On the way to South Sandwich Islands, the Akademik Treshnikov crossed whales and a gigantic iceberg adrift. A handful of scientists were able to land on it to take some snow samples. En route vers les Iles Sandwich du Sud, l’Akademik Treshnikov a croisé des baleines et un gigantesque iceberg […]

On Saturday evening, the Akademik Treshnikov and its 130 passengers left the waters of South Georgia after a three-day stopover full of ups and downs. The expedition experienced both the best and the worst weather conditions that the island has to offer. The first landing, in Grytviken Bay, was filled […]

Texte: Sarah Perrin Photo: Sharif Mirshak Since leaving Punta Arenas, the ship has been heading toward South Georgia Island, a 170-kilometer-long strip of land covered in mountains and glaciers. We should arrive today, Thursday. One of the researchers on the ship, Inigo Everson, is well acquainted with this island. Inigo […]

Text: Sarah Perrin Photos: Sharif Mirshak Before setting foot on South Georgia, all visitors must scrutinize every item they are taking with the utmost care: backpacks, jackets, hats, camera cases, shoes – everything! The point is to catch even the smallest seed that might be hiding in the lining of […]

By Eric Hoesli, EPFL professor Par Eric Hoesli, professeur à l’EPFL When he appears in the cafeteria – or the ‘buffet’, as the Russians call it – Lyuda, the woman in charge here, who’s not used to seeing him rub elbows with people from the expedition, greets him warmly, calling […]

Text: Sarah Perrin/EPFL Photos: Sharif Mirshak, Parafilms/EPFL. Saturday, 10 pm: a powerful tugboat pulls the Akademik Trehsnikov out of the Punta Arenas port. The Russian vessel is off to sea for the third and final leg of the ACE expedition, headed for Cape Town with two stops and several sampling […]

Texte and photos: Sarah Perrin, EPFL The ACE expedition has arrived in Chile. This marks the end of its second leg, during which the researchers made a stop on Antarctica, explored little-known ecosystems using a remote-controlled submersible and visited relatively uncharted territory. The third leg of the expedition, featuring stops […]

The Akademik Treshnikov arrived in Punta Arenas on Wednesday February 22, after an amazing leg between Australia and Chile. The Russian ship completed the second of the three legs of the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE). The ship will head back to sea on Saturday February 25th  for the last part […]