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Esperanza Base
last update: Oct 27, 2010 03:53 PM
History: Opened 17th December 1952 by Captain Edgard Leal founds Esperanza Base. Since then the base has been continuously operated all year round.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Swedish expedition under Dr. Otto Nordeskold settles down in Esperanza Bay. Due to a shipwreck, his ship got stuck in the ice, the survivors spend a long year in a stone shelter until they were rescue by Uruguay Corbet during the summer of 1903. The shelter is of the utmost historical importance and is carefully preserved by the inhabitants of the base.
Location: Hope Bay, Trinity Peninsula, Antarctic Peninsula – (63°24′S 56°59′W)
Notes:
Between June 14 and October 24 1962 in the middle of polar winter a terrestrial expedition under 1st Lieutenant Giro, with dog sledges joined the Antarctic base Esperanza and San Martin.
Strong northeasterly winds blow that sometimes exceed 200 km/h. The annual average temperature is -20 degrees Celcius, minimum temperatures can reach -35 degrees Celcium. Rain has been known to fall there too.
Science programmes carried out:
Laboratory and meteorological station, also Glaciology, Seismology, Oceanography, Coastal Ecology, Biology, Geology and Limnology.
Area and buildings:
There are 43 buildings on the site. It also has a Heliport.
Interesting Trivia:
It is the birthplace of Emilio Marcos Palma (born January 7, 1978), the first person to be born in Antarctica.
The Base has tourist facilities that are visited by approximately 1,100 tourists each year.
On February 18, 1976 opens the first Antarctic catholic chapel under protection of Saint Francis of Assisi. In 1978 the first families settle down. On May 14, 1978 open a nursery, kindergarten and Antarctic school in the base, depending on Institute Dr. Damaso Centeno. As from August 11, 1997 becomes dependent on Education Ministry of Tierra del Fuego province with the name of Provincial School nro 38 "Julio Argentino Roca".
On October 20, 1979 opens the radio broadcasting station LRA 36 (Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel).
In Oct. 2010, a census stated that there are 66 people at the Base, “which includes 9 families and 16 children”. The census operation involved an hour and a half, but had to be done under freezing conditions of minus 3 degrees.
Source:
Council Of Managers Of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP)
Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty
