Crary Lab Aquarium - A Zoo in Antarctica?

[birdsandbats]

I recently learned that is possibly a zoo in Antarctica, although there isn't much info.

Crary Lab is a laboratory located McMurdo Station, Antarctica. McMurdo Station is run by the United States Antarctic Program, located within the Ross Dependency, a territory claimed by New Zealand. Crary Lab is primarily a research lab, and an aquarium, primarily to keep specimens is part of that. However, it seems that, if one were to get to McMurdo Station, this aquarium may theoretically be open to visit. This video, a tour of McMurdo Station by a researcher working there, briefly mentions that the lab contains a touch tank, which would suggest they have some sort of area intended to display animals to public visitors.

Anyone up for the trip to see if this aquarium can be visited? I'm not sure how feasible traveling to McMurdo Station is.

 

[Chlidonias]

The aquarium is open to anyone at the station (there are about 1000 people living there during the summer and about 200 over winter), but there aren't really any options for being at the station unless you are actually in residence there - i.e. you are either a scientist or some kind of worker.

There are a couple of cruise ships from Oceanwide and Heritage which visit the Ross Sea from New Zealand once a year though, and it seems like passengers are allowed to visit the station if conditions permit. The Oceanwide website includes McMurdo Station in their lists of sights but stops short of saying that it is visited, whereas the Heritage itinerary specifically says that "Scott and McMurdo Stations are high on our wish list but ice, weather and station operational requirements often make them inaccessible".