Bulgarian Father, Son Row Across Arctic Ocean for Endangered Species

FILE PHOTO: An iceberg floats near Two Hummock Island, Antarctica, February 2, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An iceberg floats near Two Hummock Island, Antarctica, February 2, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo
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Bulgarian Father, Son Row Across Arctic Ocean for Endangered Species

FILE PHOTO: An iceberg floats near Two Hummock Island, Antarctica, February 2, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An iceberg floats near Two Hummock Island, Antarctica, February 2, 2020. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo

Stefan Ivanov, a 52-year-old banker from Bulgaria, and his son Maxim, 21, celebrated their birthdays in August rowing across the Arctic Ocean to appeal for protection of endangered ocean species.
After 33 days, the boat crossed the Arctic Ocean on Sept. 8, hoping to claim the record of being the first rowing boat to have accomplished the feat.
"We wanted to be the first rowing expedition across the entire Arctic Ocean and we started from Haugesund (Norway), which is south of the southern border of the ocean," Stefan told Reuters. "I think we will be able to claim the record."
The footage from the sailing trip showed waves and heavy winds, with the little boat swinging in the ocean. Stefan spent 33 days on the boat, while Maxim, a Stanford University student, joined later after finishing his internship in New York.
"It's been a huge fight with (the) Arctic Ocean. It was not very collaborative, it was sending side winds, headwinds currents pushing us one way or the other," Stefan said.
"Almost feels like being in a washing machine for weeks."
Stefan and Maxim began building their own boat in 2019 to cross the ocean. They named it Neverest. "It is a play of words 'Never rest until you reach Everest'," Stefan said.
In 2020 Maxim at the age of 16 became the youngest rower to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean with his father.
"This is a hobby of ours, but we didn't want to just let it be an end to it itself. We wanted to have some positive repercussions on the world if we can," Stefan said, adding that they did it to promote a petition to designate new protected areas in the Southern Ocean to conserve marine biodiversity.

"Journeys like this are reminder that even the small victories are victories and when the time gets tough every single step is a step forward no matter how small," Maxim said.
"But sometimes those steps are very limited."



India’s Monsoon Rains Arrive 8 Days Early, Earliest in 16 Years

Dark monsoon clouds hover over the city skyline in Mumbai on May 22, 2025. (AFP)
Dark monsoon clouds hover over the city skyline in Mumbai on May 22, 2025. (AFP)
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India’s Monsoon Rains Arrive 8 Days Early, Earliest in 16 Years

Dark monsoon clouds hover over the city skyline in Mumbai on May 22, 2025. (AFP)
Dark monsoon clouds hover over the city skyline in Mumbai on May 22, 2025. (AFP)

Monsoon rains hit the coast of India's southernmost state of Kerala on Saturday, eight days earlier than usual, marking the earliest arrival in 16 years and providing the promise of a bumper harvest and relief from a grueling heatwave.

The monsoon, the lifeblood of the country's $4 trillion economy, delivers nearly 70% of the rain that India needs to water farms and replenish aquifers and reservoirs. Nearly half of India's farmland, without any irrigation cover, depends on the annual June-September rains to grow a number of crops.

Summer rains usually begin to lash Kerala around June 1 before spreading nationwide by mid-July, allowing farmers to plant crops such as rice, corn, cotton, soybeans and sugarcane.

The onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala on May 24 is its earliest onset since May 23, 2009, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.

The monsoon has covered Kerala and parts of neighboring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as well as parts of the northeastern state of Mizoram, the IMD said.

Conditions are favorable for the monsoon's further spread into Goa, parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, the northeastern states, West Bengal, and the remaining parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the next 2 to 3 days.

Surplus pre-monsoon rainfall and an early monsoon onset will help farmers, especially in the southern and central states, to sow summer crops earlier than usual, said Ashwini Bansod, vice president for commodities research at Phillip Capital India, a Mumbai-based brokerage.

"Abundant soil moisture and early sowing could potentially boost crop yields," Bansod said.

Last year, the monsoon reached the coast of Kerala on May 30, and overall summer rains were the highest since 2020, supporting recovery from a drought in 2023.

The IMD last month forecast above-average monsoon rains for the second straight year in 2025.

The department defines average or normal rainfall as ranging between 96% and 104% of a 50-year average of 87 cm (35 inches) for the four-month season.