsula on which the base is built – since it is one of the few places in the area of a relatively even surface which is partly ice-free) under the midnight sun. I very much enjoy the serenity of the polar environment, together with watching active wildlife at this time of the night. And the light of the midnight sun (with a higher proportion of the “red” part of the spectrum compared to mid-day) makes everything illuminated in it even more pretty. Indeed, these walks under the midnight sun have become an important part of my daily activity cycle here – also because I find it very difficult to simply go to sleep in the evening when there is still intense sunlight outside.

All of the mandatory inductions which one has to do before being allowed to start any work in Antarctica are now behind me, and serious work (yes, diving!) should start soon... maybe as early as tomorrow hopefully. I had deliberately timed my arrival around Christmas so that I would not lose any real work time for these lengthy inductions, but also for having a few days to acclimatize and to simply enjoy the beautiful nature here. One issue that we need to sort out is that the RRS James Clark Ross (nicknamed "JCR") which was meant to bring most of a year's worth of supplies to Rothera (including my 2 boxes with scientific and diving equipment) couldn't get here - too much sea ice (even though it is an ice-strengthened vessel)!! It had to return to the Falkland Islands where part of its cargo (including my equipment) were reloaded onto the HMS Protector, a stronger ice breaker of the Royal Navy, which is meant to get here at some point next week... but there should be some spare dry suits and dive equipment at the Bonner Lab.

I should write a bit about the training and inductions that one has to do when arriving in Antarctica. They include communications on and off base, living and working around aircraft, personal management in the polar environment, field meteorological observations, life and work in deep-field sites, field medical box training, vehicle operation, and an induction of the Bonner Marine Lab.

The latter is named after Nigel Bonner (1928-1994), one of the founding fathers of Antarctic marine mammal biology[1]. I fondly remember personally meeting Bonner at the first scientific conference that I attended in my life – which was the 1991 SCAR (Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research) Conference in Bremen, which was just a few weeks after graduating from high school (at 19 years of age, I was the youngest participant!) due to my already then strong enthusiasm for Antarctic science.

Life in Antarctica is not only about seals, penguins, diving, flying and beautiful scenery like from another world... a base like this (currently housing 55 people, less than half its full capacity) also needs to be fed and kept clean! While there is a kitchen staff of 3, they are supplemented by the gash rota system, i.e. everyone else needs to help out with cleaning jobs one day every 6 weeks or so. I had my day of gash on Dec. 30 – I had deliberately asked to do it early on during my stay here, since the delayed arrival of my equipment means that I will be very busy and time will be a premium once it finally gets here.

Food on base is very good. The chefs are clearly highly skilled and motivated – it is obvious that good food makes a big difference for morale of scientists and staff in such a place.

During the last afternoon of the year 2017, I hiked to the Caboose, a cabin on sledges on the glacier beneath Reptile Ridge. This is part of the “local travel area” which we are allowed to access on foot, skis, or with a snow mobile without being accompanied by a field guide. The area is clearly marked by a flag line and is big enough for a nice hike or a bit of cross-country skiing for a couple of hours. Going uphill, it took me 2 hours to get there. When reaching the Caboose, I rested for about 30 min, before heading back.

And then, it was the New Year’s Eve party! The organizers had chosen to hold it in the boat shed near the Biscoe Wharf, which was a great idea. Rothera is arguably one of the coolest places (literally) on Planet Earth for such a party. Shortly before midnight, we all ascended Cross Hill above the buildings of the base (the site of the memorial for scientists and staff who have perished while working at Rothera over the years)[2] where we welcomed 2018 under a beautiful midnight sun setting. At 0 am, we hugged each other, exchanged wishes and stayed for a few minutes enjoying the awesome scenery – before heading either to bed or to the bar in the New Bransfield House.

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North Cove under the midnight sun

View from Rothera Point towards Pourquoi Pas Island
(The "Pourquoi Pas?" was the vessel of Charcot's French Antarctic expedition, which explored this area in 1908-1910)
Dec. 25

View from Rothera Point towards the Arrowsmith Peninsula, Antarctic Mainland

View from Rothera Point towards Alexander Island

Antarctic skua at Rothera Point

View from Rothera Point towards the Arrowsmith Peninsula, Antarctic Mainland

View from Rothera Point towards Pourquoi Pas Island and Alexander Island

Hiking Rothera Point in the midnight sun

Cheshire Island, SW of Rothera Point - this had been one of my main dive sites in 2010-2011.

