‘This Christmas I’ll be counting penguins in Antarctica’

How are you spending your Christmas? Whereas many will likely be curled up on the couch in entrance of a roaring fireplace (or not less than with the central heating on), spare a thought for the lots of of individuals working within the Antarctic area, surrounded as a substitute by penguins.

1000’s of miles from house, these employed by the Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are spending the festive season at 5 analysis stations and on board the Harwich-based vessel, the RRS Sir David Attenborough.

A few of them have been sharing their Christmas plans – telling us how they are going to be spending the massive day.

Derren Fox, 52, is a zoological area assistant at Signy Island Analysis Station, which is on one of many distant South Orkney Islands, about 370 miles (600km) from the Antarctic Peninsula.

Initially from Cornwall, he now “lives on a yacht nearly wherever”, he says.

“On Christmas Day I am going to head over to Gourlay Peninsula on the south-east shores of the island to hold out the virtually day by day checks on the chinstrap and Adelie penguin colonies to watch productiveness,” he mentioned.

“This may in all probability be adopted by some sledging or snowman constructing with among the different station members earlier than returning to base for a conventional Christmas meal, this yr cooked by our station chief, after which in all probability falling asleep in conventional Christmas fashion in entrance of a tacky festive film.”

The duty of rustling up a full Christmas dinner falls to Signy’s station chief, Sarah Clark.

The 42-year-old says she has moved round “my entire life… however during the last six years I have been dwelling in North Wales, close to Beddgelert”.

She added: “The Signy custom is for the station chief to prepare dinner Christmas dinner, so that’s what I will likely be doing – however we’re only a small workforce of 5 in the intervening time,” she says.

“We’ll have a pleasant brunch while studying the e-mail greetings from all the opposite Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic stations.

“Then the others will in all probability head out to survey some penguins and do some sledging and I’ll maintain down the fort, be certain that every part is okay on station and get the turkey, nut roast and trimmings sorted.

“After dinner we’ll spend the night having fun with some video games collectively together with perhaps some Christmas darts.”

Capt Will Whatley is grasp of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, which is spending the season at sea.

The 35-year-old is from Southampton.

“Christmas is in the course of the operational season in Antarctica so it’s a busy time work-wise,” he says.

“It is often potential for us to take the time off, though some individuals will nonetheless should work to maintain the ship protected and ticking over.

“For many, Christmas on board supplies a superb break from the busy Antarctic season and time to mirror on the contrasts between life at house and our time spent with our ‘work household’ in Antarctica.

“With modern-day communications it’s at all times potential to do a video chat with household and mates again house which may be very totally different from years passed by.”

Dr Nisha Mistry is the ship’s medical officer.

The 32-year-old from Bradford, says: “This will likely be my first time at sea so I am not too certain how the day will go – however I will be doing my normal hospital checks within the morning.

“Then later I hope to do my favorite factor – which goes outdoors to look at the icebergs.”

Aaron Harper is the chief prepare dinner on the Sir David Attenborough.

“This Christmas I will likely be working,” the chef, from Harwich, Essex, says.

“We’ll be feeding 56 individuals and we’re doing turkey with all of the trimmings.

“A great way of cooking Brussels sprouts is with dried bacon, plenty of salt and cracked black pepper,” he shared.

Helping him will likely be Nick Greenwood, the senior steward on the ship.

The 53-year-old, from Grimsby, says: “On Christmas Day I will likely be engaged on serving to to get the Christmas dinner prepared.

“Once I end work, I’ll have a festive tipple after which again to my cabin to look at a Christmas film.”

Rowan Whittle, 45, is a palaeontologist who often lives in Cambridge.

Nevertheless, this yr, she is certainly one of a small workforce which has been dropped off by the BAS ship and can spend Christmas in a tent.

“We’re being deployed onto King George Island a few days earlier than Christmas,” she says.

“Our workforce of three, Saurav Dutta, a geochemist, Andy Moles, a area information and myself, will likely be tenting for 4 weeks trying to find fossils, to try to perceive how Antarctic seafloor ecosystems developed.

“As our journey is time-limited we might want to work on Christmas Day if the climate permits. We are going to both be ending camp set-up or conducting an preliminary survey of the examine space.

“Hopefully we will end a bit early on Christmas Day to prepare dinner one thing good with our area rations.”