Jon Seddon's Photos - Antarctica - Halley

I spent the 2002 Antarctic winter at Halley Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf at 76°S 27°W. It's quite an amazing place - there's over a metre of snow accumulation each year and so the buildings are built on stilts. The sun is below the horizon for 105 days each winter and the coldest temperature we had was -51°C, which we celebrated by streaking around the outside of the main building.

View Halley on a map.

The sun setting at Halley over the vehicle park, Piggott Building and SHARE Radar antenna. The signpost with the Simpson Building in the background. A close-up of the signpost - Neumayer were our closest neighbours! The science buildings seen through a wide-angle lens from the accommodation building. Me and the signpost at Halley. The main Laws accomodation building at Halley. The last Twin Otter preparing to leave at the end of summer - for the next 9 months there was only going to be 16 of us. It's too late to back out now - the last Twin Otter taxiing out to the skiway. It's March and the next one's not due until late November. A halo around the sun. My skidoo and sledge are being used during a training session before my first winter trip. Me all kitted up for a long trip on a skidoo in -20 °C. One of the bergs in the Hinge Zone, where the Brunt Ice Shelf joins onto the main Antarctic continent. The oldest winterer lowering the British flag on the last day the sun was above the horizon during the winter. One of the staff driving a skidoo across our cross-country course on the last day the sun was above the horizon during the winter. One of the other winterers dressed up for a day at the penguins in September. It's probably around -30°C. The Emperor penguin colony at Windy Cove in September. There's up to 5000 birds in the colony and the noise and smell is amazing. Female empreror penguins walking around a crack in the sea ice while returning to their partners and chicks in September at Windy Cove, Halley. Emperor penguins leaping onto the sea-ice after feeding at sea for several months in September. Emperor penguins walking back to the colony together after feeding at sea, at Windy Cove, Halley. Emperor penguins making their way back to the colony after a trip at sea feeding. Emperor penguins finding their way through a pressure ridge on the sea ice at Windy Cove in September. A Weddell seal and myself on the sea ice at Halley on my post-Midwinter trip. A Weddell seal looking out over the sea ice in the Weddell Sea at Halley in September. A rather lost looking Adelie amongst the colony of 5,000 Emperor penguins at Windy. Emperor penguins and chicks at Windy. Halley from the VLF experiment antenna, out to the east of the base. A Snocat taking empty drums back to the ship at Halley. An Adelie penguin in front of the SHARE radar antennas at Halley. A pair of Adelie penguins in front of the Piggott building at Halley. An shot of Halley taken from a Twin Otter to the west of the base. The coast is visible in the top-left. The building in the centre is the main Laws accomodation building. To the left of this are the Garage and summer accomodation building. To the right are the Simpson and Piggott science buildings and the SHARE radar is to the right of these. One of the Twin Otters at the Theron Mountains, south of Halley. This was the first rock that I'd seen in 12 months and I was rather excited.

© Copyright Jon Seddon (jseddon@zepler.net) 2004 - 2013