site.btaRSV 421 Sails into Antarctic Waters, Greeted by Isolated Icebergs

The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) entered the zone which is under the jurisdiction of the Antarctic Treaty, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in Varna reported on its Facebook page at 4 p.m. Bulgarian time on Wednesday.

The ship sailed on through the Drake Passage under favourable weather conditions but with a more visible presence of ice on the ocean surface. Isolated icebergs which had broken off the mainland Antarctic ice shelf drifted past the ship. The situation did not differ from what the Argentine Naval Hydrographic Service had forecast.

By the time of the online message, there were a few hours left until RSV 421 would drop anchor opposite the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island. Then, the logistical crew of the expedition is expected to unload the equipment and the supplies off the ship and reopen the base. In the meantime, the Bulgarians will unload food products for the Juan Carlos I Spanish Antarctic Base, which is on the island next to the Bulgarian base.

RSV 421 set sail from the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Varna on November 8, 2023, and is expected to return in April 2024.