Preparing for Christmas in the wilds of Antarctica
If you were guaranteed a white Christmas, but it meant working thousands of miles away from your family and friends in a freezing wilderness, would you relish the opportunity?
This is what the festive season holds for the hundreds of scientists, researchers and support staff living at remote stations in Antarctica this year.
Almost 300 members of the Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are spending Christmas at five research stations and on board the vessel, the Harwich-based RRS Sir David Attenborough.
Although it is the busiest time of the year (with almost 24 hours of sunlight), many, who are not living in a tent doing field research, find the time to make decorations, secret Santa gifts and enjoy a meal or festive film together.
Almost 150 staff are spending this Christmas at the UK’s largest Antarctic research station, Rothera Research Station, on Adelaide Island, with a further 25 working away from the base.
Alongside research and operations in the deep field, many will come together to watch Christmas films, make mince pies and decorate gingerbread characters.
As well as a traditional Christmas dinner on the big day, sports are arranged including football and rounders.
But, it is still work as usual for the most part.
A meteorological balloon will be launched as usual, the marine divers will head into the bay to collect specimens and if the weather is good the pilots will fly to deploy or collect researchers and their teams from the field.
Aurelia Reichardt, the station leader, said: “Christmas is an important time and tradition for most people on station.
“Working in Antarctica can be isolating, away from family and life at home, so having a festive atmosphere on station helps people feel connected. It also helps us build a stronger community by sharing and exchanging traditions.
“Celebrations and switching off from the everyday of work life here on station does wonders for everyone’s mental well-being.”
Festive activities include making door wreaths from recycled rubbish, and origami penguins from old paper.
The BAS’s polar ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, is based in Harwich, Essex, but Christmas Day on board will be spent sailing south of the Antarctic Peninsula and dropping off a team of researchers on Christmas Eve at their study site.
There are 54 on board and the ship’s crew have already started putting up decorations, making homemade gifts for the secret Santa gift exchange, and enjoying a Christmas film evening at least once a week.
Halley VI Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf will be home to 36 people this Christmas.
They have also been busy making gifts for each other and decorating the modular station.
However, they still have to carry out regular jobs such as checking science equipment and ensuring data can be accurately collected over the Antarctic winter.
A team will also be working away from the base collecting ice cores for research purposes.
The BAS has smaller stations, and King Edward Point Research Station is one of three sub-Antarctic island research facilities, and is home to 10 people.
The team there will be able to attend a carol service at the church in Grytviken on South Georgia and enjoy a special lunch on Christmas Day, as well as taking part in a run and a quiz.
There are 12 people at Bird Island Research Station but as wildlife does not understand it is Christmas day, a team of six zoological field assistants will be out in Santa hats to do their daily rounds.
As it is baby season, they will be checking and monitoring wandering albatross eggs, fur seal pups and the chicks of macaroni penguins, mollymawks and skuas.
The small team of just five at Signy Island Research Station will continue to work on a series of science projects, but they will still be able to enjoy a festive feast plus games and other activities.
