Ukrainian polar explorers met a fur seal resting on an old boat

A fur seal on Galindez Island

Photo: National Academy of Sciences

Ukrainian polar explorers from the Antarctic research station “Akademik Vernadskyi” met a fur seal, which chose an old wooden boat on Deception Island for rest.

Video meeting published National Antarctic Science Center.

“Seals come to this area at the end of summer or beginning of autumn just to relax. But they usually do it on flat rocky areas or beaches.

But for some reason this cat liked the boat. Perhaps he dreams of faraway travels?” – it is assumed at the National Institute of Scientific Research.

Deception Island, where the polar explorers met the seal, has a volcanic origin and a horseshoe shape. Its maximum diameter reaches about 14 kilometers. Such a harbor is formed by the submerged caldera of a volcano that is still active.

“From 1911 to 1930, a Norwegian whaling station operated on the island. In 1944, the British established a scientific base B here, using part of the abandoned buildings. It existed until 1967, when it was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. The base was restored in 1968, but finally closed for a year due to another eruption,” – say Ukrainian polar explorers.

They also told how the boat on which the fur seal was resting ended up on the island:

“In the early 1990s, the British carried out a large-scale cleanup of this territory and removed fuel residues, batteries, hazardous waste, garbage, etc. At the same time, part of the buildings and artifacts that were not destroyed by the volcanic eruption remained on the island and are now considered a historical monument. In particular , and that boat on which the seal rested.”

According to polarists, the Spanish and Argentinian seasonal scientific stations still operate in another part of the island. Our scientists landed on the island to select samples of unique local vegetation.

Earlier, the polar explorers showed a colorful sunset near “Vernadskyi”.