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16 January, 2002

THE BRITISH NAVY ARRIVES!

Yesterday we had a visit from five members of the British Navy. The are on board the HMS Endurance, which is in the Gerlache Strait. The visitors arrived from the ship by helicopter. Palmer Station has a helicopter landing pad at the back of the station, near the glacier. It isn 't used very often.

The visiting group was led by Captain Ian Moncrieff, Captain of the HMS Endurance. (Have you figured out what the "HMS" stands for?) The Endurance is named after the ship that sailed on a famous expedition in Antarctic waters in 1914-16. Sir Ernest Shackleton's expedition is an amazing survival and rescue story. The ship did not survive the experience, but all the men on board her were rescued. Or, it is better to say that they rescued themselves. Here's a website that will give you more information about that voyage and a recreation of it in 1999-2000. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/shackleton/ People have told us that there is a movie about Sir Ernest Shackleton and that voyage. It is being shown in various science museums around the country.

While Captain Moncrieff was at Palmer Station, the two helicopter pilots flew over the area, taking wonderful aerial images of this region. The aerial photos below were taken by Jonny Mutch and Chris Yelland of the British Royal Navy. The images are sent to you courtesy of Cara Sucher of Palmer Station.


Here are the visitors from the HMS Endurance. From left to right, they are Captain Ian Moncrieff, Leading Seaman Inga Webster, helicopter pilot Jonny Mutch, Lt CDR. Chris Yelland, observer, and MAA Kevin Keeble.


The helicopter from the HMS Endurance, flying over the glacier as it brings the visitors to Palmer Station


The helicopter has landed, and the visitors are met by some of the Palmer Station personnel.


Arthur Harbor and Palmer Station. The large island with the pink colors on it is Torgersen Island. Many colonies of Adelie penguins breed there.


This is a view of the general area. Arthur Harbor is the body of water with the thin ice on top of it. Palmer Station is just to its right on the rocky area. It is just a little above the center of this photograph.


Palmer Station


Torgersen Island. Notice the areas that are pink. These are the penguin breeding colonies. Why is the area pink? (Remember that penguins like to eat krill!)


Directly over Palmer Station.

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