Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

were swimming around the gemini. At the beach Phil Stone and Godfrey Holden
(geologists) were waiting for us. We delivered their mail, some loaves of bread and
Piriton - for the hay fever from which they were suffering! They had two pyramid
tents and a BAS designed mountain tent, with which they were dissatisfied for
various reasons that seemed valid. (I couldn't help thinking of my experiences
during the winter of l948!). Otherwise they seemed very happy and their
programme was going fairly well. We went along the beach to look at the seals. On
this stretch of coast there were 25 pups, seven close to their tent. We also saw one
white fur seal male, elephant seals, king penguins and gentoos.
After discussing their work we returned to the ship at 10 o’clock and on round
the coast past Gold Harbour to Royal Bay. Blue-eyed shags were flying with us
keeping station by the mast and bridge; I could almost have touched one with an
outstretched arm. We had an early lunch and went in the gemini to Will Point
where there was a large king penguin colony. The swell was quite heavy and we
had to go ashore through breakers and surf - getting wet in the process. We were
near the Weddell Glacier and I climbed the hill behind in order to photograph and
count. There were kings on eggs, and with year old chicks as well as a few with
young brown chicks. I estimated the colony size at about 5-6,000. After about 40
min ashore we set off, again soaked by the breakers. We drove north to Moltke
Harbour, where Bransfield was anchored by now and in to the long sandy beach.
Nigel Leader-Williams, Bob Pratt and Simon Kightley (the reindeer team) were
there, their camp set well back from the beach. I had a look at their exclosures and
an exclusion cage for studying the grazing effects. They had been recorded and
would be re-recorded in two year's time. This team seemed a very happy one and
all was going well, with the exception of the hydroxyproline estimation (for
instantaneous growth rate) because it was difficult to collect reindeer urine. A small
sample of the animals was being shot for research purposes, but they void the
bladder when hit.
I saw three reindeer a few hundred yards away and was reminded of my last
unhappy experience of a South Georgia reindeer hunt in l951. There were also two
very photogenic gentoo penguin colonies and I saw a number of South Georgia
teal. Inigo sighted a South Georgia pipit there. We walked back to the beach where
I photographed elephant seals flipping sand onto their backs - as they do. Then out
to the ship again with four reindeer carcasses that the shore team had provided for
the base and ship. Inigo, Tony North, Munro and Paul came to drinks in my cabin
before dinner. It was a lovely warm evening, with lovely views and we saw two fin
whales, as well as numerous white-chinned petrels. After a good dinner with
Beaujolais provided by Inigo and Tony, we came into Grytviken and tied up
alongside the jetty, close to Albatros. The BAS launches Lille Karl and Yoldia came
over from the Point and we stood and talked on the bridge for an hour or so.
Bransfield moved over to King Edward Point at 8 o’clock next morning, Mick
Pawley (BC) came aboard for a talk and then Paul and I inspected the base. For the
most part it was in good order, but some of the government buildings were in poor
repair and needed attention. They should really be dismantled. Even Coleman's
house was showing signs of deterioration, with rotting window frames and it
would be expensive to repair. The greenhouse specially erected recently, at a cost of
£5000, was a splendid palace, but there was really no use for it! It was sent down,
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