Base ‘Gabriel de Castilla’: Open for Christmas in the Middle of the Southern Hemisphere Summer

Base ‘Gabriel de Castilla’, managed by the Spanish Army and situated on Deception Island, is now open.  The 12 members of the 26th Antarctic Campaign –the Army mission on the white continent- disembarked from the Navy’s Oceanographic Research Ship ‘Hespérides’ on 23rd December, along with nine scientists, and proceeded to open and condition the installation.  The force has arrived at their destination, in the middle of the southern hemisphere summer, just in time to celebrate Christmas.

The first labour undertaken by the two experts accompanying the expedition was reconnaissance and evaluation of the volcano’s status -the island is volcanic in origin-. Once the absence of seismic activity had been declared (green light), without delay military personnel began the base opening work, after raising the Spanish Flag.  Nonetheless, the amount of accumulated snow and sea ice inside Port Foster caused these labours to be delayed slightly with respect to the scheduled time, but at the end of the day they base already had heating and electricity. 
 

On the following day, 24th December, the team continued unloading containers and worked on establishing communications, as well as in organising the first aid post and water supply.  The scientists, in turn, also collaborated in these initial tasks, as well as in setting up their equipment in order to be able to begin field work as soon as possible.
 

As well, on Christmas Day, our service personnel made a great show of comradeship and invited the personnel from the Argentinean base on Deception Island –a non-commissioned Naval officer from that South American country and two scientists-, which was undergoing problems with its energy supply while the installation was being opened.