Antarctica Things to Do

  After the hour-long hike up a steep hill
by leigh767
 
  • After the hour-long hike up a steep hill
      After the hour-long hike up a steep hill
    by leigh767
  • accumlating snow on a snowy day
      accumlating snow on a snowy day
    by 850prc
  • View of Ushuaia and Beagle Channel from Glacier
      View of Ushuaia and Beagle Channel from...
    by klmousseau
  • Ushuaia
      Ushuaia
    by klmousseau
  • Baby black-browed albatross
      Baby black-browed albatross
    by LynCod
 
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The polar plateau

by XenoHumph

Antarctica is covered by a thick sheet of ice (more than 2 kilometer thick at places) called the Polar Plateau. Experiencing the plateau is just seeing flat ice as far as the eye can see. The elevation is more than 2000 m high (6560 feet). So combined with the thin atmosphere of the poles, elevation tiredness can be felt during any physical activity. It is swept by high winds (katabatic winds) and characterized by low temperatures (-20 to -30ºC typical in the summer, plus the wind factor). It is a desert with hardly any precipitation. It has its own beauty with snow dunes sculpted in ridges called sastrugi, patches of blue ice, and an immense sky.The way I am pointing in the picture lies thousand of miles of ice until you reach the other side of Antarctica.

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McMurdo

by XenoHumph

McMurdo is the biggest base in Antarctica and is managed by the United States. Its purpose is to support scientific expeditions in Antarctica. It is inhabited year round with about 1000 people in the summer (October-March) and a few hundred in the winter. It was founded in 1956-57. The weather is relatively mild for Antarctica, with a mean yearly temperature around 0ºC (32ºF) and typical winds about 12 knots. Extreme recorded temperatures are 8ºC (46ºF) and -50ºC (-52ºF). There are 2 other American bases in Antarctica, one in the Antarctic Peninsula (Palmer) and one at the South Pole (Scott-Amundsen). Finally, Scott base, managed by New-Zealand is located a few kilometers from McMurdo.If you participate in an Antarctic scientific expedition run by the US, you will spend about 10 days in McMurdo getting ready before flying to the field, and again at least a few days after coming...

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South America or Antarctic? Try TUCAN Travel

by 850prc

One of our fellow passengers on the Ushuaia was Matt Gannan. Matt is the CEO and managing director for the adventure travel company TUCAN TRAVEL. Based in both the UK and Australia, Tucan offers "adventure travel" services all over the world. They were the 2009 British Travel Awards "Small Tour Operator of the Year" winners. Impressive credentials.We did not travel with Tucan. In fact when I first met Matt, I had only just "heard" of his company and wasn't terribly familiar with its services. But, having spent a couple of weeks on the ship with my mate Matt, I can tell you this - I know his attitude, the cut of his jib so to speak. Any company that a guy like Matt manages and directs has got to be the kind of company that makes arrangements and travels my way. Informal and adventurous.I am putting this here for anyone interested in South America, Antarctica or anywhere else in the...

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Iceberg Alley/Port Charcot/Lemaire Channel

by 850prc

Approximate location : 65°04'S, 64°02'WThe Lemaire is a narrow and deep channel running between the Antarctic peninsula and Booth Island. There are incredibly steep and mountainous shores on either side, covered with glaciers. Sunrise or sunset in the area is incredible. I have written a separate tip on the Lemaire, along with five photos, please do take a look.As we got nearer to Booth Island, we dropped anchor at Port Charcot. We were treated to a zodiac expedition through an area known accurately as "Iceberg Alley". Anyone who feels the need to ask "why would you want to visit Antarctica" would have the question answered on this little excursion. Huge icebergs in the area shimmer in shades of blue, and they reflect magically on the mirror-like waters. Around almost every corner would be a new and more impressive ice formation or structure. Interspersed are the occasional group of...

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The Lemaire Channel - INCREDIBLE BEAUTY

by 850prc

Approximate location : 65°04'S, 64°02'WAntarctica is a place of great natural beauty. You could shoot 600 photos a day and still fail to adequately cover what you saw. Truly incredible. The Lemaire Channel is one of the most stunning stretches that you'll cover if you visit the Antarctic peninsula via expedition ship.The Lemaire, which has been dubbed the "Fuji Funnel" and/or the "Kodak Gap" because of its extremely photogenic scenery, is approximately seven miles long. At its most narrow point, it's less than one mile wide, which tells you that you'd better have a good ice pilot directing your ship. In this short seven miles, you'll see a lifetime of polar scenic extravaganza. Every person on our ship was on deck snapping photos and gasping during the entire voyage.The Lemaire was actually named for Jacob Lemaire, a Belgian explorer who ironically explored the Belgian Congo claiming his...

