The waters off Antarctica are nutrient rich and provide sustenance for innumerable penguins, whales, seals, dolphins, fish and various species of flying birds.Masses of micro forage and krill inhabit under the huge ice shelves.The chief food of the seals, whales and penguins is krill, and it is also utilized by humans in Japan.antarctica travel information

Because of the extreme cold, windy, and dry conditions, animals living in Antarctica must have special adaptations for the environment.Antarctica’s average elevation is the highest of all the continents but has an annual precipitation of only 200mm concentrated mainly on the coastline.Plants and animals that have adapted to Antarctica’s harsh life include seals, penguins, various forms of algae, and cold resistant tundra vegetation.

Antarctica is actually a very important continent for the rest of the world, despite its vast distance.The heavier of the molecules in the atmosphere are found at a higher concentration at the poles, with a more pronounced greenhouse effect.The planet’s surface heats more quickly at the poles as the sun’s power is consumed more readily.

There is approximately 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen in the atmosphere.Carbon dioxide and methane are found in smaller quantities.These gasses trap the heat from the sun’s rays and make the ground warmer.This is often referred to as the “greenhouse” effect.antarctic travel

The more severe climate areas by the equator take in the various gases more quickly than the more moderate weather locations.In the Antarctic, the rise in temperature resulting from the Greenhouse Effect is 4 times more than then the rising temperatures in temperate zones, making it the optimal place for further research on the Greenhouse Effect.

The ice covering Antarctica is almost 3 miles thick.Snow accumulated over millions of years and compacted to form an ice cap.Scientists study core samples by analyzing ancient air bubbles and atomic isotopes to better understand conditions in prehistoric eras.

The notorious gap in the ozone layer is a result of injecting many coolants into the surrounding atmospheric area with severe negative consequences.These refrigerants combine poorly with ozone.The increase in temperature has resulted in the melting of many ice shelves.

These shelves, once separated, will gradually head in a northerly direction and melt away.Sea levels then become higher as a result of the ice liquefying into water. It also eliminates the protected spawning grounds of the krill.

If the ice continues to melt, the seas could rise over 180 feet. This could send rising to the 20th floor of skyscrapers in New York City! Low-lying countries like islands of the South Pacific would be completely engulfed by water.

Antarctica is a breathtaking land of exquisite beauty that touches everyone who visits it. The animals are not disturbed by the presence of people in the area.Seeing wildlife in these glorious, natural settings is breath taking to say the least!

It is our responsibility to see that the splendor of Antarctica is preserved for future generations. Unfortunately, its steady demise has been in progress for far too long.Fortunately, many nations have joined forces and are now working together so some small steps toward conservation, preservation and preserving sustainability have already been taken.

Many countries have scientific research facilities located on the barren ice and the United States is no different. Important research is conducted every single day.The South Pole used to be only accessible to scientists, researchers and the support crews for the scientists.However, now it is possible for wealthy tourists and adventurers to book carter flights to this ice-covered land.cruise to antarctica

All that can really be seen is white.From the South Pole, you will not be able to find a penguin for a thousand miles.But arriving at The Pole continues to be the rarest of experiences in our world of been there, done that.

The scientists and other workers who inhabit The Pole, likely look askance when considering the station as a tourist attraction, as the site is strewn with cranes and bulldozers that continue to develop the station.This doesn’t seem to deter the tourists, though, as they continue to flock, without invitation, interrupting the research season at The Pole.There is not much that can be done to keep them away.

Protection and research of Antarctica was the aim of the treaty signed by 43 nations, although none of them, or any other country, has ownership of this frozen continent the size of Mexico and the U.S. put together.The United States has 3 research facilities that are open year round, even when the South Pole reaches the height of winter and it is pitch black.The crew working at The Pole is bound by the understood laws of the Ice, to assist any visitor, wanted or unwanted, who manages to cross the 90 degree south latitude line.antarctic cruise ship

It is important to understand that visits to this land are not promoted due to the fact that most visitors have very little knowledge about the region and fail to realize they are at an altitude of 10,000 feet.Typically, when someone does visit that is not educated they will be cold, dehydrated, and have altitude sickness.

Originally, in 1975, the dome slept thirty-three men.Now, crammed into every little spot they can fit, they can fit two hundred men and women.”Summer Camp” is the name that has been given to the bunkhouses assembled of plywood, plastic, and canvas, that cover the glacier.

