54 00' South, 38 03' West

First of all huge apologies to friends and family who have been waiting patiently for me to get this blog up and running, but the limited bandwidth here has caused a few snags. Many thanks to Andrew and Claire who have agreed to be webmasters back in the UK and thank you all for putting up with my stream-of-consciousness emails over the past few weeks.

Most people reading this blog will already know the story of how I came to be stranded on a small sub-antarctic island approximately 1000km from civilisation (if Port Stanley can be described as such.) However, for those of you who remain confused as to why someone would willingly deprive themselves of the comforts of home including the company of friends and loved ones, not to mention the nail biting climax of the most recent season of ‘Strictly’ (!?) let me enlighten you.

According to the Bird Island Research Station Management Plan:

“Bird Island lies off the northwest tip of South Georgia in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. It is separated by a 500m channel, Bird Sound, from the South Georgia mainland. It is approximately 1000km south east of the Falkland Islands and is accessible only by boat or ship supported helicopter. The British Antarctic Survey Research Station is situated on Fresh Water Beach, Jordan Cove on the southern side of the Island (54°00’South, 38°03’West).  The island is 4.8km long, up to 800m wide, with a superficial area of about 400 hectares. The island's northern coast consists mainly of sheer cliffs and sea stacks, rising to its highest point, Roche Peak, at 356 metres. The southern coast is more accessible with numerous small bays, beaches and tidal rock platforms. Freshwater Beach and Main Bay, both within Jordan Cove, provide the only natural harbour with limited shelter. Below 150 metres vegetation is predominately tussock grass, which has been extensively damage by fur seal activity, particularly close to streambeds that offer them access up the hills. Flatter, higher ground is boggy meadowland dotted with small tarns. Steeper higher ground is rock and loose scree, covered mosses and lichens.”

Currently the Bird Island Research Station is occupied by 9 BAS personnel: 7 biologists, 1 technician and a Base Commander (Me.) I arrived as part of the incoming team exactly 4 weeks ago at the start of the austral summer season. My job is to manage the station and support the science teams as they carry out a variety of research projects, mainly focussing on the long-term monitoring of the local Albatross, Seal and Penguin populations. Over the next 4 months I will try to keep you updated regarding the activities around the base, both human and otherwise and I hope that you enjoy hearing about our adventures out here in the Scotia Sea. Please feel free to post any questions you might have regarding our life here and the science that we do, and I will do my best to find the answers. Please be aware that the contents of this blog are an expression of my own personal views and it is not written on behalf of British Antarctic Survey.