Join the exclusive club of workers in Antarctica, where scientists, explorers, and adventurers come together to contribute to groundbreaking research in one of the world’s most inhospitable environments.
Working in Antarctica: A Unique Opportunity
Antarctica is not truly home to anyone, as far as we know, but between 1,000 and 10,000 hardy workers can be stationed there, depending on the season. While scientists, environmentalists, nature researchers, and explorers are among those who call Antarctica home, maintaining living quarters in such a harsh environment requires a diverse range of skills.
A Variety of Roles Available
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is offering “the opportunity of a lifetime to work in the world’s coldest and windiest continent” for carpenters, chefs, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, and more. Successful applicants will work in remote locations, building lifelong friendships and contributing to science that’s important for understanding our changing world.
Contracts run from six to 18 months, with vacancies including roles such as a health and safety advisor, boating officer, electrical maintenance technician, marine biologist, and ocean scientist. For example, Olivier Hubert, BAS catering manager, notes that being a chef in Antarctica is a unique experience: “Meals are such an important part of life down south – they’re the anchors to the day so the pressure is on to create interesting and nutritious meals with limited supplies.”
The Challenges of Working in Antarctica
Bigger than Europe, Antarctica is covered in an ice sheet averaging around 2 kilometres thick. While scientists have made progress in understanding the continent’s geography, much remains unknown. In 2023, researchers at Durham University published results from a radio-echo sounding survey that suggested a vast hidden network of valleys and hills frozen in time under a zone of ice around the size of Belgium.
A Unique Environment
Although it is usually listed as having been discovered around 1818-1820, Antarctica appears on several maps drawn several centuries earlier, including some said to depict it without ice. Despite its inhospitable climate, which averages minus 10 Celsius along the coast and minus 43 inland, working in Antarctica offers a unique opportunity for those willing to take on the challenge.
- yahoo.com | Opportunity of a lifetime:
