5 months in Antarctica

Most remote job in the world: penguin counter wanted

At the British base in Port Lockroy on Goudier Island, the most remote jobs in the world are probably assigned.

(Bild: Christopher Prentiss Michel (CC BY 2.0))

It is certainly one of the most remote jobs in the world - but also one with the cutest neighbors. For five months, volunteers from the UK will count penguins in Antarctica, run the southernmost post office on earth and carry out conservation work. 

Two "resilient" teams have been selected for the task, almost 15,000 kilometers south of London, according to the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT).

Thousands of postcards will also be sent from the base
Specifically, it is about the administration of the British base in Port Lockroy on Goudier Island. During the Antarctic summer, five men and women in the area are tasked with counting gentoo penguin nests, eggs and chicks, as well as looking after the local museum and the thousands of postcards that are sent out each year.

Here, an employee in Port Lockroy shows off her workplace and animal neighbors: 

On the island, which is the size of a soccer pitch, there is no running water or flush toilet, but there is almost constant daylight and temperatures below zero. Each team member is allowed to take a small box with games, books or photos.

Another group for repair work
The second half of the group has an even more difficult task ahead of them. They have to fight their way to Blaiklock Island Refuge, UKAHT's smallest and most inaccessible site, which can only be reached by boat. Urgent repairs need to be carried out in "inhospitable conditions" to bring the historic buildings up to scratch. It is important to preserve the site as a time capsule, said UKAHT chief executive Camilla Nichol. In addition, the helpers are to catalog historical artifacts and collect digital film material.