Fender on Beach in Antarctica

Greenpeace crew removes a large Yokohama fender found on a beach next to a chinstrap penguin colony on Elephant Island, Antarctica.

Fenders like this one are used between a fishing vessel and a cargo vessel when they transship or move catches or fuel between vessels to avoid damage. Equipment like this can be lost by accident or abandoned at sea deliberately. Once there, equipment can pose a threat to wildlife for years or decades.

Greenpeace is in the Antarctic to investigate the impacts of the climate crisis as part of the Protect the Oceans Expedition, a year long pole to pole ship tour, campaigning for the establishment of ocean sanctuaries to safeguard this frozen region and its penguins, seals and whales, and to help address the climate emergency.

(This picture was taken in 2020 during the Antarctic leg of the Pole to Pole expedition under the Dutch permit number RWS-2019/40813)