HMS Protector waves goodbye to Sir David Attenborough as she sets off for Antarctica

HMS Protector has waved goodbye to research vessel Sir David Attenborough as she headed off on her deployment to the Antarctic.

Having left Mare Harbour in the Falkland Islands, the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship is now heading to the frozen continent.

She also passed HMS Forth, a River-class offshore patrol vessel, on her way out of the harbour.

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The Royal Navy's only ice patrol ship said a similar farewell to the Falklands last March, heading back to the UK following four months in the Antarctic.

HMS Protector had accessed a previously inaccessible area so its crew could lay the groundwork for future research, protecting wildlife, safeguarding birdlife and leaving behind special markers.

The Royal Navy pointed out how HMS Protector was deployed to the South Atlantic in 2015.

She travels to various locations in and around the Antarctic Peninsula to undertake hydrographic surveys of the area to improve the safety of navigation, provide support to UK and foreign research stations, and assist the British Antarctic Survey.

As well providing practical support, HMS Protector is a symbol of the Royal Navy's global reach and operational flexibility.

The Royal Navy said: "She shows that we're ready and able to act whenever and wherever needed."