Sailing from Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, 23 undergraduates from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) have arrived in Antarctica for exploration. They displayed the national flag of China and the flag of Hong Kong SAR on poles planted in the snow, and sent season’s greetings to CityU staff, students and alumni as well as all the people of Hong Kong.

 

When the CityU students landed on Petermann Island to make their first exploration, the sky was clear and bright, and they found Antarctica’s scenery to be exceptionally spectacular. They were met by a cluster of Gentoo penguins that had gathered on the shore to greet them. The students divided into groups, some to collect ice and water samples, while others used an infra-red camera to film brooding Adele penguins and their hatchlings. They later visited the scientific research facilities at Brown Base and Gonzales Base. One of the students went kite surfing from the frigid waters to collect data about wind. Later, the students dug holes in the snow to shelter them from the cold wind as they spent an extraordinary night sleeping out under the polar sky.

 

During the 21-day Antarctica expedition, CityU students will undertake various interdisciplinary research projects leading to original artworks that will help raise awareness about the importance of protecting our fragile environment. They will return to Hong Kong on 3 January, 2014.