‘This Christmas I will 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 hearth (or a minimum of with the central heating on), spare a thought for the a whole lot of individuals working within the Antarctic, surrounded by penguins.

Hundreds of miles from dwelling, folks employed by the Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are spending the festive season at 5 analysis stations and on the Harwich-based ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough.

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

Darren Fox, 52, is a organic subject assistant at Signy Island Analysis Station, on one of many distant South Orkney Islands, about 370 miles (600 km) off the Antarctic Peninsula.

Initially from Cornwall, he now “lives on any yacht”, he says.

“On Christmas Day I’ll head to the Gourley Peninsula on the south-east coast of the island to do nearly day by day checks on the chinstrap and Adélie penguin colonies to observe productiveness,” he mentioned.

“This yr perhaps some sledging or snowman constructing with a number of the different station members earlier than returning to base for a conventional Christmas meal cooked by our station chief, after which maybe sleeping in entrance of 1 in conventional Christmas type. Will probably be adopted by a tacky pageant film.”

The duty of getting ready the whole Christmas dinner falls to Signy’s station chief, Sarah Clarke.

The 42-year-old says she has “been on the transfer all my life… however for the final six years I have been dwelling in North Wales close to Badgelert”.

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

“We may have a pleasant brunch whereas studying e-mail greetings from all the opposite Antarctic and sub-Antarctic stations.

“Then the others will in all probability exit to survey some penguins and do some sledging and I will maintain down the fort, be sure that every part’s so as on the station and type out the turkey, nut roast and trimmings.

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

Captain Will Whatley is grasp of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, who’s spending the season at sea.

The 35-year-old hails from Southampton.

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

“It’s normally attainable for us to take the day without work, though some folks nonetheless must work to maintain the ship secure and ticking.

“For many, Christmas on board offers a pleasant break to replicate on the busy Antarctic season and the variations between life at dwelling and our time spent with our ‘work household’ in Antarctica.

“With at this time’s communications it is all the time attainable to video chat with household and pals again dwelling which may be very completely different from years previous.”

Dr. Nisha Mistry is the medical officer of the ship.

The 32-year-old, from Bradford, says: “It is going to be my first time at sea so I am unsure how the day will go – however I will have my traditional check-up on the hospital within the morning.

“Then afterwards I hope to do my favourite factor – which goes out to see icebergs.”

Aaron Harper is Sir David Attenborough’s head chef.

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

“We’ll feed 56 folks and we’re doing turkey with all of the trimmings.

“An effective way to prepare dinner Brussels sprouts is with cured bacon, numerous salt and cracked black pepper,” he shared.

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

The 53-year-old, from Grimsby, says: “On Christmas Day I will be working to assist put together Christmas dinner.

“After I end work, I will have a festive tipple after which come again to my cabin to look at a Christmas film.”

Rowan Whittle, 45, is a paleontologist who normally lives in Cambridge.

Nonetheless, this yr, he’s one among a small staff that has been taken off by the BAS airplane and can spend Christmas in a tent.

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

“Our staff of three, Sourav Dutta, a geochemist, Andy Mols, a subject information and myself, will likely be tenting for 4 weeks to seek for fossils, to know and perceive how the Antarctic seafloor environments advanced.

“Since our journey is time-limited, we might want to work on Christmas Day if the climate permits. We’ll both full camp setup or conduct an preliminary survey of the examine space.

“Hopefully we will end Christmas day a little bit early to prepare dinner one thing good with our farm rations.”