Kayakers Cristian Donoso (Chile), Roger Rovira (Catalonia) and Exequiel Lira (Chile) have set out to be the first paddlers to traverse Antarctica’s South Shetland Islands by kayak. The Antarctic Integration expedition members plan to record the natural elements and the impact of human presence in the territory for a forth coming documentary.
Antarctic Integration, which is sponsored in part by paddling gear manufacturer Kokatet, takes its name from the unique international environment of the area, where so many nations converge in a single place in peaceful collaboration, elevating Antarctica as a symbol of universal integration.
On January 16, the trio of paddlers embarked on the AP-41 Chilean Navy transport “Aquiles” to cross the Drake Sea to the South Shetland. Once there, the expedition team will begin a self-sufficient kayak trip to explore all the main islands of the archipelago: Snow (Cape Conway), Livingstone, Crescent, Robert, Nelson, King George (Merville Point) and other smaller islands.
The paddlers will likely cover over 150 miles during the expedition, and with that Christian Donoso will have kayaked more miles in Antarctica than anyone else. He had previously completed 800 miles on expeditions in the Antarctic Peninsula in 2008 and 2010.
To learn more about the expedition and follow their progress, visit suda.io/activity/LxBGu3w0OI.
Photo courtesy Antarctic Integration
