Research ship Sir David Attenborough departs on maiden Antarctic voyage

By Baird Maritime - November 23, 2021.

*The research ship* Sir David Attenborough *(Photo: British Antarctic Survey/Rich Turner)*

Sir David Attenborough, Britain’s new polar research ship, departed the UK earlier this month for its maiden voyage to Antarctica.

The vessel left Portsmouth with 66 crew and other personnel. Its first port of call will be the Falkland Islands, from where it will continue on its voyage to Antarctica.

During its first mission to the frozen continent, the vessel will transfer station teams, food, cargo, and fuel to British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) five research stations. Robotic instruments that drift with the Southern Ocean currents will also be deployed as part of an international oceanography programme.

The ship will also transport essential science equipment to support the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, a collaboration between UK and US scientists to investigate one of the most unstable glaciers in Antarctica.