HMS Protector completed an eight-month survey and scientific mission around Antarctica when she returned to a very blustery Portsmouth today.
The distinctive red and white icebreaker carried out three survey stints around the frozen continent, plus one in and around the remote island of South Georgia in support of ecological and scientific research.
Pictures: LA(Phot) Knotty Knott and Gaz Weatherston, FRPU East
THE boys are back in town…
Thumbs up from three of HMS Protector’s junior ratings (just in case you didn’t see the giant PROTECTOR lettering and cap tallies and were wondering which vessel it was…) as the ice ship returns from her second deployment to the frozen continent.
Protector left home in the middle of September, since when she’s been to St Helena, Simon’s Town in South Africa and the remote island of Tristan da Cunha, arriving in Antarctica in early December for the first of three intensive work periods around the ice, with a fourth spell around South Georgia.
Her programme included supporting a UK led multi-national Antarctic Treaty Inspection team; landing and recovering British Antarctic Survey scientists at ecologically-important sites; assisting with ongoing environmental and conservation work, including hosting an international team updating the visitor guidelines for regularly visited sites, and surveying the poorly-charted waters around the Antarctic Peninsula.
Her divers inspected the wreck of a sunken Argentine research vessel to ensure it wasn’t leaking fuel into this sensitive environment, assisted a cruise liner when ice threatened to close in around it, and her Commanding Officer Capt Rhett Hatcher fulfilled the last wish of a former sailor by returning a stone to the grave of legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton on South Georgia.
Because of crew rotation on the ship every few weeks, Protector’s homecoming was a rather spartan affair: just two families waiting for loved ones – as most of the ship’s company had managed to get home at some stage during the eight-month stint in the South Atlantic.
The rotation also means, aside from the maintenance Protector requires after her time in unforgiving seas, there’s little respite for ship and ship’s company over the next few months.
“Completing such a busy and diverse programme in the ship’s second deployment to Antarctica in as many years represents a significant achievement for HMS Protector’s ship’s company,” said Capt Hatcher.
“A very full summer lies ahead of us, which will include a visit to Cambridge our affiliated city and operational sea training. Protector will deploy to the Antarctic again in autumn 2013.”
