Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

still blowing and feeding. We had seen probably 150-200 of them in this relatively
small area.
It was very stormy overnight and next day we were running northwest before an
easterly sea, with scattered bergy bits and variable visibility. The stormy weather
continued. It was difficult to do much because of the motion, but it ameliorated
during the night and was calm again on 25 January. A light-mantled sooty albatross
accompanied us. The ice report (from satellite imagery) was received and indicated
that there was pack ice between us and Signy – but narrower than to the east and
west of us. At noon we entered the pack. These were relatively small new floes;
calm and overcast weather resulted in colours that were grey, white, turquoise-blue,
bottle-green with some yellow in the sky. I read the Halley annual reports and was
shown around the engine room and had its complexities explained to me.
Throughout the day the pack thickened and floe size increased. There were few
birds: Antarctic petrels, snow petrels, giant petrels and some terns; also very few
seals. At about 9 o’clock we stopped because the leads’ direction wasn't clear. We
started again at 2.30 am and by 9 o’clock were clear of it. We had passed through 186
miles of pack ice at an average speed of about 9 knots - which was surprising.
It was flat calm, clear, but with grey skies. We talked with Signy at about 10.30
am and learnt that they had similar weather and I arranged a programme for the
Signy visit. There were some very large, beautiful tabular bergs and the Mikhail
Somov (Russian) was about 40 miles south of us, still in the pack. I talked with
Charles Swithinbank (Head of Earth Sciences), who was at Rothera. The Polar Sea
(US icebreaker) was on its way to them to carry out an inspection under the Antarctic
Treaty. On board was Al Fowler (NSF Administrator). Charles would ask for a lift to
Palmer or Faraday, so as to avoid the need for Biscoe to collect him. All was well at
Rothera and the wider field season was going well. We arrived at Signy about 7.30
pm, in clear but cloudy weather and anchored off Outer Islet in the usual spot. The
base didn't come out to the ship and we would go ashore next day. It was a pleasant
convivial evening in the Superfiddery.
27 January was a Sunday, a dull day with an inch of snow overnight. I went
ashore at 9.30am in the second scow and arranged to go all around the island in
Serolis, the base launch. We took an inflatable in tow for safety and for easy landings.
The main object was to leave the base to handle the incoming cargo without
interference and to see Phil Shaw's project on shags at first hand. So first to
Shagnasty (a well-named small rocky islet). That year there had been a high
mortality of shag nestlings and whereas on my l971 visit we ringed 500-600 at
Shagnasty, there were only 50-100 of them surviving there this time. The mortality
appeared to be food-linked, because they had not put on weight for 2-3 weeks. They
were both metal- and colour-ringed and 20% of the colonies were ringed birds. One
problem was access and Phil needed a safe means of crossing from Signy Island to
the islet - about 50 yards. One possibility we discussed was a fixed wire, which
could be used to pull a boat across (but brash can fill the strait); others were a
breeches buoy arrangement; or a suspension bridge. Dave Hill (Logistics) came
along to advice. There was also the possibility of camping on the islet, but
unfortunately the only reasonably flat, safe area was in a noisome penguin rookery.
However, a raised wooden box/hut might be arranged, or a tent on a raised
platform. We would discuss it further.
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