A live telecast from King George Islands – and an encounter with penguins

It’s official – we are finally about to depart from the South Shetland Islands and make the three-day journey to the antarctic mainland.

We’re not just saying goodbye to the South Shetlands – it’s also adieu to roughly half the expedition team – the brave men and women who will be setting up Turkey’s first-ever temporary Antarctic camp.

They’re a heroic, pioneering group that will face tough times ahead. With the Antarctic winter closing in, they will battle the harshest of climates as they go about gathering their scientific research.

We left them at King George Island where they will be taken by helicopter to their site on Robert Island in the coming hours. We’ll see them again in a few weeks when our two groups link back up again.

Our day at King George allowed us a rare opportunity – a live broadcast from TRT World from Antarctica – a first for the channel. With cellular data almost non-existent, it was our satellite equipment (known as a BGAN) that allowed us to broadcast to millions of homes around the world. At times during our preparations we were interrupted by penguins leaping ashore, curious about their new-found neighbours. It was exhilarating to see them up close for the first time. They are bold creatures, mischievous on land and utterly majestic at sea. They glide and dip and jump so effortlessly in the cold clear waters. Their waddle and head bobs on land elicit smiles from all lucky enough to see them.

Our next installment will be in a few days' time when we reach the Antarctic Peninsula. We look forward to updating you then.