This holiday season, researchers and crew members in Antarctica are finding ways to celebrate Christmas amidst their work. From cooking traditional meals to fossil hunting in tents, they’re making the most of their time on the frozen continent.
The article describes how people working in Antarctica, specifically those from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), spend their Christmas. Here are some key points:
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Captain’s perspective: Captain Will Whatley, master of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, says that while it’s a busy time work-wise, most crew members can take the day off to enjoy a break from the operational season.
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Christmas on board: Dr Nisha Mistry, the ship’s medical officer, is spending her first Christmas at sea and plans to do her usual hospital checks in the morning before watching icebergs later in the day.
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Cooking Christmas dinner: Aaron Harper, chief cook on the Sir David Attenborough, says he’ll be working on Christmas Day, helping to prepare a meal for 56 people, including turkey with all the trimmings and Brussels sprouts cooked with dried bacon.
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Fossil hunting in tents: Rowan Whittle, a palaeontologist from Cambridge, is part of a team that will spend Christmas in tents on King George Island, where they’ll be hunting for fossils to understand how Antarctic seafloor ecosystems evolved.
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Traditions and celebrations: The article mentions that some stations have their own traditions, such as the Signy station’s tradition of having the station leader cook Christmas dinner.
Overall, it seems that people working in Antarctica during Christmas still manage to celebrate and enjoy themselves despite being far from home.
