Bird Island to Signy

Position Wednesday 20th Feb off Signy

Boat work off bird Island

We arrived off Bird Island in the early hours hoping to get our work done and be off on our merry way as quickly as possible. However the weather conditions had the final say and after an abortive attempt to launch the workboat we were soon in search of shelter on the far side of the Island.

Sliver of Signy

Sunrise

A few trips were undertaken by our “rubber ducks” back to the Base landing to ferry bits and bobs and personnel to and fro. The trip was described as “lively” by one of the crews. By the looks of them they had been swamped several times on the run back to the ship. The weather conditions the next morning were not much better and only a few trips of “real” essentials were ferried ashore before we departed.

We had received news from Signy Base on the South Orkney Island group that there was a lot of sea ice about and that the landing and approaches might be “difficult” Satellite imagery received from various sources confirmed this and sure enough One hundred miles out we encountered our first pack-ice. We made our way steadily through the thickening pack, stopping overnight in the darkness and continuing in the early hours to arrive off the base by mid morning (Monday 18^th Feb).  Only a sliver of the Island was visible between the water and the very low cloud.

Our workboat was soon deployed and trips to and fro were soon underway. This base is only occupied in the summer, so quite a lot needed to be done to shut the systems down and drain all the pipe work for the coming big freeze. By Tuesday evening all personnel were back on board. The Captain electing to keep the vessel in situ as there was not much daylight left.

Blue Iceberg

 

On Wednesday morning, after test launching both lifeboats we slipped away from Signy for the last time this season. The weather God’s lifted the veil of mist to grant a us view of the beautiful Island as we departed. 
Some more ice crunching awaits us as we head for the tip of The Peninsula and down on towards our next objective -  Rothera .

Calm after the Storm

 

The Storm finally abated on Tuesday (12thMar) and we headed for Bird Island. (For those not in the know Bird Island is a small islet a few hundred metres off the western most point of S. Georgia. BAS run a small research station there that is manned all year round).  Conditions were not good enough to work our small boats so we proceeded overnight to King Edward Point(KEP).

What a difference a day can make, the scene greeting us on Wednesday morning as we approached KEP was spectacular. The storm had left a substantial covering of snow on the ground turning the Island into eye-candy of note. 

We were alongside soon enough and cargo work began immediately. There was hardly a breath of wind all day and bright sunshine most of the time.  By evening time we ready to depart and the fading light we slipped our ropes and headed off. A few farewell toots on the horn bidding adieu to KEP for the last time this season.

We are now on way to Bird Island, a slow overnight steam. The weather forecasts look good and hopefully we be able to complete all our work there on Thursday.

Gryviken

Fisheries Patrol vessel Pharos at Gryviekn

 

S.Georgia Pintail

 The S. Georgia Pintail is one of the birds severely afftected by the Rats on the Island. Their breeding has ben severely curatialed as the rats have been preying on the chicks. Recently the numbers have increased
dramaticaly in areas that have been "treated" for Rats. 

Pintails

Grytviken

Fur seal pup

Heavy Weather

Encountering heavy weather on our way back to South Georgia. Extremely high winds and mountainous seas. Very impressive and uncomfortable,ship pitching heavily.  We are holding course until the weather calms down, hopefully sometime tomorrow.

 

 

Wind speed 59 kts gusting 71 kts.

Rattus Norvegicus

The Shack is currently on hire fro three to four weeks to the South Georgia Heritage Trust.
Ou r main function for this trip is supplying logistical support to establish depots for the Rat eradication project currently being undertaken by the trust.


When we joined the vessel in Mare Harbour, Falkland Islands four weeks ago, the loading of all the equipment, fuel and containers of rat and mouse pellets was in full swing. The morning of our departure saw the three helicopters  landing on board and being stowed in the hold, with rotors removed. Quite a sight to see three helo's stacked carefully nose to tail in one hold.

Field of Seals

Rats were introduced to Island during the whaling period of the early to mid 20th Century and have spread to various parts of the Island. Studies have found that they have a significant impact on bird life on the Island and have been feeding on nesting chicks. The Island birds having evolved without any land based predators have no defences against these attacks and are literally sitting "ducks".

Grytviken

The project is privately funded through the "South Georgia Heritage Trust"  
For more information on the Trust and a Newsletter on our activities please go to the following link. 
Navigate to News and resources – Project News February 2013.

http://www.sght.org/newsletters-and-publications      

Shore Leave

 

  Old Whaling Station

After a smooth crossing we arrived at King Edward Point (KEP). This is always special, as you come around the point the views of the ice covered mountain are spectacular with the old crumbling Whaling station nestling at their feet. We immediatley commenced offloading containers on the hatch covers in order to unload the Helicopters. It took about a day to get all three Helos out, serviced and running and by the next morning we were heading out again on our first deployment. We arrived in Antarctic Bay and the helicopters soon arrived in the area. Having three helicopters and only one heli-deck requires us to do some interesting jiggling about. It is something akin to musical chairs, to get aircraft, pilots and personnel where we want them to be. This first attempt proved the point rather well as we landed up having three helicopters ashore in really bad weather. The ship headed around to the Southern side of the Island and the aircraft were stuck on the ground for over two days. They eventually found a gap in the weather and made a dash for KEP.

Grytviken Whaling Sation as it was

Meanwhile on the southern side of the Island the weather improved enough for us to get some cargo ashore with our workboat Tula. This consisted of fuel for the aircraft and pallets of rat and mouse pellets. There was much relief on board when we finally managed to get some cargo ashore. After that the Helicopters finally made back to our area and cargo slinging operations began in earnest. With three helicopters this job is done much more quickly than with the boats. There were ocassional breaks for weather and overnight stops in King Haakom Bay in search of shelter. This bay is the area were Shackleton's boat the, James Caird, came ashore on there epic trip from Elephant Island. 

The Rat pellets will be distributed using adapted agricultural spreaders by the helicopters. GPS mapping will be used to accurately plot the areas covered. The Glaciers on the Island restrict the movement of the Rats from one “green” area to the other. This has allowed the project managers to try out their techniques on secluded small areas and then do surveys to see how effective the poisons have been. So far so good, we believe.

In case anyone is wondering, the pellets are completely ignored by the rest of the wildlife on the Island but irresistible to the Rats.

The Depot laying finally came to an end on Thursday thev 28th Feb, which saw the vessel anchored in Husvik bay and unloading the final logistical support equipment for the Base camp adjacent to the old Whaling station.  The curious fur seals not quite sure what to make of these noisy red and yellow flying machines.

By the end of the day the job was completed and farewells, "good lucks" and "bon voyages" exchanged as the the Shack upped her anchor and headed out for the open seas on her way back to Stanley.

After an uneventful three day passage The "Shack" arrived back in Stanley on the 4th Matrch. We will spend some time doing loading cargo for the various bases we will calling to next.

Site of Base Camp - Husvik Harbour

 

 

JCR visiting Gryviken