Because of the nature of the ice, Summer Camp does not have to worry about fresh water. This is true for many of the camps on the glacier.Unfortunately, you have to melt ice using $12 per gallon fuel. This means that showers, laundry, and flush toilet are only occasionally enjoyed.Researchers and support staff share a bathroom which is located away from their homes. The trek to the bathroom can be an experience in itself.

Military escorts were assigned to Antarctica’s first female researchers.Today, at least a third of the summer staff are female, and they are treated as colleagues.The South Pole does not discriminate.

Research indicates that it takes three times as long to finish a basic task when people are working in extremely cold conditions.This is because in the cold the brain produces more hormones needed for physical activity while reducing those required for problem solving.The conditions are even worse in the winter.

All support personnel, except for a few, will take the last airplane sometime in mid February, to winter somewhere warmer and far more hospitable.That last airplane leaves a group of 28 workers who will live at The Pole for the six months that follow.And night will reign until October, when spring, the sun and the airplane will return.

The greatest example of nationalism came in 1940 when planes were sent by Nazi Germany to drop stakes with the swastika symbol carved on them over vast areas of Antarctica to allege ownership by the Third Reich.With the world pre-occupied by WWII, Antarcitica found itself alone except for the whalers who came to hunt the great animals.But, it wouldn’t be long before heavenly happenings caused a scientific stir, prompting a mass return to The Ice.

The celestial event was the peak of sunspot activity in 1957-1958. This International Geophysical Year is marked by increased interest by scientist and governments around the globe exploring Antarctica because of its one of a kind view of the southern hole in the Earth’s magnetic field. The wanted to be able to see how the barrage of solar radiation affected the continent.The continent was soon home to a 67 country coalition of science personnel.This movement, and the cooperation among the scientists in this community were a drving factor in the Antarctic Treaty, an amazing international agreement.travel to antarctica

All of the countries possessing a key interest in Antarctica signed the treaty in 1959, setting aside this continent to be used for peaceful purposes only.This treaty protects the land physically by banning nuclear testing or explosions, as well as any dumping of radioactive waste.The only reason military activities were to be allowed on the continent was in the logistic support of science.The conflicting territorial claims between countries were set aside in the interest of preserving the continent.

The superpowers of this era did not step forward to assert claims or otherwise interfere, although they did reservce the right to make claims in the future.In one fell swoop, no country could stake any more claims to the continent.trips to antarctica

The minerals, gas, and oil that was thought to lie in and off the shores of Antarctica became attractive during the 1960’s and ’70’s.There was a flurry of national bases erected, mainly on the peninsula and surrounding islands. Antarctica’s summer population of approximately 5,000, largely due to the fact that it’s only a three day cruise, dozens of science posts are home to most of these visitors.

King George Island became home to bases for Poland, Argentina, Chile, Italy, Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and in the 1980’s South Korea, Brazil, China, Uruguay, and Peru followed suit.Not only were these bases the site of scientific experiments, but they also served as political markers, similar to the swastika stakes dropped by Nazi Germany in 1940.In other words the bases also allowed each country to create “squatters rights.”

Things began to change in the late 80’s though. More people became aware of the exploitation of the area and tried to preserve what was left.Antarctica is in the process of becoming the jointly-owned property of the entire planet, similar to the political definitions of ocean ownership.At this time, a hole in the Earth’s atmosphere was discovered. British scientists at the Halley Bay Antarctic base found that due to the industrial advances most super powers had made caused a hole in the Earth’s atmosphere which allowed harmful UV rays in.

In 1987, this discovery spurred an international decree that the end of the 20th century would see the end of chemical usage that damaged the ozone.It also showed how important Antarctic science bases were. The bases are still used for measuring how carbon emissions are causing the “greenhouse” effect which began with the start of the Industrial Age.The Green movement was largely responsible for rejection of whaling in the 1980’s and protection of the continent.

The Antarctic Treaty nations came to an agreement by 1991 to stop all gas and oil exploration, along with mining and irreversible exploitation of the continent for 50 years or so, as well as bringing environmental concerns to scientific levels of importance.Antarctica is important today as it was during it’s hey-day because instead of being exploited and ruined in the name of wealth and greed, it’s teaching us how those very things that marked progress are creating a very unstable world. Hopefully, through the studies conducted we will be able to learn how to reverse some of those issues and challenges we will face in the future.

