Antarctica is one of the continents, the fifth largest. It extends 14,000,000 sq km or about 9,000,000 sq miles. 2% of its land mass is bare rock and 98% is ice – on average 2.5 km thick. It is in fact the largest desert in the world, meaning that it has a climate with less than 10 inches of annual rainfall (although it doesn’t fit the normal definition of what we would consider a desert).

Despite its climate, its beauty is utterly breathtaking. It is surrounded by the Southern Ocean, and the Transatlantic Mountain Range bisects it. Although many people come to visit because of its astonishing beauty, it has no indigenous people. Several, however, have staked claim to it, including explorers like Captain James Cook of the UK. In 1773, Cook crossed the Antarctica Circle for the first time in history. Sir James Clark Ross of the UK founded the Ross Ice Shelf and Ross Sea as he was searching for the magnetic South Pole. In fact, Antarctica’s only “indigenous people” are those of the nonhuman variety, including skua, petrel, albatross, krill, whales, seals, and penguins. In fact, they’re unused enough to people that human visitors generally get a disinterested stare from such residents.

If you want to get to Antarctica, you first have to leave from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa or South America, by ship. At some point, you’ll cross what’s known as the “Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone”. This phenomenon is caused by deep warm water flowing south from equatorial regions with deep, cold water from Antarctica. This creates a strip about 30 miles wide of up-swelling of nutrient rich turbulent water that surrounds the Antarctic. It came into existence of 20 million years ago, creating a natural barrier across which there has been very little exchange of marine life.

In the Antarctica, dreams meet reality as you take in the breathtaking landscapes and seascapes. As you step onto Antarctica’s bare landscape, you’ll still see truly wondrous views. Depending on the tour operator you go with, there’ll be between one and three landings daily, where you go on the mainland using zodiacs. Each trip lasts up to three hours with the cruises themselves normally lasting between 10 and 15 days. Once you reach land, there various things you can do and see.

Try your hand at mountain climbing, camping, kayaking or scuba diving. This may open the southern world up to you so you can enjoy sightings of penguins, seals and whales. Places to visit frequently visited include Deception Island, which is a collapsed volcano that forms a natural harbour in the Southern Shetland Islands, offering the visitor the thermally heated Pendulum Cove. Lemaire Channel has been nicknamed Kodak Gap from its popularity with visitors. This channel is between Booth Island and the Antarctic Peninsula cliffs. Paradise Harbour with her glaciers and breathtaking scenery could be a great way to laze away a day. The Falkland Islands are nearby, as well. These islands carry a rich history going back to the 16th century as Patagonians travelled to the Islands as well as the British, French and Argentineans.

Smaller groups tend to go to Antarctica due to the limitation of the number of passengers allowed ashore at any one time. Expeditions to the Antarctica are seasonal and include stops at remote areas, historical huts, and wildlife sightings. Travel is only really possible in the summertime between November and March, when there’s over 20 hours of sunlight. Temperatures are usually between one below degrees Celsius and 30 below degrees Celsius, depending on where you are; because this is also the windiest place on earth, this also affects the temperature. Nonetheless, no matter where you choose to land on Antarctica, you will find that you’ve literally set foot on a new world, pristine and largely untouched

Tags: Cruises

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