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Elephant Seals are the largest animals that one can find in Antarctica. It is an amazing sight to see these lazy animals lay on the beach or move the hundreds of kilograms of blubber into the sea. An amazing fact is that those seals can dive up to 1700 meters deep!!
I think I already mentioned what cameras and gadgets I took, in my packing list tip, but a bit of extra info for you. After a cold or wet day on the ship, land or ice, I recommend that you put your camera in a plastic bag, that has a seal. (Think larger size sandwich bag!) I took three with me. After each landing, I put each camera (I had two) in it's own bag and then just left them on top of my bunk, for at least half an hour. Any moisture within your camera will evaporate within the bag, ensuring that your camera does not suffer any 'moisture' damage. Had the spare plastic bag just for landings. I always put my good SLR in the plastic bag if it rained or snowed, enroute to a landing. No mess, no fuss and more importantly, no rust or smudgy lenses that needed cleaning! Polarised filter a must for 'real' lenses.
When I travel I like to take with me at least one book about the place I’m visiting. On this trip I took “Cherry” by Sara Wheeler, which tells the story of Scott’s legendary fatal attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole, as seen through the eyes of Apsley Cherry-Garrard, one of the few men to survive that expedition. It was important for me to understand the incredible harshness of this environment, perhaps as a partial counter to the luxurious way in which I was experiencing it. It was only after arriving at their winter camp at McMurdo Sound that Scott found out that the Norwegian Amundsen had arrived at the Bay of Whales and was also planning to reach the South Pole the following summer. Amundsen had more dogs and better trained dogs and he and his men were experienced in using them efficiently. It is thought by many that had Scott also taken a dog team and properly trained...
The Antarctic treaty officially entered into force on June 23, 1961. The original signatories were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the USSR, the United Kingdom and the United States. A total of over 40 countries have now signed up to it.The main objective of the treaty is to ensure in the interests of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord. The treaty forbids any measures of a military nature, but not the presence of military personnel per se. Articles of the Antarctic Treaty include:Article 1 – the area is to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purposeArticle 2 – freedom of scientific...
Make sure that the tour operator you choose to travel with is a member of the International Association of Antarctic Tourism Operators. This organisation was founded in 1991 to advocate and practice safe and environmentally responsible private-sector travel to Antarctica. They recognised that when the Antarctic Treaty was drawn up tourism was almost non-existent. Since then it has grown from a few hundred a year to more than 26,000, and is set to rise more steeply in future. IAATO has about 80 member companies, who have together established procedures and guidelines for trips. They include regulations and restrictions on how many people can go ashore at one time, staff-to-passenger ratios and guidelines for activities while ashore. Procedures set up by the group also call for reporting both before and after visits, and operators also report on environmental concerns.We went with Orient...
Magellanic Penguins are the largest of the warm-weather penguins. This penguin was named after Ferdinand Magellan who first saw them in 1519 on his first voyage around the tip of South America. They have a wide black strip under their chin and another is in the shape of an upside down horseshoe on their stomachs.
Rockhoppers are part of a family of penguins called the crested penguins because of the brightly colored feathers on their heads. Rockhoppers live on most of the islands in the Antarctic region. There are major colonies on the Falkland Islands. It is estimated that there are over 3 million breeding pairs.
King Penguin is the second largest penguin. It is sometimes confused with the larger Emperor penguin. The King penguin lives on islands far to the north of the Antarctic continent where the Emperor penguin lives. The King Penguin has orange ear patches that are a closed tear-drop shape; while the Emperor penguin has a yellow open ear patch shape. Adults are 90 cm tall and weigh about 15-16 kg. They are found on many sub-Antarctic islands.
Chinstrap Penguins are the most numerous penguins in the world. It is estimated there are 12 to 13 million located on the barren islands of the sub-Antarctic Region and the Antarctic Peninsula. These penguins live and breed in large colonies. They got their name from the thin curved line of black feathers running under the chin. They stand about 72 cm tall and weigh about 3.5 to 5 kg.
Gentoo Penguins have a wide white stripe that goes across their the tops of their heads from one eye to the other. They have a very bright orange beak. Their nests are made on the rocky shores. They prefer the inland grasslands for nest building. They carry and pile stones, pebbles, grass, sticks, and anything they can find to make a circle.
Reviews and photos of Antarctica attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Antarctica sightseeing.
Q: Hello, I'm so excited about my trip to Antarctica on 2/19 on Quark. Questions for those who've been there - 1. packing -...
A: There is a tiny place on Deception Island, where the ground is so hot that you can dig out a hole and let the sea-water in that will allow you to take a bath in hot...
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