Ship Spotting – Antarctica
Colin Christiansen
April 2024
ANARE Club members are often curious about which ships and planes travel South to Antarctica during the season. It is a hobby that to some such as Colin Christiansen has developed into a full-time pastime. Colin has gathered information over the past four Antarctic seasons, part of which is reproduced here, featuring Australian connections.
AIS
Automatic Identification System, no apparent reference to ship identification but a very important component of the Global Maritime Distress & Safety System, (GMDSS). Originally developed as a simple anti collision system, whereby a ship would transmit position and course information on VHF radio, heard by ships in the vicinity. The technology of course developed and ultimately this data could be heard by orbiting satellites and with data available from terrestrial receivers is now readily available on the Internet by several providers. Unfortunately for hobbyist ship trackers the full satellite data can be very expensive, however the terrestrial data from many sites is readily available, even with free, limited provider accounts. So, with available AIS data, Port movement data, the National Antarctic organisation websites, ship and shore webcams, and a degree of guesswork it is possible to form a fairly accurate view of movement of the International Antarctic fleet.
Australia
For Nuyina the 23/24 season, voyages 1 to 4 completed, along with an emergency evacuation voyage to Casey in September 2023. A first visit to Mawson. Various on voyage marine science conducted. The A factor was active!
Previously, after arrival from Europe in October 2021 Nuyina did voyages to Casey, Davis and Macquarie Island however it was necessary to Charter, from the Netherlands, heavy lift cargo ships Happy Dragon, Happy Diamond and Happy Dover. From from the U.S.A. MPOV Aiviq, (Multi Purpose Offshore Vessel), previously of the U.S. Arctic offshore oil industry, for the 21/22 and 22/23 seasons. Nuyina was in Sambewang shipyard in Singapore from April 2022 to April 2023.
Incidentally, after finishing service with the AAP in January 2020 Aurora Australis went to Dubai, a period in a dockyard but then at anchor until August 2023 when she went to Vung Tau Vietnam. Since leaving Australia she has been registered in the Marshall Islands, Cyprus and now Liberia in Vietnam.
New Zealand
Cargo and fuel for Scott Base would normally be delivered to McMurdo by cargo ships of the U.S. Antarctic Program. However in 2020 the NZ Navy took delivery of HMNZS Aotearoa, a replenishment ship built to Polar class 6 standard, to be used for resupply of Scott Base. However, there has been only one voyage to McMurdo in February 2022. In preparation for the rebuild of Scott Base in the 22/23 season cargo ship Happy Delta was chartered for a voyage to McMurdo .
U.S.A.
For McMurdo operation three ships would be used. Icebreaker USCGC Polar Star, coming from the Coast Guard Base in Seattle with calls at Pearl Harbour, Sydney and Hobart would be in the Ross Sea/McMurdo area through the season. Cargo ship Ocean Gladiator delivered dry cargo and tanker Acadia Trader delivered fuel. Built in 1976 Polar Star is well past her design life and will be replaced by a new fleet of Polar Security Cutters. Unfortunately these ships are only in the design phase and unlikely to be operational for several Antarctic seasons, the lead ship of this class will be named USCGC Sentinal. MPOV Aiviq is under consideration by the U.S. Coast Guard for the interim. In an earlier season in the Ross Sea, Polar Star sailed along the Ross Ice shelf into the Bay of Whales where she claimed the record for furthest South of any ship. A few days later a French tourist ship went just a little further South!
Based in Punta Arenas Chile two research ships, the Nathaniel B Palmer and the Laurence M Gould service Palmer Station on Anvers Island in the Antarctic Peninsular area and undertake science voyage in the Antarctic Peninsular area and anywhere in the Southern Ocean and the Ross Sea. In recent years the Palmer has visited Lyttelton NZ and Sydney. In April 2023 she visited Davis with several weeks in Prydz Bay, concluding that voyage in Albany, Western Australia.
Argentina
Five ships of the Argentine navy, Puerto Argentino, San Carlos and Bahia Agradable were built as anchor handling vessels for the offshore oil industry, Canal Beagle is an oil tanker/replenishment ship. These ships will visit all the Antarctic Peninsular stations. The Almirante Irizar a Finish build icebreaker will visit all Argentine stations but exclusively Belgrano Station at nearly 78 degrees South, deep in the Weddell Sea. These ships are based at various Argentine ports but the Antarctic operation will be from Ushuaia on Terra de Fuego in the far South of Argentina.
Research vessel Victor Angelsou in the 22/23 season conducted marine science in the Scotia Sea, South of South Georgia, South Sandwich and Elephant Island waters.
Brazil
Two ships of the Brazil Navy, Almirante Maximiano and Ary Rongel, from Punta Arenas and Ushuaia do several voyages in support of Commandante Ferraz station on King George Island. They will throughout the season visit various stations of the other Countries in the Antarctic Peninsular area. A new icebreaker Almirante Saldanha is due to come into service in 2025.
Chile
Most of the Chilean shipping presence in the Antarctic Peninsular area will be ships of the Chile navy, warships Aquiles, Marinero Fuentealba, Gabo Odger, Sgto Aldea, and ex oil industry supply ships Janequeo and Galvarino. These ships will do many voyages to Chilean stations on the Antarctic Peninsular from Punta Arenas. A new ship Almirante Viel has been launched at Talcahuano, Chile and is currently being fitted out. She is built to Polar class 5, and replaces a previous ex Canadian icebreaker. Research ship Bentanzos operated by a private company DAP is available to various scientific oranisations in Chile and will do numerous voyages in the Antarctic Peninsular area.
Peru
Navy ship Carrasco, based in Punta Arenas will support Machu Pichu station on King George Island, also visiting various other station in the Antarctic Peninsular and Elephant Island area.
Uruguay
Uruguay navy replenishment tanker General Artigas does a voyage from Montevideo, to Punta Arenas and across Drake Passage in support of King George Island station Artigas. The General Artigas, built in 1965 is the oldest ship in the Antarctic fleet!
Colombia
Newest ship in the Antarctic Fleet is Simon Bolivar of the Colombian navy, built in Colombia and in service 2022. In the 23/24 season made its first voyage to the Antarctic Peninsular visiting many station and undertaking science projects in association with Ecuador and Turkey. Unusual for a polar ship she is painted white, but with an impressive “coast guard” red stripe.
South Africa
S.A. Agulhas services Gough and Marion Islands, and SANAE station in Antarctica. At SANAE unloading is alongside ice cliffs of the Fimbil Ice Shelf. In April 24 she is at Marion Island supporting a Mouse eradication project. Agulhas was in the news in two previous seasons with the re-discovery of Shackletons Endurance in the Weddell Sea.
U.K.
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Royal Research Ship (RRS) Sir David Attenborough comes South from her Harwich U.K. base in October to the Falklands. Her program for the season will be supporting bases at King Edward Point and Bird Island on South Georgia, in the South Orkneys, Signy Summer research Station, and Rothera Research Station on Adelaide Island, on Marguerite Bay at the Southern part of the Antarctic Peninsular. This season there are nine science programs on her itinerary. Several weeks were be spent in the Weddell Sea. Due to concerns with cracks on the Brunt Ice Shelf Halley VI Research Station has become a summer only station with aircraft support. It is several years since a ship has visited. However, this season a Danish cargo ship of the Royal Arctic Line has delivered cargo. The Malik Arctica was alongside the nearby ice cliff and unloading cargo. Like most of the Royal Arctic Line ships she has a high quality webcam and spectacular images were available throughout the cargo work, and indeed the whole voyage. Apparently the ship had been chartered both by BAS and the Germans because after leaving the ice edge of Halley she moved to up the coast and delivered cargo to ice cliffs off Neumayer station. Two other ships were part of the BAS program, HMS Protector of the Royal Navy routinely does a cruise from the Falklands visiting South Georgia, King Edward Point where Royal Marines maintain the cemetery at Grytviken whaling station containing the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Then down to the Antarctic Peninsular, visiting Ukraine’s Vernadsky Station, BAS Rothera Station and the old British Base “A” Port Lockroy – now a tourist venture. RRS Discovery the last two seasons has undertaken cruises in the Southern Ocean and Antarctic Peninsular area from the Falklands and this year from Walvis Bay in Namibia.
France
French navy ship, La Astrolabe, well known of course in Hobart. She winters in Reunion Island, and based in Hobart, this season did four voyages to Dumont d’Urville, on two, visiting Macquarie Island. Marion Dufrense, also based in Reunion has a routine of visiting Crozet, Kerguelen and New Amsterdam, and then do a cruise to the French islands of Europa, Glorieuses, Juan de Nova, Bassas da India in the Mozambique Channel west of Madagascar, and also Tromelin north of Reunion.
Germany
Polarstern comes down the Atlantic in November, calls in at Cape Town and this year heads South bound for Prydz Bay. She visits Davis on 18 December and remains in the area until early January, then after working in the area of the Shackleton Ice Shelf heads to Hobart arriving late January for a six day visit. She then returned to the area of the Shackleton Ice Shelf until early March when she comes across to Vincennes Bay, on the 13th only 2 Nautical Miles off Casey Station! Later returns to the area of the Shackleton Ice Shelf and on 27th leaves the area bound for Walvis Bay, Namibia and North bound for home, Bremerhavn, Germany. As noted under the United Kingdom Malik Arctica visited Atka Bay and went alongside the ice cliff of the Ekstrom Ice Shelf and transferred cargo for Neumayer Station. As at Halley beautiful webcam pictures of the operation.
