15 - Port Charcot and VERNADSKY ( Ukrainian Base )

These had to be some of the best days here, no contest. (I know I say this a lot, but what can I do if the days keep getting better and better?) 

At Port Charcot, we had mostly just bad weather and LOTS of wind. Strong winds sometimes reaching 30 Knots. So we stayed inside, played card games and WAR, and only had one short trip outside where  penguins were diving like synchronized swimmers and my dad hiked to the top with Scott.

After that we went to a birthday party!

I know what your thinking; “Your in Antarctica, Clara! You can’t go to a birthday party.” But your wrong! We were socially invited to one at the Ukrainian Antarctic scientific base called ‘Vernadsky’!!! 

We arrived at their dock and immediately got greeted and helped off of our dingy. Luckily most of them spoke English, so we all got to have many conversations. The cook of the base immediately started a tour of the base for us. We saw everything, even the biologist in his study. He can TELEPORT! I’ll explain; he was in one of his studies that the cook showed us, then after a few rooms he was sitting in the other study! It was hilarious.

We met the cook of the base, the biologist, geologist, doctor, and more! At the end we arrived at the base’s bar - actually more like a Pub since it was built when the base was owned by England before transferred to Ukraine in 1996 - I can’t lie to you, that was one if the coziest bars I’ve ever been in, with music, pool table, couches- so fun- As soon as we got in we started eating some brigadeiro my parents had prepared in the boat and me and Marina signed this large book that they would leave on the table for visitors to sign. I drew a chinstrap and wrote a note!

Probably an hour after we arrived, a woman working at the base came to me, and said my mom told her my dream job was a marine biologist. She said that she was the MARINE BIOLOGIST  of the base and that if my mom would allow me, she would show me some of her study! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT???? Of course, mom let her take me and I went to look around with her.

The marine biologist’s name was Tanya -I believe- and she studies the bacteria and plankton of Antarctica. She showed me the gear she uses, a few test tubes, her samples, and even a photo of something she had found in her sample -gross but amazingly cool- She told me everything, and even explained to me things I didn’t know. She was amazing! After we finished I took one of the rubber gloves from her study and she told me I should blow a glove ballon for Marina, who hadn’t been allowed to come. I gave it to her but it popped :(

After we returned to the bar we struck a random conversation about D&D, dungeons and dragons; but after 25ish minutes she had to leave and check on her samples. But it was absolutely AMAZING to have experienced.

After midnight (and amazing cake) we went back to the boat and slept.

Next day we visited an old house / Museum owned by the United Kingdom Heritage Trust called Wordie house, where some scientists used to work and where the hole in the Ozone Layer was discovered and monitored! What an amazing opportunity to visit this place.

We then went on a boat ride to the other side of the channel and We would’ve even brought the biologist and my new friend the marine biologist on a small trip we took around the area with us since it was their break day, but their boss didn’t let them. Bummer!

We saw two REALLY big whales feeding, using a technique called bubble feeding, and we got pretty close to them.

Later on in the day while we filled our water tanks at Vernadsky, the doctor came on board for a while and had tea with us, and even played some “taco cat goat cheese pizza” with us! We even gave her a full box of taco cat -the abbreviation for the game-  since she loved it so much as she left.

Well thats it for now! Have a great rest of your day!