Scillonian Down South!

A journey south and back again on the RRS Ernest Shackleton; departing the Isles of Scilly, via the Falklands and some other places besides. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the UK’s national Antarctic operator, and has for the past 60 years been responsible for most of the UK’s scientific research in Antarctica. Part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), BAS operates five research stations, two Royal Research Ships and five aircraft in and around Antarctica.

Saturday 19 February 2011

Halley 2011

Some 'Sea Smoke' and Moon Rise and a visit from a pod of Killer Whales. All the fun of the night shift!!

Friday 11 February 2011

A Wander on the Ice!

Thursday 10 February 2011

Weddell Sea 2011

Well I know that its been a long time since I have published any photographs on my blog and for that I am remiss!

The Ernest Shackleton is back down south now and we are in the Weddell Sea hunting for seals. Well searching would be a better word!

The project that we are working on at the moment involves looking for the Weddell Seal and placing a tag on to the seal which is used to profile that behavioural patterns, feeding patterns and locations of the seal.

The tag is glued on to the head of the seal just after the moult is complete, the tag remains on the seal for about 8-10 months (until the seal moults again) when the tag drops off.

In this time the tag uses satellite system to transmit data that it has collected, so basically the seal is a mobile platform for the collection of CTD data (conductivity Temperature and Depth).

Below are some of the photos that i have taken of the process of tagging the seal.