Antarctic Experience

    Destination: Antarctic peninsula. 1993 I went to Antarctica as a member of the first team of scientists from Hong Kong Advancement for Science and Technology invited by Chinese Polar Committee to their Great Wall Polar research station in King George Island, one of the South Shetland Islands off the Antarctic peninsulas. Our18 team members include surveyor, doctor, engineer, social worker, environmental scientist, marine scientist, information technologist, each is assigned different tasks related to one's expertise. I was the only diver to test out some equipment underwater subzero condition and to collect specimens as well as record underwater marine life.

We flew from Hong Kong to Bangkok, across the Indian Ocean to South Africa, then flew across the Atlantic Ocean to San Paolo of Brazil, Bruno Ares Argentina, across the Andes to Lemma of Peru and finally arrive at the southernmost town of South America in Chile Patagonia peninsula Punta Arenas. where we stay until weather allow us to cross the Drakes Strait arriving at King George Island airport then into the Chinese Great wall Polar Station, our home for the next 5 days.

We visited the polar stations of the following countries: Chile, Russia, Uruguay, Korea. Community spirit is very close in Antarctica. All polar help one another when there is need. We walk the valleys between the base in the East coast to the west coast. We came across many birds. skuas, polar terns, sea gulls, three species of penguins: chinstrap penguin, Adelei Penguins and red beak gentoo penguins. On the seaweed covered beaches we saw many elephant seals basking in the low light polar sun. There was the carcass of a big sperm whale already decomposed exposing bones being fed by sea birds and other animals. We collected ice samples at different locations, lichens of different species, air samples and seaweeds. I snorkel at the fourth day collect seaweeds, Krills, took video of penguins and seal. test under ware cameras and torched. We thank our host, the 10th Chinese Antarctic Expedition team supporting us with safety and logistics and sharing valuable knowledge of survival skills in polar region.

We returned to Hong Kong interviewed by newspapers and television stations as the first team of Hong Kong scientific expedition to Antarctica. We share our precious experience and information and encourage young scientists to join polar research.