site.btaAdverse Weather Forces RSV 421 to Stay Anchored Near Spanish Antarctic Base

The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) spent the night at anchor in the Espanola Cove, part of the South Bay of Livingston Island, in front of the Spanish base Juan Carlos 1, due to adverse weather conditions. The ship is expected to spend Sunday in this location due to deteriorated weather conditions with strong wind and high swell, the ship's Commanding Officer, Commander Radko Muevski, told BTA. 

"Adverse hydrometeorological conditions will force us to stay at least today [Sunday] until late in the evening. Then we will assess what the swell is and whether we will relocate to our base," he said. 

Commander Muevski further explained that an assessment of the conditions ashore and around the ship would then be carried out to determine whether they were suitable for loading and unloading activities and their possible commencement this evening.

The crew of the Bulgarian naval research vessel was supposed to unload cargo for the Bulgarian base, Muevski told BTA on Saturday.

The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) departed from Varna for its third Antarctic expedition on November 7, 2024, and arrived at Livingston Island on December 28.

BTA has a national press club on the vessel and at the Bulgarian Antarctic base St. Kliment Ohridski. This is the third consecutive year that BTA has sent a correspondent to Antarctica, after Konstantin Karagyozov embarked on RSV 421's maiden voyage to the icy continent and back. This year's BTA correspondent is Milena Ostrovska, who arrived at the the St Kliment Ohridski Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island base on Livingston Island on January 17. Emil Granicharov was BTA's special correspondent to Antarctica during last year's expedition.