Ask yourself what level of cold climes is bearable for you. What some people consider too cold could be just all right for others. Factor this in for the Antarctica vacation you plan on taking. People who get cold easily have nothing to worry about since Antarctica weather is fairly mild. This region of the world always conjures an excruciatingly cold place. But in truth the weather in the place is rather pleasant.antarctica cruise review

Think how you will go about layering garments while on Antarctica trip cruises.Maintain warmth by wearing light layers and avoiding weighty pieces. The layered garments trap air inside allowing you to continue feeling warm. Cotton does not insulate as well as wool and silk. Take this into consideration when shopping for clothing to take on the trip.

Your travel destination calls for windproof and rainproof outer gear. Warmth is lost and difficult to regain if you do not stay dry. Successful layering weighs heavily on the type of outer clothing donned.

Pile on clothes that are warm before donning rain gear. Fleece can act as liners to stay dry while remaining completely warm. This is a truth that those going on Antarctica trips for the second or third time know. If you hate fleece you can always keep yourself warm using knitted sweaters and bottoms. exciting antarctica cruises

Pile on the first layer of thermal underwear so it is the one that your skin touches. Antarctica trips will be more enjoyable if you have these handy. The preferred materials for thermal underwear include polypropylene silk or wool. Such fabrics allow for greater heat retention near the body.

We then will get to the stuff that everyone packs on Antarctica cruises and trips. Make sure to have socks gloves and mittens. When you start to get cold it is usually because body heat is escaping from your hands and feet. The feet will remain warm if you don multiple socks. Your personal taste dictates whether you pick socks that are thin or thick or a fusion of both.

The trip can take a dramatic turn if you have fingers that have gone numb from the cold. Gloves made with fur or polypropylene is fairly popular. Mittens that resist moisture are always worth considering. Misplaced or ruined mittens are easily taken care of if you have spare sets lying around.

A hat is essential to any Antarctic travel vacations. Heat from the body largely gets released through the area of the head. Headgear that also guards the forehead and ears from damage is best. Wearing mufflers will go a long way toward protecting your facial and neck regions from the blowing Antarctica gusts.

Preparing to visit Antarctica means getting used to layered clothing. In this way you are able to effectively keep warm. Problems with misplaced or ruined items are easily resolved if you have backups handy. If you can manage to keep your body temperature steady you will find the trip truly enjoyable.

Since then, scientists have found out more precisely the vehement conditions that an explorer needs to overcome in traveling to Antarctica.In Antarctica’s winter, temperatures can fall to 90 degrees Celcius below zero, with average wind speeds of 67 kilometers per hour.Scott would have faced conditions such as these, with unfortunately an insufficient knowledge about the continent’s real dangers.antarctic cruises

As a scientist working in the Polar Regions, Scott frequently wrote to his wife about the feelings of isolation.Even with all our modern communication skills, scientists today still feel that same sense of isolation.When Scott was taken by the wilderness he left his wife and young son behind.

The letters he wrote to his wife were discovered when his body was found months after he died.The camp with his equipment was eleven miles away.Scott’s wife was awaiting his return in New Zealand when she learned of his death.

Historians can learn much by reading the Scott’s letters to his wife.The joys of eating proper nourishment, and recognition of his exquisite physical health, were his writing topics during the early days of his adventure.There was not much complaining going on about the cold, seemed that the warm food made up for it.cruises to antartica

At the trip’s end, Scott’s outlook depleted along with the supply of food.Scott began to focus on the fact that the frigid weather was challenging and unrelenting.When Scott and his men were found, they had only one hot meal and two days worth of cold meals left for the remaining 11 miles, testament to the severe hunger they experienced.

Scott was a legend in his field, but this trip was twice cursed.First off, he lost his race to the South Pole to a Norwegian named Roald Amundsen.Amundsmen arrived at the South Pole on December 21, 1911, while Scott arrived on January 18, 1912.

Scott had already be hailed a hero for his expedition to the Antarctic wilderness in 1902 through 1904.Dr. Edward Wilson and Lieutenant Henry Bowers accompanied Scott. All three men grasped at hopes of survival.Petty Officer Edgar Evans and Captain Lawrence Oats did not win their fight to survive.

