Hello again from Captain Bob!
Just as the UK is preparing for summer, down here in the Antarctic we are shutting down for winter. Recently we helped the British scientists on Signy Island to secure their base for the season and get back to the UK for their holidays.
They have spent the last season studying the great colonies of birds and Elephant Seals that live there. These are huge creatures and not easily persuaded from doing whatever they want. Unfortunately, for the scientists, some of them had decided to set up home right beside their huts. Apparently, they were rather noisy so they kept everyone in the base awake at night!
Elephant seals
As you know, we are lucky enough to have two helicopters on board. We keep them in the hangar, which is near the back of the ship beside where they land and take off from. They are enormously useful to us as they can help us reach far away and remote places that would otherwise be completely cut off. They help us by transferring people and stores to and from the bases as required.
Because they are so useful, we have to make sure we look after them. Recently we practised what to do if one of the helicopters crashed onto the deck. This was pretend but it made sure that we all knew what to do if it happened for real. In the picture, you can see the First Aid teams rescuing the pilots from helicopter.
Crash on deck exercise
It’s just as well, we practice for every eventuality because sometimes things don’t go as planned when you are at sea. After leaving Signy Island we discovered a flood in part of the ship. This is just one of the various emergencies that can happen in a ship and could have been very serious. Thankfully, it was dealt with quickly and we came to no harm.
In the Royal Navy we train for every eventuality and teamwork is very important to us. As soon as it was discovered, every single member of the ship’s company reacted to the flood just as they had been trained to. You can one of them helping in the picture below.
Flood
Recently we were lucky enough to visit Chile. I had a really enjoyable time and so did the entire ship’s company. After a while at sea I think everyone was keen to stretch their legs and explore the lovely city of Punta Arenas. I met up with a few of my good Chilean friends and our famous ship’s football team played a friendly match against the Chilean Navy which was great fun.
Football
The man of the match was without a doubt Pablo the dog. He played tirelessly in both halves and was never far from the ball.
Football
A few days ago we made a quick visit to a place called Deception Island. It is a strange place in that the island is a hollow ring, and you can sail straight into the centre of it. We think that it used to be a volcano, many millions of years ago which erupted, causing the centre of the island to sink into the sea.
The mountainous sides of the island were very impressive and our photographer got busy snapping away!
HMS Endurance in Deception Island
Kaz – Ship’s photographer
Also, just as we were leaving the island, we saw some whales swimming close by the ship. They really are magnificent creatures. While their future in the region has at times been in doubt, a control over whaling in the region now means that their numbers are far healthier and we are more likely to catch a glimpse of them on our travels.
Whales
Well, after all the work we have done over the winter I think its time for my holidays! Although we are all happy and looking forward to some time off there is also a sense that we will miss our colleagues with whom we have worked so closely over the last season.
I’m going to head home for a few weeks to see my family and I’ll be in touch at the beginning of May to let you know what we’re getting up to when I get back.
Tight lines!
Capt Bob