Ukrainian polar explorers show huge iceberg in the Antarctic: Incredible photos
The Noosphere icebreaker has arrived in the Antarctic (photo: facebook.com/AntarcticCenter)
The Ukrainian research icebreaker Noosfera has reached King George Island in Antarctica, where the Polish Antarctic Station Arctowski is located. This occurred overnight on December 6, according to the National Antarctic Scientific Center.
What surprised the Ukrainian polar explorers
The ship's journey from Cape Town to King George Island covered 4125 miles (6638 km) and took 19 days. Noosfera encountered storms during its voyage, but the experienced navigation team, led by Captain Oleksandr Gryshko, skillfully navigated through them.
Even in the turbulent waters of the Drake Passage, the ship successfully avoided storms. However, scientists were somewhat surprised: "We saw icebergs much earlier than in previous years, even from 58 degrees latitude."
The ship's captain noted that this could be due to the calving of the massive A23a iceberg with an area of 4,000 square kilometers, which passed the northern edge of the Antarctic Peninsula in November of this year.
What happens next
In the coming days, the Noosfera will undergo unloading. Experts must transport 9 containers with nearly 450 tons of various goods and 140,000 liters of fuel for Arctowski to the shore.
On December 11, the ship is scheduled to depart for the Ukrainian station Akademik Vernadsky.
On November 17, 2023, the flagship of the Ukrainian research fleet, the icebreaker Noosfera, set sail from Cape Town (South Africa) to Antarctica. This marks its third Antarctic season under the blue and yellow flag.
Ukrainian icebreaker Noosphere arrives in Antarctica (photo: facebook.com/AntarcticCenter)
Also, see what "white nights" look like in Antarctica.
