Polar scientist: Antarctica's solitude isn't for everyone

Estonian polar scientist Priit Tisler is heading to Antarctica for the 13th time, and says the isolation there does not suit everyone, with storms which last up to ten days.
He told "Ringvaade" that his worst storm ran ten days, followed by a two-day break and then another eight-day storm, and that constant daylight makes sleep difficult.
"What could be better than a person being able to do work they enjoy?"Tisler inquired ahead of the next trip.

Whereas his first trips were entirely scientific research."Now the work has shifted somewhat towards logistics," he went on. Tisler is deputy head of a Finnish research station, responsible for setting up the station, getting it running, and checking and maintaining the scientific equipment.
Research at the station covers lichens, mosses, meteorology and ice, with everything governed by the Antarctic Treaty of 1959."All the countries work together amicably, sit at a long table and discuss," Tisler explained.
There are nowadays more than 70 bases in Antarctica. The Estonian scientist's current mission will last three months, with a planned return in the second half of February next year. "That kind of solitude does not suit everyone," he noted.

That said, the advent of Starlink satellite internet service provider has transformed life in Antarctica enormously in just two years — he can now talk via WhatsApp, and video calls work perfectly. In their free time people read books and listen to music, and he noted that people there can be very resourceful.
The hardest part is the storms." he said. "The worst is during a storm, when everything vibrates — you feel like you're on a tram doing 60 km/h with square wheels." His only thought then is that no pump breaks down, as repairs would be challenging to say the least.
Food is calculated precisely per person. This consists of: "Mainly dry goods and frozen meat, fish and sausages, which we buy in Cape Town." Small aircraft can only carry a limited number of kilos, meaning every choice counts.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Annika Remmel
Source: "Ringvaade", presenter Grete Lõbu











