{"id":45580,"date":"2024-12-25T10:42:34","date_gmt":"2024-12-25T10:42:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/this-christmas-ill-be-counting-penguins-in-antarctica\/"},"modified":"2024-12-25T10:42:36","modified_gmt":"2024-12-25T10:42:36","slug":"this-christmas-ill-be-counting-penguins-in-antarctica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kede.com.br\/news\/this-christmas-ill-be-counting-penguins-in-antarctica\/","title":{"rendered":"‘This Christmas I’ll be counting penguins in Antarctica’"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"BASBAS<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Derren Fox will be spending Christmas at Signy, counting the penguins<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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How are you spending your Christmas? While many will be curled up on the sofa in front of a roaring fire (or at least with the central heating on), spare a thought for the hundreds of people working in the Antarctic region, surrounded instead by penguins.<\/b><\/p>\n

Thousands of miles from home, those employed by the Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are spending the festive season at five research stations and on board the Harwich-based vessel, the RRS Sir David Attenborough.<\/p>\n

Some of them have been sharing their Christmas plans – telling us how they will be spending the big day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

‘Penguins – and a cheesy movie’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Derren Fox, 52, is a zoological field assistant at Signy Island Research Station, which is on one of the remote South Orkney Islands, about 370 miles (600km) from the Antarctic Peninsula.<\/p>\n

Originally from Cornwall, he now “lives on a yacht just about anywhere”, he says.<\/p>\n

“On Christmas Day I’ll head over to Gourlay Peninsula on the south-east shores of the island to carry out the almost daily checks on the chinstrap and Adelie penguin colonies to monitor productivity,” he said.<\/p>\n

“This will probably be followed by some sledging or snowman building with some of the other station members before returning to base for a traditional Christmas meal, this year cooked by our station leader, and then probably falling asleep in traditional Christmas style in front of a cheesy festive movie.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"GettyGetty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Adelie penguins play a large role in life in Antarctica<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

‘Turkey and trimmings sorted’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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The task of rustling up a full Christmas dinner falls to Signy’s station leader, Sarah Clark.<\/p>\n

The 42-year-old says she has moved around “my whole life… but over the last six years I’ve been living in North Wales, near Beddgelert”.<\/p>\n

She added: “The Signy tradition is for the station leader to cook Christmas dinner, so that is what I will be doing – but we are just a small team of five at the moment,” she says. <\/p>\n

“We’ll have a nice brunch whilst reading the email greetings from all the other Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic stations. <\/p>\n

“Then the others will probably head out to survey some penguins and do some sledging and I will hold down the fort, make sure everything is ok on station and get the turkey, nut roast and trimmings sorted. <\/p>\n

“After dinner we’ll spend the evening enjoying some games together including maybe some Christmas darts.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

‘A good break’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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\"BASBAS<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Captain Will Whatley, master of the RRS Sir David Attenborough says it’s usually possible for most to take the day off<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Capt Will Whatley is master of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, which is spending the season at sea. <\/p>\n

The 35-year-old is from Southampton.<\/p>\n

“Christmas is in the middle of the operational season in Antarctica so it is a busy time work-wise,” he says.<\/p>\n

“It’s usually possible for us to take the day off, although some people will still have to work to keep the ship safe and ticking over. <\/p>\n

“For most, Christmas on board provides a good break from the busy Antarctic season and time to reflect on the contrasts between life at home and our time spent with our ‘work family’ in Antarctica. <\/p>\n

“With modern day communications it is always possible to do a video chat with family and friends back home which is very different from years gone by.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

‘Iceberg-watching’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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\"BASBAS<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Dr Nisha Mistry, the medical officer on the Sir David Attenborough, will be spending her first Christmas at sea<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Dr Nisha Mistry is the ship’s medical officer. <\/p>\n

The 32-year-old from Bradford, says: “This will be my first time at sea so I’m not too sure how the day will go – but I’ll be doing my usual hospital checks in the morning.<\/p>\n

“Then later I hope to do my favourite thing – which is going outside to watch the icebergs.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

‘Sprouts with bacon’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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\"BASBAS<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Nick Greenwood, the ship’s senior steward will be helping to prepare the big meal<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Aaron Harper is the chief cook on the Sir David Attenborough. <\/p>\n

“This Christmas I will be working,” the chef, from Harwich, Essex, says.<\/p>\n

“We’ll be feeding 56 people and we’re doing turkey with all the trimmings. <\/p>\n

“A good way of cooking Brussels sprouts is with dried bacon, lots of salt and cracked black pepper,” he shared.<\/p>\n

Assisting him will be Nick Greenwood, the senior steward on the ship.<\/p>\n

The 53-year-old, from Grimsby, says: “On Christmas Day I will be working on helping to get the Christmas dinner ready. <\/p>\n

“When I finish work, I will have a festive tipple and then back to my cabin to watch a Christmas movie.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

‘Hunting for fossils’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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\"SamSam Hunt<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Rowan Whittle will be spending her Christmas in a tent, and looking for fossils<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Rowan Whittle, 45, is a palaeontologist who usually lives in Cambridge.<\/p>\n

However, this year, she is one of a small team which has been dropped off by the BAS ship and will spend Christmas in a tent. <\/p>\n

“We are being deployed onto King George Island a couple of days before Christmas,” she says.<\/p>\n

“Our team of three, Saurav Dutta, a geochemist, Andy Moles, a field guide and myself, will be camping for four weeks hunting for fossils, to try and understand how Antarctic seafloor ecosystems evolved. <\/p>\n

“As our trip is time-limited we will need to work on Christmas Day if the weather allows. We will either be finishing camp set-up or conducting an initial survey of the study area. <\/p>\n

“Hopefully we can finish a bit early on Christmas Day to cook something nice with our field rations.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"BASBAS<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It will be a Christmas under canvas for some of the scientists this year<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

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