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signs of the Zodiac

by 850prc

There are two basic ways of "landing" on the Antarctic continent from expedition cruise ships. <> Some of the severely high dollar cruises do have their own helicopters to land participants both on shore and inland. Just as a point of reference, you can count on paying darn near US$18,000 for an 11-12 day cruise on such a ship.<> Or, most of the ships employ the use of "zodiac" inflatable landing craft. This was how we were landed from the M/V Ushuaia.Zodiacs are dependable and get the job done. They're heavy rubber inflatables and feature a slat-steel floorboard that literally can "move" in the way that a watch band bends. This allows for the shape of the craft floor as it darts through the seas and surf. The zodiacs can seat approximately 12 passengers, and are powered by 50-75 horsepower outboard motors. And needless to say, the zodiac drivers know their business.... which...

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Great Guides = Great Experience

by 850prc

The bottom line of this tip is to find out about your ship's guides ahead of time. Search for a cruise and provider who has the kind of guides who are going to make a good trip great. Let's talk about the folks we met on our visit....There are so many wonderful things that I can, will and have said about Antarpply Expeditions and the M/V Ushuaia. But probably above anything are the people who work for this ship and company. It's clear that they love what they do and genuinely want you to have a terrific experience. Everything is set up and done in a relaxed and familial manner - nothing stuffy or formal about cruising to Antarctica with these folks. Let me specifically single out the guides and expedition leader(s), people who made this an absolutely GREAT experience. And if you want to follow via the "group photo", here is how they're lined up.... (L-R) Flavia, Danny, Cece, Augustin,...

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Giant Petrels - "walking" on the water

by 850prc

We saw quite a few giant petrels during our trip to Antarctica. These large, graceful birds rule the skies, soaring from cliff to surf and back. Petrels got their name (Little Peter) because of their skimming style of flight right over the water. The "Peter" name comes from the Apostle who is said to have walked on the water with Christ at the Sea of Galilee. We were told that most petrel species can regurgitate their stomach oil as a defense mechanism against predators. We didn't get close enough to find out.The Giant Petrels are the largest member of the petrel family. Unlike the perhaps more-famous albatross (Coleridge chose the albatross to torment his ancient mariner, not the petrel), petrels forage on both land AND sea. Their carrion-feeding reputation earned them the nickname 'stinkers' from the whalers of the past. They clearly possess a certain charm and they are unquestionably...

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Dumbo + Little Mermaid = Elephant Seals

by 850prc

On our visit to Livingston Island in the South Shetlands, we saw a large colony of elephant seals - our first look at this variety of seal on the trip. We'd grown used to the fur and crabeater seals of past days, they were everywhere... on ice floes, beaches, on rocky points and even in the water. But these elephant seals, whoa..... they are huge. Gigantic creatures, shockingly large. And we were told to not be fooled - they can move pretty quickly and are fierce when angered. We were specifically warned not to get directly between them and the water. We heeded the warning.Anyway, the group of elephant seals that we observed were mostly females - a harem dedicated and guarded by one HUGE male/bull seal. The "ladies" are all about a ton each in weight. (2000 pounds, maybe about 900 kg or so) And big daddy seal? They told us that he was probably around 4 tons. (8000 pounds, or maybe about...

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The terns - TRUE avian world travelers

by 850prc

So many of us pridefully call ourselves "well traveled" or "world travelers". And truthfully - we are. VirtualTourist is a community of people on the go. But when it comes down to pure kilometers and time, nobody can beat the Arctic and Antarctic terns. These birds routinely make a polar migration twice a year, once to Antarctica and once to the Arctic. Think about that, year after year after year. Now, THOSE are some serious frequent fliers. Too bad they can't get set with American Express points or something, they could buy themselves an iPod or something. :)OK, time for a bad joke, a pun really....What do you call it when you invite a migratory bird out for a sausage?Taking a "tern for the wurst". OUCH.

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Fun things to do in Antarctica
 
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Things to Do: Cities in Antarctica
  1. Grytviken Things to Do

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Questions and Answers

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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 -... 

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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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