Feature Length Horror Film Shot in Antarctica

South of Sanity is claiming to be the first fictional full feature film to be made in Antarctica and it easily could be.  It is a horror movie made by British Antarctic Survey scientists and other staff in Antarctica.  The movie is about a killer at an Antarctic base. The film is premiering in Aviemore, Scotland on October 31, 2012.

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• Scot shoots first fictional feature in Antarctica

Special Ale Developed to Withstand -90 degrees for Antarctic Researchers

Pole-Axed is a special brew that has been developed so that British researchers in Antarctica can enjoy ale.  The brew is designed to withstand up to negative 90 degree temperatures and retain its taste.  Typically ales cannot really be enjoyed in Antarctica because they freeze and lose their flavor, but this year the British team that will be at the Subglacial Lake Ellsworth in Antarctica will have Pole-Axed to enjoy.

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• Special brew: Parched British South Pole explorers to get new beer which won't freeze until MINUS 90 degrees

Brazil to Rebuild Comandante Ferraz Base

In February 2012, the Brazilian Comandante Ferraz Base was 70% destroyed by a fire.  Next month as the Antarctic summer season begins they will set up some temporary installations for some research and support to take place.  Additionally, they will begin to work on taking apart the parts of the base affected by the fire.  They plan to begin rebuilding in November 2013.

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• Brazil to begin rebuilding its burned Antarctic base
• 2 Brazilian Sailors die in Antarctic Base Fire

Scott's Terra Nove Ship Found

The wreck of Scott's Terra Nova ship was rediscovered earlier this year (July 2012) off the coast of Greenland.  The ship was the one used as part of Scott's final Antarctic expedition in which he died on the return trip from the South Pole.  This year is the 100th anniversary of that expedition, but the Terra Nova ship was actually still used for another three decades after the expedition and did not sink until 1943.  The ship was damaged by ice off the southwestern tip of Greenland while it was carrying supplies to base stations in Greenland.  The crew were saved by the United States Coast Guard and they fired bullets into the ship to sink it.  The wreck is said to be deep and in bad condition (somewhat excessively due to the way it was sunk), so no salvage is expected.

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• Wreck of Captain Scott's ship discovered off Greenland

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater is a classic children's chapter book.  The book was originally published in 1938 and a film based on it was released in 2011.

The main characters of the book are the Popper family and the penguins.  Mr. Popper is really interested in Antarctica and reads about it a lot and listens to a radio show broadcasted from Antarctica by an Admiral Drake.  In response to a letter Mr. Popper writes to the Admiral, the Admiral surprisingly sends Mr. Popper a penguin.

The Popper's care for the penguin like a pet and eventually the penguin ends up with a mate from a zoo and they have ten penguin babies.  In order to afford to feed and keep the penguins, the penguins begin to perform in a circus act.  The Popper family and the penguins have some adventures as they travel with the circus including ending up in jail.

In the end, it is decided the circus act is inappropriate for the penguins and instead the penguins and Mr. Popper go to the North Pole with Admiral Drake to possibly set up a penguin colony up there.

Bells to be rung in Antarctica as part of All the Bells ringing to start 2012 Olympics

Bells will be rung across the UK and around the world to honor the start of the 2012 London Olympics at 8:12 a.m. London Time.  A bell will even be rung at one of the UK's research stations in Antarctica.

South Africa's New Icebreaker Begins Maiden Voyage

South Africa's new icebreaker the SA Agulhas II began its maiden voyage/shakedown cruise on July 9, 2012.  The cruise is a 26 day one to the Antarctic ice shelf.  The new icebreaker is replacing the 34-year-old SA Agulhas.  The new ship features more features to help with the scientific purposes of the vessel including 8 permanent laboratories and the Moon Pool that helps allow deploying and recovering of sampling devices even when in pack ice.

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• South Africa's New Icebreaker: Angulhas 2

Christchurch to host 1st IceFest in September 2012

Christchurch will host its first IceFest in September 2012.  This new festival is to celebrate the 100 year connection the city has with Antarctica as one of the main jumping off points.  The IceFest will turn Hadley Park into an Ice Station.  The event will include a hovercraft, an ice skating rink, recreations of historic huts, and talks on Antarctic topics.

The dates for the first IceFest are September 14 through October 14, 2012.  The festival is expected to be a biennial event (i.e. held every 2 years).

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• IceFest to highlight links with Antarctica

American Antarctic food waste burned in Seattle

I found this article about the burning of the American Antarctic food waste in Seattle interesting.  I knew that all the waste had to be removed from the continent and was done at the end of every summer season, but I did not realize at least part of the trash was taken all the way back to Seattle to be disposed of/burned.  On the one hand it seems odd to transport it so far, but at the same time it is nice that it is not being outsourced to another country to take care of or have to deal with.

Endless Sea wreck leaking oil in Antarctica

Last month the Endless Sea capsized and sunk in Antarctica.  The weather has been too harsh for them to dive and check on the oil damage, but news has now been released that it is in fact leaking oil.  The extent of the leak remains unknown, though.  Due to winter setting in, there is not much they can do about it until warmer weather arrives in Antarctica.

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• 4 Brazilian Filmmakers rescued by Chilean Navy