The great return of penguins: almost four thousand birds have occupied the Akademik Vernadsky station. Photo

Spring is gaining momentum in the Antarctic, and sea ice is breaking up around Galindez Island, where the Ukrainian Akademik Vernadsky station is located. Thousands of sub-Antarctic penguins are returning here to take the best nesting sites.

The biologist of the 29th UAE Svitozar Davydenko counted about 4000 penguins on the island. And every day they continue to arrive, Ukrainian researchers wrote on their Facebook page.

"Some rocks that are good for building nests are already peeking out from under the snow. That's why penguins are actively sharing such areas among themselves," said scientist Svitozar Davydenko.

According to the experts, in late October – early November, the nesting period begins for these birds. They start building nests of stones, preferring elevated areas.

At the moment, polar explorers are not predicting how many sub-Antarctic penguins will nest around Galindez Island this year. Last year, their number was a record 7,000 birds.

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