International team joins Bulgaria’s 34th Antarctic expedition
Bulgaria's naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) docked at the Chilean port of Punta Arenas on December 21 on its way to Livingston Island, which is home to the Bulgarian Antarctic Base, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in Varna wrote on its website.
Two maritime pilots from the Chilean Navy boarded the ship during the passage through the Strait of Magellan, to ensure safe navigation, CE Report quotes BTA.
In Punta Arenas, the first group of scientists and logistics staff from the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute joined the vessel, along with foreign researchers from Romania, Montenegro, the United Arab Emirates, and Ecuador, who are participating in the current 34th Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition.
RSV 421 was also loaded with food supplies, GSM equipment, and other materials to be transported to the Bulgarian Antarctic Base and used for its operations during the current season.
After its stay in Punta Arenas, the ship will continue its voyage to Antarctica and is expected to reach Livingston Island on the eve of Christmas, the Naval Academy website noted.
As reported by CE Report, the 34th scientific expedition began its main work after the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island reopened in mid-November. In the area of South Bay on Livingston Island, the international team of scientists, with the help of the expedition’s logistics team, will be collecting samples for several scientific projects.
RSV 421 set sail for the icy continent from the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Varna on November 7. The vessel arrived at the Argentine military base in Mar del Plata on December 13 after a month-long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.