Italy
Laura Bassi, previously Ernest Shackleton of BAS, departed Italy in November, through Suez and the Indian Ocean, South of Tasmania, arriving in Lyttelton NZ in late December. Going South to Zuchelli Station and marine science in the Ross Sea with NZ scientists. At end of season returns to Lyttelton and the voyage back to Naples via South America and the Atlantic Ocean, circumnavigating the globe!
Norway
Norwegian cargo ship Silver Arctic came down the Atlantic to Cape Town then South to the Antarctic coast adjacent to Troll Station. Returned to Cape Town and Norway in early March.
In the 21/22 season Research vessel Kronprins Haakon came South in company with Silver Arctic
Russia
Three ships came South from Russia this season. In late October Akademik Federov sailed from St Petersburg for Cape Town. Then South to Progress station in the Larsmans, to Mirny, Shackleton Ice Shelf, returning to Prydz Bay and Progress. Then to Molodezhnaya. Returning to Cape Town for a rendezvous with Akademik Tryoshnikov in late March. Federov this year then went to a Durban dockyard. Tryoshnikov sailed South for Mirny and in late April successfully negotiated new winter ice of Prydz Baty to arrive off Progress. Like in the previous 22/23 season voyage will probably be Molodezhnaya, the coast off Novolazrevskaya and then to Bellingshausen station on King George Island in the South Shetlands off the Antarctic Peninsular, then returning North via Cape Town. The third ship is Akademik Karpinsky that came South, calling at Montevideo, and went directly to marine science in the Bellingshausen Sea, to the West of the Antarctic Peninsular. Returning to St Petersburg via Montevideo. A new ship RV Ivan Frolov planned for construction in 2028
A project to rebuild Vostok station resulted in remarkable Russian shipping activity in previous years. In the 20/21 season Nuclear powered cargo ship Sevmorput was loaded with modules for the new Vostok, however, on the voyage South in the Atlantic her propeller suffered serious damage. Unable to access dockyard facilities in Africa she was forced to return to St Petersburg! The following season, 21/22 the Vostok cargo was taken South to Progress for overland traverse to Vostok. For most of that season a fleet of four ships, cargo ships MYS Dezhneva, Andrey Osipov, oil tanker Yaroslav Mudry and well known Icebreaker/Passenger ship Kapitan Khlebnikov, were present in Prydz Bay.
Occasional sitreps of Russian Antarctic activity are available on the website of the Russian Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute- AARI. In Russian, on line translation required.
Spain
Spanish navy research ship Hesperides home port in Cartagena Spain. Sails down the Atlantic in November to Southern Argentine port of Ushuaia. Will do several voyages across Drake Passage, mainly in support of stations Juan Carlos Primero on on Livingston Island and Gabriel de Castella on Deception Island. Will visit numerous other station in the Antarctic Peninsular area.
Ukraine
Noosfera previously the James Clark Ross of BAS left Odesa just a few weeks before the war with Russia commenced. With a Southern base of Punta Arenas does several voyages to the Antarctic Peninsular area in support of Ukraine station Vernadsky and Polish stationj Arctowski. Visits will also be made to numerous other station on the Antarctic Peninsular, and in South America Puerto Williams, Chile, on the Beagle Channel and Port Stanley in the Falklands. There has been no return to Europe with wintering and ship maintenance in Cape Town.
Bulgaria
Bulgarian navy research ship RSV421 (Research Survey Vessel) another ship ex the offshore oil industry, departs Varna on the Black Sea in late October, calling in at Cartagena Spain, Through Gibraltar, and down the Atlantic to Southern operational base of Ushuaia, Argentina. Spending most of the season in the Antarctic Peninsular area mainly in support of Bulgaria station St Kliment Ohridski but with visits to Spanish and numerous other stations. At the end of the season, Northbound, she will visit various ports in Argentina and Brazil, Spain and Greece, arriving back in Varna in early April.
China
From home port of Shanghai Xue Long and Xue Long 2 depart for South in early November.
Xue Long visits Fremantle, and then directly to Zongshan in the Larsmans for about two weeks, then sailing Eastbound to the Antarctic Peninsular resupplying Great Wall Station on King George Island. Up to Punta Arenas in mid January. Returning to the Antarctic Peninsular and Elephant Island area for a period of marine science before returning West bound to Zongshan. A circumnavigation of Antarctica! In early March she departed the Larsmans bound for Hobart for an end of season visit then sailing up the Australia east Coast homebound for Shanghai, China.
