The southernmost post office in the world recruits employees every year (4 photos)

An interesting tourist destination in Antarctica is the former British research base in Port Lockroy Harbor on Goodier Island. Today there is a museum, a souvenir shop and a post office for tourists. The post office staff is responsible for counting the penguins living on the island!





Once a year, the Antarctic Heritage Trust advertises for four post office staff in Antarctica, and receives hundreds of applications from around the world.

Four employees - a supervisor, a branch manager and two postmasters - are required to live on Goodier Island for five months, from November to March.

Living conditions are spartan: without running water, internet or mobile communications, in a small house with bunk beds.



Applicants must meet a number of requirements: have good physical fitness, have the right to work in the United Kingdom, have knowledge in the field of ecology and, most importantly, be able to count well.

In addition to management and postal responsibilities, they will have to count the penguins, to whom approximately half of the island is given (it is very small, the size of a football field). There are hundreds of penguins there, but this does not stop those who want to get a job as a postmaster in Port Lockroy.

Penguin Post workers are also responsible for monitoring wildlife and collecting environmental data.





Camilla Nicol, Executive Director of the Foundation, emphasizes:

“Living there is very hard work. You can work 12 hours a day. There is little time left for rest and relaxation.”

Despite all the difficulties, there are a lot of people interested: about 2,500 applications are submitted annually.

“People of all ages come to us from all over the world. Representatives from all walks of life apply for positions. We are looking for people who are physically fit, resilient and enjoy meeting people and visitors.”



Lucy Dorman, Port Lockroy base manager for the 2019-2020 season, spoke about her experience:

“You have to carry a lot. Carry a lot of boxes, buckets, cans in the snow or slippery stones. It takes a lot of time to clean penguin excrement from stones. The most important thing is to select people for the team who will get along with each other and get along well. So that they can live and work together."

But, at the same time, this difficult experience allows you to take a different look at the world and re-evaluate your role on the planet, says Camilla Nicol.

“You can watch the sun set and hear the ice of the glacier melting. This is an extraordinary place."