Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

out in chunks at the edge, due to the movement of the ship and the vehicles, and
the weight of the cargo offloaded onto the ice. Cargo unloading was completed
during the next morning, some 300 tons having gone ‘ashore’. The weather
changed for the worse about noon. I went ashore for a walk with Tom and Ella, up
to the headland of ice to the east of us, where a blue-and-white UN flag was flying.
There was a cold wind and drift snow, but it was exhilarating. Two skuas and eight
Antarctic petrels roosted on the ice, also some giant petrels including one whitephase
bird were flying around us.
In the evening after dinner we watched pods of Minke whales passing
southwards off the end of the chip. There was a continual procession for the 2
hours I was watching - although it could perhaps have been the same group
travelling in circles! Occasionally we saw some going north. At times the sea boiled
with them, their blows, curved backs and small fins very distinctive. The weather
continued overcast with snow flurries and wind - and a slight rise in temperature. I
spent 3 hrs with the crew, talking to them and answering their questions.
Next day after breakfast I walked round to the UN flag with Tom and Ella.
There were superb views all around us: in the next creek - First Chip - large flat
floes had seals hauled out on them and some bergs sailed by to the north. Just east
of our headland a large tilted berg seemed to have come to rest against the shelf,
but later in the day it moved on. The ship looked snug in its natural harbour. I had
to encode and decode some confidential messages in the afternoon and then after
dinner I went up to the base to talk to the group about developments in BAS, the
Cambridge buildings etc. I spoke for an hour or two and then answered questions.
It seemed to go down quite well. We went back to the ship about midnight on a
skidoo, Paul driving, initially towing Tony Wincot behind us on skis until he gave
up and joined us standing on the vehicle – a tight squeeze. Visibility was down to
about 100 yards.
Next morning a school of minke whales came into the chip. It was calm and we
could see them clearly beneath the surface. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera ,
because it would have been an excellent opportunity. A crabeater seal was hauled
out and an emperor penguin strolled by on the fast ice. I saw a Wilson's petrel
and Antarctic Petrels were feeding in the bay, upending like ducks and
submerging. Two skuas flew about and some snow petrels. On the whole there was
little life though. I went up to base that afternoon and wandered around to get a
feel for the various activities that were going on. Then at 5 o’clock I walked back to
the ship, taking about 45 mins. Young ice was forming in the chip.
After a cold night (minus14°C) it was overcast again with sea smoke forming
and ice on the water’s surface. There were more cracks in the sea ice, one of them
looking rather ominous. I read base reports in the morning and Roger Daynes
visited me for a talk in the afternoon. I made notes of our discussions. Pack ice
moved in that night and we found ourselves hemmed in by large, but thin floes -
fat ice that had broken out further up the coast. It was overcast, but beautiful and
still at times, when the reflections were perfect. I spent most of the day doing
paperwork, but went for a walk to the UN flag in driving snow. While up there I
could hear whales blowing, but couldn't see them. There were also creaks, thuds
and groans from the movement of the floes. The usual birds were around -
Antarctic petrels, snow petrels, three skuas, a small flock of terns, Wilson's petrel
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