Now it's full of elephant seals!

Elephant seals mock fighting, Cheshire Island

View from Rothera Point towards the Arrowsmith Peninsula, Antarctic Mainland

Elephant seals on Cheshire Island

View from Rothera Point towards Jenny Island in the midnight sun

View from Rothera Point towards Reptile Ridge and the bay left by the receding Sheldon Glacier
in the midnight sun

The memorial for the scientists who have perished while working at Rothera

View from Rothera Point towards Jenny Island in the midnight sun

New Bransfield House and Mt. Liotard in the midnight sun

North Cove in the midnight sun

Crabeater seal

Elephant seal

Crabeater seal

View from Rothera Point towards the Arrowsmith Peninsula, Antarctic Mainland

Runway, view towards Mt. Liotard and Jenny Island

A Basler BT-67 on its stopover visit on the way back to Canada. In the photo you can see the skis being removed before the long flight from here to North America. This is an approx. 70 year-old air frame of a McDonnel Douglas DC3, but entirely rebuilt and with new engines - a perfect, sturdy work horse plane for the polar regions. Basler Turbo Conversions Inc., of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is specialized on rebuilding historic air frames for use as utility aircraft in the 21st century.

Basler BT-67, with one set of skis still on, and the other one removed

Basler BT-67, with one set of skis being loaded into the cabin before the long flight back to Canada

Elephant seals are everywhere...

Elephant seal obstructing the aircraft runway

Elephant seals are everywhere...

Weddell seal, North Cove, in the midnight sun

View from North Cove towards the Arrowsmith Peninsula, Antarctic Mainland

View from North Cove towards the Arrowsmith Peninsula, Antarctic Mainland:
Elephant seals are fighting among the ice floes

Elephant seals are fighting among the ice floes

View from North Cove towards the Arrowsmith Peninsula, Antarctic Mainland:
Elephant seals are fighting among the ice floes

Elephant seals are fighting among the ice floes

Weddell seal

View from North Cove towards the Arrowsmith Peninsula, Antarctic Mainland

North Cove

Hangar Cove

Hangar Cove, midnight sun

Skuas above Hangar Cove, midnight sun

Runway, midnight sun

Elephant seal blocking the access road to the runway

Elephant seal blocking the access road to the runway: I was tempted to wipe its nose...

New Bransfield House, which contains the canteen, library and bar,
with 4 gator trucks parked in front of it

Mt. Liotard (2,225 metres high!) and, in front of it, Leonie Island (resembling a black trapezoid)

Iceberg off Rothera Point

The first two Adelie penguins encountered on this trip!

Iceberg off Rothera Point

Fieldwork training - here: how to operate a kerosene lamp

Fieldwork training - here: inspecting the contents medical and food supply boxes

Fieldwork training - here:
How to set up a tent (of the light weight type that is carried on a Twin Otter)

Rothera Point, view towards Jenny Island in the midnight sun

Crabeater seal, Rothera Point

Rothera Point, view towards Jenny Island in the midnight sun

Rothera Point in the midnight sun

Rothera Point, view towards Jenny Island in the midnight sun

Icebergs and elephant seals at Rothera Point

View from Rothera Point towards Jenny Island

Icebergs at Rothera Point

The site of Julia Kleinteich's chamber experiments (studying cyanobacterial mat composition under simulated climate change) in 2010-2011

Rothera Point, view towards the Arrowsmith Peninsula in the midnight sun

Hiking Rothera Point in the midnight sun

Moon and antenna cables at Rothera Point

Shelf ice edge at the "Ramp", west of the runway

Skua at the memorial, Rothera Point

The BAS Sledge Dog Memorial

The moon above Reptile Ridge

Recycling span

Control tower

Rothera Medical Surgery

The RO desalination plant, which provides drinking / tap water for the base.

The four generators providing electricity and heat to the base. Given how much sunlight there is in summer and also considering the high cost and carbon footprint of burning diesel in Antarctica, it would make a lot of sense to install PV panels on the buildings!

De Havilland Canada Twin Otter returning from a deep-field mission

The Rothera Marine Team heading out for a day at sea

The aquarium in the Bonner Marine Lab

Part of the mandatory training and inductions: medical training for fieldwork

North Cove in the midnight sun

Elephant seal among ice floes, Hangar Cove

Icebergs in North Cove, midnight sun

Fighting elephant seals, North Cove

Bonner Marine Lab seen from the entrance of Giants' House (where I am staying) in the midnight sun. Note the drifting ice in the bay!

