An Antarctic Christmas
Festive days and the turn of 2025.
The last few days have been a welcome break from work. Between Christmas, the start of 2025, and some poor weather, I’ve only managed to get out on the water three times in the past two weeks. That’s a big change from December, when we were consistently going out twice a day. Still, there’s been plenty happening here at Rothera.
Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, the station aimed to work a half day, but that’s not guaranteed. Some tasks simply can’t wait, and for the Marine Team, that meant mooring HMS Protector. As the Royal Navy’s only icebreaking ship, she visits Rothera about once a year. We completed the mooring by early evening, just in time for dinner.
Christmas Day
Almost everyone got Christmas Day off—except for the chefs, who (despite having to work) absolutely outdid themselves. The day featured a morning brunch, a traditional Christmas lunch mid-afternoon, and an evening buffet. The sheer quantity of food was staggering, and the quality was just as impressive. My personal highlight was the salted caramel profiteroles, which struck the perfect balance between light and indulgent.
The main event of the day was Secret Santa. Without shops, gift-giving at Rothera revolves around creativity and time. About 40 people participated, crafting everything from knitted hats to painted pictures and model aircraft. The gifts showcased both skill and generosity, especially considering many of us only met a few months ago. For my part, I made a Rothera Guess Who board, which required a good shift in the Joiners’ workshop. In return, I received two hand-cut fridge magnets: one of the Antarctic continent and another of one of our boats, both made from the fuselage of a BAS Twin Otter.
Boxing Day
HMS Protector’s visit wasn’t purely social; she came to refuel the base. This meant we received the biggest late Christmas gift imaginable—140,000 liters of fuel. Refuelling is a tightly controlled operation, as a leak in the line (which stretches across the wharf and runway) would have significant legal and environmental consequences.
Tech Services handled the bulk of the work, spending the day walking up and down the line to ensure everything ran smoothly. It’s a long, cold day for them, but one that benefits us all when we enjoy warm rooms and reliable electricity. My smaller role came later that night when I helped cast off Protector at 11 p.m. so she could return to Punta Arenas in time for a crew change before New Year. A couple of Chinstrap penguins near the wharf made the task a little more enjoyable.
The Next Ship Call
After welcoming no ships for over a month, we had two within 12 hours. The Sir David Attenborough arrived the morning after Protector to deliver cargo. This included food, drinks, and general supplies for the station. More excitingly, the wintering staff received their long-awaited P-boxes—personal belongings sent from home in September.
Unpacking my 46kg box was like Christmas all over again. I sorted through toiletries, spare gear, and finally upgraded to nicer bedding. The pièce de résistance was my game-changing shower curtain. Showers will never be the same again.
The New Year
We rang in the New Year in Rothera style. Nearly everyone gathered at the bar for an evening of live music performed by a band of station talent—scientists, forecasters, field guides, and others moonlighting as musicians. As midnight approached, we switched to DJed pop music and toasted 2025 with whisky or Prosecco, depending on preference. I’m generally skeptical about New Year’s parties (I was radicalised after paying £27 for a vodka lemonade in 2022), but this one exceeded all expectations.
Happy New Year to everyone reading! I hope you’re all starting 2025 with plenty of realistic resolutions and no hangovers. (I’m a bit jealous of those not living with drink limits.) One of my (small) resolutions is to keep this blog going consistently throughout the year.
That said, with work picking up as the true summer season gets underway, I’ll need to be more intentional about taking breaks when I’m off. While we get a good amount of downtime here, full days off are rare—today is my first since December 22nd. So, I’ll likely stick to publishing whenever I feel like it and have something interesting to share.
Here’s to another great year down here at 67º South, as well as back home in more normal latitudes!
Happy New Year Ollie!😎