Scottish woman to spend 5 months counting penguins in Antarctica - without a flushing toilet

Maggie Coll, originally from Edinburgh, will spend almost half a year in Antarctica counting penguins

A woman will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica - and says the weather in the Scottish Highlands helped her prepare.

Maggie Coll, who grew up in Edinburgh, will be 9,000 miles from home and operating the world's southernmost post office in Port Lockroy during the Antarctic summer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

An outdoor enthusiast, the 31-year-old said the conditions and climate of the Scottish Highlands helped her prepare for the trip.

Penguins at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. A Scottish woman will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/Jerome Viard/SWNSPenguins at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. A Scottish woman will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/Jerome Viard/SWNS
Penguins at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. A Scottish woman will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/Jerome Viard/SWNS | UKAHT/Jerome Viard/SWNS

Ms Coll and the team will be stationed for the Austral Summer at Base A, Port Lockroy - known as the birthplace of British Antarctic science. It is home to the world's southernmost post office and museum, and a colony of more than 1,000 gentoo penguins.

This is UKAHT's smallest and most inaccessible site, making this season one of their most challenging yet.

The crew will live on the small football-pitch sized island with no running water or flushing toilet in near-constant daylight, gathering data for the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ms Coll, the team's wildlife monitor, has spent most of her adult life working in Scottish tourism roles before taking a two-year career break in Canada and Australia.

Maggie Coll, 31, will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/SWNSMaggie Coll, 31, will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/SWNS
Maggie Coll, 31, will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/SWNS | UKAHT/SWNS

She said: "Being Scottish, I do spend a lot of time in the Scottish hills and in the winter they say the climate is similar to a Scottish winter.

"Having penguins for neighbours is going to be absolutely incredible as well as getting to see the spectacular landscape of Antarctica in person."

Ms Coll said she was happiest outdoors in nature and can often be found in the Scottish Highlands. And having long been fascinated by the polar regions, the role at Port Lockroy sounded like an incredible opportunity - especially given her experience with the cold Scottish climate.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Penguins at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. A Scottish woman will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/SWNSPenguins at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. A Scottish woman will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/SWNS
Penguins at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. A Scottish woman will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/SWNS | UKAHT/SWNS

Her team will be living and working on the football-pitch-size Goudier Island and will have to say goodbye to home comforts, each taking with them just one small box of 'goodies', including favourite games, books, photos and treats.

Located on a wild and rocky island that was once part of the Jones Ice Shelf that has since disappeared due to climate change, Blaiklock Island Refuge would have originally been approached over the ice with sledge dogs. But today the team use a small boat to access by sea.

They will have to navigate steep-sided fjords that can be choked by sea ice, and areas of the surrounding seabed, which were only recently mapped to reach the island.

For the next five months, unpredictable weather, near-constant daylight, sub-zero temperatures and penguin neighbours are set to become their new norm. They will also have to adapt to living without running water or a flushing toilet.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Penguins at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. A Scottish woman will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/Jerome Viard/SWNSPenguins at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. A Scottish woman will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/Jerome Viard/SWNS
Penguins at Port Lockroy in Antarctica. A Scottish woman will spend five months counting penguins in Antarctica. Picture: UKAHT/Jerome Viard/SWNS | UKAHT/Jerome Viard/SWNS

The team will be in charge of managing the world's southernmost post office, gift shop and living museum - a homage to some of the earliest climate scientists on the Antarctic Peninsula.

They will also handle the thousands of postcards sent from Port Lockroy each year while the Wildlife Monitor will be carefully monitoring the gentoo penguins - counting nests, eggs and chicks - as part of a study to monitor and protect the colony.

Ms Coll will be joined by base leader Lou Hoskin, museum manager Aoife McKenna, shop manager Dale Ellis and postmaster George Clarke.

Commenting on the appointment of the new team, UKAHT chief executive Camilla Nichol said: "We have selected the team, not just for their love for Antarctica and a desire to preserve and protect its human history, but also for their resilience too.

"We feel confident we've found people with the specialist skills we need to attempt our first conservation season at Blaiklock Island Refuge this year.”

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.