site.btaBulgarian Naval Research Ship Crossing Drake Passage on Return Journey from Antarctica

The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) is crossing the Drake Passage on her return journey from Antarctica. The ship entered the passage between 6 and 6:30 am local time on February 9, going past several icebergs in the shallows around Snow Island, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy said in a press release on Sunday.

RSV 421 is sailing at a speed of 9 to 9.5 knots, Commanding Officer Nikolay Danailov said. He described the current meteorological conditions as excellent for sailing. "Of course, the Drake Passage is the most wicked place on the planet, and the expectations completely meet what we are seeing at the moment," he added. He expects the ship to cross the Drake Passage in two to three days.

This is RSV 421's fourth crossing of the Drake Passage. The first one was in early 2023 during its first voyage to the Bulgarian Antarctic base on Livingston Island as part of the 31st Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition.

RSV 421 is currently transporting members of the 32nd Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition, researchers from the Spanish Geographical Association, and a British scientist. There are 29 passengers and 33 crew members aboard.

The next stop en route to Bulgaria is Comodoro Rivadavia in Argentina, home to a large community of descendants of Bulgarians who moved there in the 1920s.