View from Biscoe Wharf to the ice edge at Rothera Point and towards Pourquoi Pas Island.

Rothera Point, view towards Pourquoi Pas Island

Rothera Point, view towards Jenny Island on the horizon in the midnight sun

Elephant seals, North Cove

Elephant seals are everywhere!

Elephant seal in front of New Bransfield House

View of the base from the northern end of the runway

North Cove

Hangar Cove

Weddell seal, Hangar Cove

My day of gash - Dec. 30

The Rothera kitchen

Store room of the Rothera kitchen for near-immediate use - there are much bigger food stores elsewhere on base, which are sufficient for 18 months

Rothera Point, view towards Jenny Island on the horizon in the midnight sun

View of Cheshire Island in the foreground from Rothera Point

Rothera Point, view towards Jenny Island on the horizon in the midnight sun

Kelp gulls on the cliffs at Rothera Point in the midnight sun

Crabeater seal, Rothera Point

View of the base and Mt. Liotard from the north end of Rothera Point

The last afternoon of 2017: My hike up the "Ramp" to the Caboose

Dec. 31

The last afternoon of 2017: My hike to the Caboose.
The flag line marks the safe passage identified by the bases field guides (guaranteed to be free of crevasses!)

Dec. 31

View during the hike towards the Arrowsmith Peninsula

After 2 h, I finally reached the Caboose

Inside the Caboose, I rested a bit for about half an hour...

...then I called Ops in the base's control tower before heading back, using this VHF radio.

Selfie taken before leaving the Caboose

The Nansen sledge which is parked close to the Caboose. A sledge developed during the pioneering years of polar explorations and named after Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian polar explorer and recipient of the Peace Nobel Prize (Nansen and I have the same first name, but with a slightly different spelling). This one is used for storing fuel away from the Caboose.
Dec. 31

Antarctic solitude north of the trail back to base - glaciers and mountains of Adelaide Island, not a single living being

Dec. 31

Glacier, icebergs and, in the background, the Arrowsmith Peninsula seen during the hike back to base

Icebergs seen during the hike back to base

My return to base coincided with the arrival of the Dash-7 from Santiago de Chile and Puerto Montt with important scientific cargo and an extra pilot to Rothera. With this aircraft, it takes around 10 h in the air to get to Santiago one-way.
Dec. 31

Once the Dash-7 had turned off its engines, I was allowed to cross the runway.

After devouring a big dinner (amazing, how much energy one burns during outdoor activities in Antarctica!) there was the New Year's party in the Rothera boatshed. This is Derek from the RAF stocking the beer cooler. Rothera is arguably one of the coolest places (literally) for a party like this.
Dec. 31

New Year's party in the Rothera boat shed. Note the dummy in the survival dry suit hanging from the ceiling above the stage.
Dec. 31

With Al (the Dash-7 pilot, left) and Lewis (right, one of the chefs) at the party
Dec. 31

Scenery outside the boat shed during the party
Dec. 31

Caterpillar crane used for launching Zodiacs etc. for diving and boat explorations of the area
Dec. 31

The boat shed (the greenish building to the right of the center) was the venue of the 2017-2018 Rothera New Year's Eve party
Dec. 31

With David Williams from St. Helena, one of the "Saints" of Rothera. David has been living here for almost 10 years now! We had met and become friends during my previous trip to Rothera in 2010-2011.

The party went on...
Dec. 31

Shortly before midnight, we went up Cross Hill to welcome the New Year under the midnight sun
11.57, Dec. 31

Welcoming 2018 on the summit of Cross Hill, Rothera
0 am, Jan. 1

The official Royal Navy detachment to Antarctica welcomes 2018!
0 am, Jan. 1

After a while, we went back inside, where the party continued...

Jan. 1

[1] A very nice obituary of Bonner’s life and work can be found here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1996.tb00154.x/pdf

[2] the last fatality was a PhD student in 2003, Kirsty Brown, who was very tragically killed by a leopard seal while snorkelling to survey the impacts of iceberg scouring on seabed communities.

Algae Group Expeditions

Monday 1 January 2018

Antarctic Voyage (2) – Christmas in Antarctica and getting used to life on the frozen continent

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