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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, July 2nd 2025 - 13:20 UTC

Antarctica

  • Friday, February 21st 2014 - 07:49 UTC

    Successful second phase removal of reindeer in South Georgia

    Reindeer were introduced in the island by whalers in the early 1900s

    The second phase of the government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) project to remove introduced reindeer from South Georgia got underway in early January, reports the latest edition of the South Georgia newsletter.

  • Friday, February 14th 2014 - 07:24 UTC

    Live Antarctic Search and Rescue Exercise by IAATO in conjunction with Ushuaia

    M/V Polar Pioneer from Aurora Expeditions was involved in the exercise

    The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and two IAATO Member Operators, Aurora Expeditions and Oceanwide Expeditions, took part in a live Search and Rescue Communications Exercise in collaboration with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) Ushuaia, Argentina.

  • Saturday, January 18th 2014 - 05:41 UTC

    HMS Protector surveying previously unchartered waters off Sandwich Islands

    The ice patrol managed to land a survey teams at Thule Island (Pic LA Vicki Benwell)

    Previously uncharted areas of the Southern Ocean have been surveyed by personnel on board Royal Navy ice patrol ship HMS Protector. Using its multi-beam echo sounder the ship gathered data off the Sandwich Islands along areas of the Douglas Straits between South Thule and Cook Island for the UK Hydrographic Office to fill in missing data in the Admiralty Charts.

  • Tuesday, January 14th 2014 - 13:12 UTC

    South Georgia grey-headed albatross added to the 'endangered species' list

    Encouraging and bad news for albatrosses: while the black-browed has been down-listed from 'near threatened' the grey-headed albatross is in rapid decline and considered “endangered” mainly because of fishing activities, reports the latest edition of the South Georgia Newsletter.

  • Monday, January 13th 2014 - 06:30 UTC

    Busy November in South Georgia with 11 cruises, yachts and HMS Protector

    Crew from HMS Protector carried out the request to return two old whaling harpoon heads which were given to the South Georgia Museum (PIC South Georgia Newsletter)

    November was a busy month for cruise vessels: eleven cruise ships visited South Georgia between the 9th and 29th, according to the South Georgia Newsletter. One cruise ship, Ortelius, reached the rarely visited South Sandwich Islands and was able to put scientist Tom Hart ashore on Saunders Island where he took soil samples and set up two camera-traps to monitor the penguin colonies.

  • Monday, January 13th 2014 - 06:17 UTC

    South Georgia will issue two-year licenses for toothfish and icefish

    A trawler anchored in Cumberland Bay

    The government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands has announced it will issue two-year fishing licenses to companies who successfully apply to fish for toothfish and icefish in the SGSSI Maritime Zone, reports the South Georgia Newsletter latest edition.

  • Saturday, January 11th 2014 - 07:48 UTC

    Russian vessel incident triggers debate on Antarctica growing tourist industry

    French Polar Institute director Yves Frenot was furious with incident that distracted several icebreakers from their normal duties

    The challenging rescue operation launched after a Russian ship became trapped in Antarctic pack ice in December shows the inherent risks facing the frozen continent's burgeoning tourist industry, experts say. Antarctica represents one of the last frontiers for adventurous travelers, an icy wonderland of glaciers, emperor penguins and seemingly endless white expanses.

  • Wednesday, January 8th 2014 - 05:25 UTC

    Russian and Chinese vessels break loose from Antarctic ice

    MV Akademik Shokalskiy caught in Commonwealth Bay on Christmas Day had to also spend New Year surrounded by ice

    The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed Wednesday that the entrapped Antarctic ships, the Akademik Shokalskiy and the Xue Long (Snow Dragon), have broken free from the ice in Antarctica and are no longer in need of assistance.

  • Wednesday, January 8th 2014 - 01:00 UTC

    IAATO expedition vessel helps HCA chart Antarctic waters

    Stephen Wilkins, skipper of the yacht Xplore

    An IAATO sailing yacht has demonstrated that private and commercial vessels on expeditions in Antarctica can perform official hydrographic surveys and produce navigational charts that are still much needed for the region. Results were presented at the 13th Conference of the Hydrographic Commission on Antarctica (HCA) in Cadiz, Spain 3-5 December, hosted by the Spanish Navy.

  • Sunday, January 5th 2014 - 14:41 UTC

    US icebreaker sent to Antarctica to rescue Chinese and Russian trapped vessels

    The Polar Star is expected to reach the ice packed Commonwealth Bay

    A U.S. Coast Guard heavy icebreaker left Australia for Antarctica on Sunday to rescue more than 120 crew members aboard two icebreakers trapped in pack ice near the frozen continent’s eastern edge, officials said. The 122-meter cutter, the Polar Star, is responding to a Jan. 3 request from Australia, Russia and China to assist the Russian and Chinese ships.