HMS Protector, is back in Plymouth waters having successfully completing her Antarctic scientific mission.
The Royal Navy’s only icebreaker conducted many roles on her recent tour from delivering supplies to the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust at Port Lockroy to monitoring birdlife, and laying the foundations for further research into safeguarding wildlife in the Antarctic.
HMS Protector left special markers at key locations to facilitate accurate and safe surveying of Antarctic waters for other ships visiting the area.
The Plymouth-based survey ship also visited the Falklands Islands for its farewell 6,000-mile journey back to Plymouth.
This month is the anniversary of the Falklands campaign and the undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in April 1982, over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial dependency, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
HMS Protector is playfully nicknamed the Royal Navy’s ‘Swiss army knife’ due to her famous red and yellow colour scheme, and you can see her LIVE on our 24 hour webcam in the Sound.
The Protector operates on a five-year mission, alternating between the hemispheres, conducting survey work, to updating charts, and working with British and international scientists delivering supplies, supporting research, moving people and equipment around, and collecting scientific data.
