Space psychologist Andres Käosaar is currently at the Polish research station on King George Island, while polar scientist Priit Tisler is in Queen Maud Land. For 30-year-old Käosaar, this is his first time on the southern continent, where he is studying, in simple terms, solitude. Meanwhile, 59-year-old Tisler is something of an Estonian record-holder, as he is working in Antarctica for the 11th time. At present, he is the head of Finland's research station there.

Because Antarctica experiences the most extreme weather conditions on the planet, people primarily visit during what would be winter in Estonia — when it is summer in Antarctica.

Priit Tisler is stationed at a base called Aboa. "It is a Finnish research station located on the slopes of Basen Nunatak, next to which is the Swedish station, Vasa. Together, they form the Nordenskiöld Base. The Swedish station is currently unoccupied and there aren't many people in the Finnish station either — right now, we are only five. Compared to the American station, which houses 1,500 people during the summer, this is a completely different world," he said.

While Tisler's early expeditions were purely for scientific research, since 2018, he has been the head of the Finnish polar station. This means he is responsible for nearly everything, from installing solar panels to transporting fuel.

In mid-December, a flag was raised in honor of Priit Tisler in Queen Maud Land. Meanwhile, nearly 2,000 kilometers to the west, on King George Island, people only began sewing an Estonian flag in honor of Andres Käosaar a couple of weeks ago. "I believe this is the first Estonian flag to have flown at Arctowski Station in 49 years," Käosaar said.

Käosaar, a University of Tartu graduate who primarily conducts research in the United States, studies how people cope with stress and isolation in extreme conditions. In January, as part of this research, he arrived in Antarctica for the first time.

"We landed in Antarctica near Chile's Escudero Base, and it was surreal. The airstrip is just a stretch of volcanic gravel — you step out and there's nothing. No airport, no normal buildings. Then, they put us on a bus and took us to the shore, where boats from six different countries were docked right by the sea. Ships were arriving to pick up and drop off people; there was a flurry of activity, and all the while, penguins were waddling around right next to us. It was absolutely surreal," Käosaar recalled.

Käosaar chose King George Island as his destination because it is more accessible to the rest of the world. The island hosts research stations from ten different countries, meaning that during the summer period, around 500 people are present. Over three weeks, he will visit nine stations; at the time of the interview, Käosaar was at the Polish station. "When coming to Antarctica, you expect to be in isolation, but right now, there are 40 of us here in the station," he noted.

Part of his work involves observing what happens around him and how people operate. "For example, when an emergency situation arises, we can observe what people do and how discussions unfold. The Polish station is a civilian station, meaning there is no military hierarchy. There is a leader, of course, but this year's expedition leader is in Antarctica for the first time and doesn't have much leadership experience," Käosaar explained about his research into group dynamics.

According to Käosaar, the most surprising aspect so far has been how quickly people adapt to new conditions. "Today is my 15th day here. When I step outside, it's still cool to see glaciers in the distance, but in a way, I just shrug and think, 'just another day.' So, within two weeks, everything starts feeling completely normal," he said.

The largest number of Estonian scientists conducting research in Antarctica at one time was in 1969 when four Estonians — Mati Kask, Enn Kreem, Andres Tarand and Andres Sööt — were present.

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