Jon Seddon's Photos

In November 2001 I flew from the UK to Montevideo in Uruguay where I got on BAS' ship the RRS Ernest Shackleton. Over the next few months we visisted the Falkland Islands, the South Orkney Islands and South Georgia. Unfortunately the ice in the Weddell Sea was particularly thick that year and we were stuck in it for two weeks over Christmas and New Year. We then had to return to the Falkland Islands from some more fuel. I got off there and flew into Halley through Rothera. The ship eventually made it to within 200 miles of Halley and three of the aircraft were used to fly people and cargo on the final leg to Halley.

View The Trip South on a map.

A penguin on the nesting site on Bertha's Beach in the Falkland Islands.

Penguins running into the sea on Bertha's Beach in the Falkland Islands.

The Whale rib-bone Arch outside the Cathedral in Stanley, Falkland Islands.

The wreck of a sailing ship in Stanley, Falkland Islands.

Falkland Island cliffs from a FIGAS mail plane.

The edge of a minefield, left from the 1982 War, just outside Stanley, Falkland Islands.

The first ice berg we saw - off Signy Island in the South Orkney Islands.

Signy Research Station in the South Orkney Islands. It's a summer only base for biological work. The Ernest Shackleton is in the bay.

Grytviken, an abandoned whaling station on South Georgia. It is in the same bay as the modern BAS King Edward Point base and Ernest Shackleton's grave.

Grytviken whaling station on South Georgia. A cruise ship is anchored in Cumberland Bay.

The restored whalers' church in Grytviken, South Georgia.

The Ernest Shackleton alongside at King Edward Point, South Georgia.

Me and a King penguin at King Edward Point, South Georgia.

An Elephant Seal at Myviken on South Georgia.

A young fur seal asleep at Bird Island, South Georgia.

Bird Island Research Station, Bird Island, South Georgia.

A male Fur Seal inspecting his hareem on Bird Island.

The RRS Ernest Shackleton, in the South Atlantic, heading to Halley.

A wide angle view from the stern of the Ernest Shackleton of where we spent Christmas and New Year 2001 stopped in ice in the Weddell Sea.

Adelie penguins walking across sea ice in the Weddell Sea. Taken from the deck of the ship, while we were stopped in ice. The Antarctic-summer midnight-sun is really low in the sky because we were only just south of the Antarctic Circle, giving the penguins such long shadows.

King Penguins entering the sea at Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands.

Me about to board the Dash-7 to Rothera from Stanley airport on the Falkland Islands. I've got a top hair-do after two months on the ship!