Brabant Island, lying off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula at 64°15’South, 62°20’West, is the second largest Island of the Palmer Archipelago within the British Antarctic Territory. Brabant Island, 59 km (37 mi) long north-south, 30 km (19 mi) wide, is lying between Anvers Island and Liège island. It had only been visited on six very brief occasions since its discovery in 1898, although a 1/200 000 topographic map had been produced in 1963 from FIDASE aerial photography.
Joint Services Expedition explored the island in three phases over a 15-month period, from January 1984 to March 1985; each phase was landed and recovered by HMS Endurance. The aims of the expedition were primarily scientific and secondarily adventurous.
HMS Protector returned recently to Brabant Island for the first time since 2017 to continue work to remove abandoned equipment from the 1980’s expedition.
Royal Navy sailors have helped preserve the natural beauty of Antarctica by removing three tons of waste that had frozen into position but subsequent thaw and freeze cycles meant it could now be removed seven years on. Twenty-nine members of HMS Protector’s expedition headed ashore on the ship’s Zodiac boats. “It was quite shocking seeing all the mess left behind at first. But once we got together to gather up all the rubbish, we could instantly see the benefits of our work, quite a bitter-sweet”
HMS Protector is the Royal Navy’s Polar Research ship and is currently deployed in the Antarctic region promoting British interests and enforcing the Antarctic Treaty by working with partners including the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust and the governments of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.
TNX and credit: HMS Protector removes waste from Brabant Island next to Antarctica Peninsula — MercoPress
Well, maybe someone from the nearby Argentine Base Melchior (WAP ARG-13) can try to visit Brabant for a brief stay, or someone of the BAS can operate from there on one of the next visit!
Watch the Brabant Island Expedition Film 1983-85 here below