They were only twenty miles away from a relief zone and they stowed supplies. They were almost out of food and fuel. Scott wrote in his letters to his wife that she should remarry if he were to die, his letters described weathering temperatures 70? below zero in nothing but a tent.

In his parting letters he expressed that he did not regret the expedition that ultimately ended his life.He said he enjoyed what he was doing rather than sitting idly by at home. Throughout the years that have followed, many Brits young and old, have been encouraged by Scott’s endearing will and perseverance.

Captain Scott’s expedition finished second to Roald Amundsmen in the race to the South Pole, arriving several weeks after Amundsmen.He passed away March 29, 1912.”Scott’s Last Expedition” is the book that was published in 1913, and it is Scott’s personal journal.

Blood was soon spilled across Antarctica.Millions of seals were killed for their coats, whales and penguins for their oil – which was used to grease the cogs of the industrial Revolution’s new age machinery.It was on Macquarie Island that countless penguins were rounded up and forced up planks that lead into large pots of boiling oil so that they would fall in and add their own oil to the mix.

Finally, after exploiting the Frozen Continent more than 100 years, it seems humans are willing to let go of the easy money and fast kill opportunities to allow Antarctica to be a place of preserving both science and nature for the future.There are discussions currently underway to establish Antarctica as a world park.For science, Antarctica serves as a base for studying pollutant threats that affect the whole world, including ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect.Considering how brief a time we have inhabited our planet, the discoveries that we have made in Antarctica since its discover are truly remarkable.There were only parts of the coastline, the islands, and several paths to the South Pole investigated until the International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958.antarctic cruise

From the time Antarctica was discovered its history has been filled with fierceness, nationalism, idealism, and constant killing. Only on occasion were attempts made at scientific research on this continent.Whaling around Antarctica occurred with more intensity during World War I, because the oil from them was refined into glycerin used in artillery shells.Post-WWII, the Soviet Union and the United States both hunted the oil from sperm whales, as this was used for jet engines.It was not until the International Geophysical Year that Antarctica was referred to as anything but “Terra Australia Incognita,” a term used by medieval mapmakers to describe this undiscovered southern continent.

Even though the very first person born in Antarctica is still a child, their birth was still the subject of great nationalistic pretense.The mother of Emilio Marcus Palmer was flown to Antarctica to give birth to him in 1978 simply for the purpose of claiming part of Antarctic territory in the name of Argentina.great antarctic cruise

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had planted the American flag on the moon’s surface nine years earlier, as a show of America’s dominance.A similar exploit took place in 1911 when Roald Amundsen raced to be the first to the South Pole to show nobility to Norway’s King Haakon VII.This journey was also made by Robert F. Scott and his team for the British Empire. However, on their journey they stopped to collect rock and fossil samples which had to be transported using man-pulled sleighs.

It is believed that between the discouragement felt when they found out that Amundsen reached the Pole a month sooner, eating a poor diet, having to haul the rocks and fossils, and utter bad luck caused Scott and his team to perish on the return trip, making them the first people to die in Antarctica for the sake of science.The South Pole was claimed by America in 1929 when Richard Byrd flew over the area using his Ford Trimotor.It was back in 1821 that the Soviets laid claim to the Antarctica with the journey made by Russian Admiral Thaddeus Bellingshausen past the Antarctic Peninsula.

Even with these conditions, twenty-eight people commit six months to living at the South Pole. They have to deal with no sunlight, very little contact with the world, and no way to escape.This team works to maintain the U.S. polar base and to control the telescopes and other scientific devices located at the research station.Advancements in technology and communications are changing their work.

Astronomers in North America can remotely operate the telescope in the observatories of the South Pole.This made history as the first time a South Pole telescope was controlled from another continent.It is the dream of astronomers to be able to watch the universe from the South Pole’s telescope while controlling it completely from a warmer climate.Antarctic Cruising Tours

People in Antarctica deal with the coldest, driest, and windiest conditions on Earth.Its elevation is the highest of the continents, making breathing sometimes difficult.These harsh conditions have led certain animals that survive there to adapt specifically to the cold including seals, penguins and tundra vegatation.

