Britain and Argentina share stringent environmental duties in Antarctica
Divers from Royal Navy ice patrol ship HMS Protector have been exploring beneath the waves of the Antarctic to ensure stringent environmental guidelines are being followed in the region. In the process the diving team on board HMS Protector has been busy capturing rare underwater footage of the Antarctic.
Providing essential imagery of sights rarely seen by human eyes, the 4 Royal Navy divers braved the chilling temperatures to ensure environmental guidelines are being followed in the region - particularly in the case of the sunken Argentine research vessel the MV Bahia Paraiso.
When she ran aground in 1989 the ship spilled 645,000 liters of diesel and caused one of the worst marine environmental emergencies in Antarctica to date. However, a recent Argentine and Dutch team carefully removed all traces of fuel, with HMS Protector’s dive team tasked to ensure there was no further leakage.
Diving on the hull, and equipped with an underwater camera, the team were able to confirm that the diesel flow had ceased and also identified a rich ecosystem of hanging sponges and aquatic life.
Leading Diver Chris Hayes, the team leader said that diving in Antarctica is inconceivably amazing with diverse aquatic life and breathtaking sea bed topography.
“It is a real privilege to dive in the Antarctic; it certainly makes a change from diving in UK waters searching for unexploded Second World War ordnance or in the very warm waters of the Gulf”.
The team also explored the dormant water-filled caldera of the Deception Island volcano - which is one of only two in the world - and surfaced to a watching audience of penguins intrigued by their strange-looking visitors.
While this risk assessment included exiting safely if there was any sign of volcanic activity, the divers were also warned of the dangers of killer whales and leopard seals as they explored icebergs on the peninsula.
After confirming the icebergs were grounded rather than floating, the dive team jumped into the waters to examine the mass of ice underneath. The cold waters provide excellent visibility for this type of diving - around 15 meters or more, with the sea bed around the icebergs littered with whale bones, starfish and an array of rare fauna and flora.
HMS Protector, which is based in Portsmouth, is a 5.000-tonne ice patrol ship that is deployed on operations 330 days of the year. Her mission is to provide a UK sovereign presence in the British Antarctic Territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and their surrounding maritime areas.
This includes underpinning their security and good governance, meeting the UK treaty obligations and exercising rights under the Antarctic treaty through inspections, hydrographical charting and support to scientific research.
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........that Argentina caused!!
Did we misread this, or Mercopress has it wrong,
We see MHS Protector
We see British territory,
But no Argentina,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
We see Argentina and the Dutch, but no Britain,
So what is this thing we share?
seperately but not together.
how morally void can these people get?
The only sharing I can see there is that Argentina fucked up and Britain is fixing up..... nothing new there......
Exterminated the Thylacine in Australia.
Extermininated the Passenger piegon in North America AND caused a massive oil leak in the Caribbean two years ago.
It is amazing how easily lies and immorality come to the Brits.
Anyway, the Dutch and the Argentines cleaned up this mess. Not the British team,who found no traces of diesel.
No need to make things up. Let the other guys do that.
Right story this time!
I was surprised you did not become Pope as you continually pontificate on this forum. Your halo of self-righteousness is blinding us
Britain caused the extinction of the passenger pigeon, a species indigenous to N.America? How did we do that since the USA was independent of Britain since 1776 and the last wild bird was killed in approx.1900.
As you say that Argentinians are NOT Europeans it follows then that the destruction of flora and fauna in Argentina by
1) The introduction of alien species -cattle and sheep to the detriment of local indigenous wildlife;
2) The destruction of grasslands to plant wheat and other foreign crops;
3) Deforestation;
4) Planting of vines- another non indigenous plant.
5) Hunting of pumas, wolves and indigenous native tribes
must be laid at your doorstep ! ARGENTINIANS not British.
Of course, by your twisted logic, the UK must also be responsible for the ivory trade, rhino. horns, killing of the tiger for body parts, the demise of the highland gorilla, slaughter of sharks for their fins and destruction of the Brazilian rain forest.
Get real !!!
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