site.btaBulgarian Naval Research Vessel Delivers Equipment to Spanish Antarctic Base on Deception Island

The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) delivered equipment to the Spanish Antarctic Base Gabriel de Castilla on Deception Island, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy of Varna said on Facebook.

The crews of RSV 421’s workboats and the ship’s deck team facilitated sample collection for scientific projects conducted aboard the vessel. Assoc. Prof. Svetoslav Dimov from the Genetics Department at Sofia University’s Faculty of Biology, and Dr. Vesna Macic from the Institute of Marine Biology in Kotor, Montenegro, collected the necessary samples for their respective projects and expanded the scope of their research and observations on Deception Island, the press release said.

Ornithologists Chief Assistant Dr. Boyan Michev and Prof. Iliya Vatev studied bird nesting habitats. During the activities, Dimitar Panteleev conducted observations on social dynamics, teamwork, and interactions among the crew of RSV 421, researchers, and staff of the Spanish Antarctic Base, as part of his project Frozen Heritage – A Narrative of Bulgarian Explorers in Antarctica.

Following the successful completion of the joint cargo operation, the RSV 421 crew was invited for an official visit by the commander of the Spanish Antarctic Base Gabriel de Castilla, Lieutenant Colonel Javier Moreno, as a gesture of long-standing cooperation and friendship between the Antarctic programs of Spain and Bulgaria.

To further relations with the Argentine Antarctic Programme, representatives of the RSV 421 crew visited the Argentine Navy supply ship Puerto Argentino and the Argentine Deception Station on Deception Island.