Those who accept the risk of working during the Antarctic winter are called “winter-overs.”For entertainment, they have to rely on a large variety of videos, a small exercise room, a pool table, great food, and traditions.Normally, winter-overs do not speak much about what occurs during their winter months of isolation at the South Pole, from February to October.antarctica holiday

One challenge faced by this crew is that the research program at the South Pole has continually grown and the research station is facing a great challenge in having a steady and consistent electrical supply.The three oil-powered generators at the station have been unable to meet the energy demands of the computers, lasers, telescopes, and other devices dependent upon power sources.This causes winter-overs to have to deal with insufficient power, in conjunction with cramped quarters and cold buildings.

To help spend the time, several traditions have grown into existence.In order to be part of the “300 Club,” there needs to be temperatures less than 100 degrees below zero.The members heat the sauna up to 200 degrees.They then sprint from the 200 degree sauna into the minus 100 degree air and back again.

Airdrop is also a very greatly expected occurrence.This occurs in June. It is the drop of pallets of food, mail, and supplies by a U.S. Air National Guard military transport plane.The winter-overs quickly go outside, utilize heavy equipment, and bring the supplies inside.This is the closest winter-overs are able to come to physical contact with the outside world during the six month winter.

Winter-overs spend their six months without a single tree or without traveling very far from their camp at all.Each crew member gets a one week vacation to the United States’ main Antarctic base, McMurdo Station.While here, the winter-overs are able to camp out in the 25-degree climate, bake in the sun, and relax in t-shirts and jeans.

The land of penguins, seals, whales and ice is seen as a potential land of oil, coal and iron. The region may become the subject of international confrontation and resource exploitation and cease to be a region of international cooperative scientific research as it is today.

The sharing between different nations and the pleasant cooperative atmosphere present at places such as the main U.S Antarctic base have been spoken of on many occasions by the scientists that are based there. The high level of human bonding is said to be because of the common challenge that the environment creates, and a common interest in the research that is being done. antarctica tours

The National Science Foundation McMurdo headquarters of the National Science Foundation which runs the U.S. Antarctic operations has a small park next to it which is dedicated to the idealistic dream of Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd. Richard Evelyn Byrd led five expeditions across Antarctica and was the first to fly over the South Pole. Byrd saw that the Antarctic could be a region with successful international cooperation and that it could set an example of nations working together for a common cause.But as we consume more of the Earth minerals and become more energy dependent are Byrd’s idealistic practices likely to remain in tact?

There is growing interest in the possible minerals located in the Antarctic, but no one knows the extent of the possible supply.The situation in the Antarctic has changed to become more revolved around political situation and less in science. Perhaps, under the full depth of the ice that covers 98 percent of the area and under the deep, icy seas there is a large source of essential minerals and oil. antarctica holiday

Antarctica and the surrounding region are similar geologically to other regions of the Earth where oil, minerals and gas are found in abundance. Some offshore exploratory drilling by the United States has provided results that indicate a high possibility that hydrocarbon deposits are present. Large deposits of coal and iron have been discovered on land, as well as concentrations of chromium, nickel, cobalt, copper, gold, titanium, lead, tin, uranium and other metallic minerals.

The Antarctic’s extreme environment has always meant that its exploitation has been economically unwise, but this is no longer the situation. The rising prices of natural resources has made governments look again now that new technology is available, and Antarctic scientists and environmentalists are very worried.

Mineral exploitation in Antarctica is a huge concern to environment groups worldwide because it remains one of the only regions that is unpolluted and unspoilt by man. The environmental groups the Sierra Club and the International Institute for Environment and Development have predicted this conflict between the environment and commercial interests.

They both feel that exploration of the resources is inevitable but must be accompanied with research on the impact the exploitation will have on the environment. There is the worry that the research exploration will actually encourage exploitation. What causes the most concerns is oil drilling due to the chances of an oil spill. The majority of the animals, including seals and birds that live in the Antarctic, could be severely affected. Colder climates cause oil to degrade and break up at a slower rate than in warmer ones so an oil spill in the Antarctic will be harder to deal with and more damaging than in other areas.

Antarctica became a scientific preserve following the landmark treaty in 1959 which controls a lot of the activities that go on in the region.One of the things that the twelve nations who signed the treaty have managed to achieve is to keep the Antarctic free from militarization and nuclear weapon testing.Great Britain, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, France, Norway and Chile all have territory claims in Antarctica but the treat managed to side step these land claims.