site.btaRSV 421 to Deliver Research Equipment to Hard-to-Reach Area of Livingston Island

In an operation in the South Bay of Livingston Island off Antarctica’s South Shetland Islands on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, the Bulgarian research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) loaded scientific research equipment from the Juan Carlos I Spanish Antarctic base intended for the Byers Peninsula at the west end of the island, which is poorly explored and hard to reach due to strong southwesterly winds, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy said.

Two Spanish boats brought 24 pallets of some half a tonne each with scientific and technical equipment and three barrels with supplies. They were unloaded by eight crew members under the direction of the commander of the Bulgarian vessel, Captain 2nd rank Nikolay Danailov, and the supervision of the head of the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy, Flotilla Admiral Boyan Mednikarov. The operation lasted about two hours.

Ten Spanish scientists from the Juan Carlos I base and two Bulgarian scientists from the St. Kliment Ohridski base, Docho Dochev and Lyubomir Metodiev, are expected to board the Bulgarian ship early on Wednesday. They will be taken to the Byers Peninsula along with their research equipment. The two Bulgarian scientists will conduct paleontology research.

The Byers Peninsula was designated as an Antarctic Specially Protected Area in 1966 due to its diverse and scientifically valuable flora and fauna and geological material, which is of great significance. There are over 60 lakes on the peninsula, which are important for the study of the history of the Antarctic peninsula. The management plan for the protected area assigns the Spanish and Bulgarian bases on Livingstone Island special tasks for its protection and research, which were assisted by the special operation of the Bulgarian research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii.

The important role of the Bulgarian vessel in the logistics of scientific research in Antarctica was highlighted during its visit to another Spanish base, Gabriel de Castilla, on Deception Island on February 3. The base’s commander, Angel Prado, was grateful for the Bulgarian vessel’s assistance, describing it as very valuable. "Although Spain also has its naval research vessel Hesperides, we need this help, and we are sad that your ship leaves soon," said Angel Prado.

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During the 32nd Bulgarian expedition to Antarctica, which started on November 8, 2023, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) is publishing interviews with Antarctic researchers. The Bulgaria-Antarctica BTA's Log again provides coverage of the voyage of the Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii to Antarctica and back and its stay there, as it did during the 31st expedition between December 27, 2022 and May 2, 2023. Back then, only BTA had a correspondent, Daily News Editor Konstantin Karagyozov, who covered the 127-day expedition with text, video and photos during the entire voyage (including across the Atlantic in both directions) and throughout the stay in Antarctica. In June 2023, BTA published in Bulgarian and in English an issue of its LIK magazine "To Antarctica and Back under the Bulgarian Flag" dedicated to the historic expedition.

Again, all of BTA's information on the Bulgarian scientific research in Antarctica and the support provided by the Bulgarian naval research vessel, as well as on the other activities at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base, will be available to all media outlets in Bulgarian and in English on BTA's website in the Bulgaria - Antarctica: BTA's Log section.

BTA has a National Press Club on board the ship and is planning to open a National Press Club at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island.