Xue Long 2 arrived in Lyttelton NZ in late November where is met up with cargo ship Tian Hui. In close company they sailed for the Ross Sea, Inexpressible Island. Between, 7/12 and 29/12 it became clear in news media that construction of a new research station was underway, subsequently named Qinling. On completion of that task Tian Hui sailed North, calling at Bluff and New Plymouth in NZ, then returned to China.
Xue Long 2 after supporting the Qinling building returned to Lyttelton , Then, a period of marine science in the Ross Sea, South Pacific and the Amundsen Sea West of the Antarctic Peninsular. Returning to the Ross Sea and a visit to Qinling 11/2, then North bound, a visit to Macquarie Island, 18-21 February, mostly spent sailing up and down the East coast in foul weather presumably. Another visit to Lyttelton and back to the Ross Sea and a final visit to Qinling. Season over, Northbound, on course towards the Tasman Sea. Next port of call unclear until a search of port scheduling revealed she was bound for Newcastle NSW, eta 20/3, arriving 0800.She stayed until the afternoon of 22/3. On exiting the port, the Nobbys, she turned North bound for Hong Kong, at that time just a few hundred Nautical Miles ahead of Xue Long coming up the South Coast of NSW.
Japan
Icebreaker Shirase of the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force, based at Yokosuka naval base in Tokyo Bay departs for South in early November, via the Makassar and Lombok Straits in Indonesia, visits Fremantle in late November. Then directly to Syowa station. She stays at or near Syowa through the summer season. Clearly this year the approach through the pack was difficult with only a few nautical mile progress some days. Arrival at Syowa 26/12 dramatically shown on the station webcam, beautiful sunshine, orange ship and spectacular pack and iceberg scenery. Staying at the station until 23/1 she then apparently doing marine science to the West of Syowa. Departing the area mid December she sailed East past Enderby land and Amundsen Bay, close to Xue Long one day, then in early March off the Tottan Glacier until 8/3 when she turned North approximately along Longitude 110 degree East. A visit to Fremantle from 18/3 to 23/3. Northbound through the Lombok Strait returning to Yokosuka 14 April 2024.
Korea (South)
From home port of Gwangyang Icebreaker Araon departs late October bound Lyttelton NZ arriving this year 20/11. Departs 24/11 bound for Jang Bogo station on the Ross Sea, arriving 4/12. Through the summer season, with several visits to Lyttelton, she moved around the Ross Sea, visited Qinling, and travelled to the East and the Amundsen Sea West of the Antarctic Peninsular. On the final voyage to Lyttelton she went well to the West and on 29/3 was only about 30 Nautical Miles to the South of Hurd Point, Macquarie Island. Departed Lyttelton 7/4 Northbound, eta in Gwangyang 2nd May.
Cargo was delivered to Jang Bogo by another “Happy” ship the Happy Dover. From Lyttelton she was at Jang Bogo from 8/2 to 3/3. On departure it was clear from her AIS report that she was bound for Newcastle NSW eta 13/3. Arrival was as scheduled and went alongside at the Western Basin at 09:45. Departed 4 April, the evening before Xue Long 2 arrived.
Resupply of the Korean station King Sejong on King George Island, South Shetlands, Antarctic Peninsular was undertaken by a Chilean cargo ship Lenga, another ex offshore oil industry vessel, which sailed from Punta Arenas, on 25/11 and returned 19/12.
India
Russian cargo chip Vasiliy Golovin delivers cargo from Cape Town, firstly to Bharati in the Larsmans staying for a long period 16/1 to early February, at Bharati station or in the area. Then she travels West to a point on the coast off the inland station Maitri from 6/3 until 17/3 when she sails North, arriving Cape Town 27/3. Expeditioners for Bharati and Maitri come South by aircraft.
Other ships
Arctic Sunrise – Of Greenpeace did a cruise in the 21/22 season visiting stations to the Antarctic Peninsular are, both the West side, and into the Weddell Sea, finishing in Walvis Bay, Namibia. In the current 23/24 season Allankay of Sea Shepherd did a cruise of the Antarctic Peninsular and then crossing the Pacific to Hobart, Melbourne, Eden, Brisbane and then North to Fiji and the Pacific Islands.
Cruise ships
Fifty cruise ships sailed from South America to, the Falklands, South Georgia, Elephant Island and the Antarctic Peninsular area both the Western side and into the Weddell Sea. A number of ships took onboard passengers at the Chilean airport, Marsh, on King George Island. Five ships cruised into the Ross Sea and visited the historic sites on Ross Island and McMurdo station area.
Heritage Adventurer operates out of NZ and made voyages into the Ross Sea and visited Macquarie Island several times.
Private yachts
Thirty Eight private yachts, mostly sailing vessels, were noted cruising in the Antarctic Peninsular area coming from South America. Registrations were from all over the world including Australia.
See the Club website for links used to compile the above information.
