UK Antarctic Heritage Trust hires staff for paid penguin-counting posts at Port Lockroy

The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust is recruiting staff for a six-month assignment at the historic Port Lockroy research station in Antarctica, offering salaries that can reach £2,096 per month (about €2,400). Workers will spend five months on the ice counting penguins, documenting nests, eggs and chicks, and maintaining records that help track colony changes and tourism impact. In addition to scientific tasks, they will run the station’s museum, souvenir shop and the world’s southernmost post office, and provide tours to visiting tourists.

The posting provides travel, lodging, meals, uniforms and equipment, but conditions are harsh: no piped water, limited mobile signal, no on-site medical care, shared sleeping quarters and only weekly showers. Candidates must be 18 or older, possess a UK work permit and residence, and be prepared for isolation. Applications are typically posted in February or March for the upcoming Antarctic season. The effort supports long-term monitoring of a fragile ecosystem while offering a unique, albeit demanding, adventure.