As ice recedes, Italian ship makes record journey into Antarctic

Italian ice breaker vessel Laura Bassi carrying scientists researching in the Antarctic, sails near the Bay of Wales, Antarctica in this handout photo obtained by Reuters on January 31, 2023. PNRA/Handout via REUTERS

ROME (Reuters) -An Italian ice-breaker carrying scientists researching in the Antarctic has sailed further south than any ship has done before, the organisers of the voyage said on Tuesday, a further sign of how ice is retreating around the poles.

The Laura Bassi vessel reached a point with the coordinates of 78° 44.280 S in the Bay of Whales in the Ross Sea, according to Italy's National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics.