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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Whaling history,evidence all around

by 850prc

Commercial whaling has not yet been assigned to the ash-heap of history (using Reagan terminology), but at least it's been banned and shunned by almost every country on Earth. Here's hoping the day comes that none of these incredible giants of the sea are subject to hunt.That being said, a lot of Antarctica's earliest history involves the whaling trade. The waters around the continent are home to many different varieties of whale - orcas, blue, minkes, etc. Back some 80-120 years ago, this was THE place for a good season's haul of whale and whale products. When you visit Antarctica, you'll see evidence of the whaling past at many of your stops. There are wrecked rowboats, old machinery, sunkens ships and - yes - whale skeletons on islands and shores throughout the Antarctic peninsula.I'm sure it took a hearty soul to be a whaler in the Antarctic, especially subtracing 100 years of...

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Choosing a ship - size matters

by 850prc

We went to Antarctica on a small "expedition" size ship. The M/V Ushuaia carried a total of 84 passengers and 42 crew. This is really the type of ship that you want to take on a trip to the White Continent. As of this writing, some of the larger cruise lines are still "going" to Antarctica... outfits like Celebrity, Norwegian Cruise Lines, etc. They sail on ships carrying several hundred - if not more - passengers. Here's the bit....The only way that you can really set FOOT on Antarctica is to go on a ship that can land you via zodiac (or similar craft). There is nowhere for a large mega-cruise ship to dock in the Antarctic. For that matter, there's not even a place that a small "ship" like the Ushuaia to actually dock - the only way to get passengers ashore is via "landings". And even IF a larger cruise ship has "some" zodiac craft, there is zero chance they could come close to landing...

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Livingston Island/Walker Bay (South Shetlands)

by 850prc

approximate location : 62°39'S, 60°37'WWalker Bay, over at Livingston Island (part of the South Shetlands) is has a renowned "open air fossil museum" worth looking over. Basically, what's there are a collection of stones and bones found by people who have wandered in and explored the area. The plan is generally to just bring out anything you find and leave it at the "open air museum", so others may look them over, handle them and really touch history, so to speak.Livingston Island is also a haven for wildlife, with colonies of fur seals and the giant elephant seals in residence. Additionally, Antarctic Cormorants, Skua, Giant Petrels and Terns were everywhere. And not to be outdone, we found another huge colony of gentoo penguins to enjoy in the bright sunshine of what turned out to be our last Antarctic landing before sailing back into the Drake Passage.

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Take a dip over at Pendulum Cove

by 850prc

approximate location : 62°56'S, 60°36'WJust a mile or two east of the Telefon Bay area of Deception Island offers a unique opportunity. If you'd like to confirm to the world your madness, you can swim in Antarctic waters. OK, it's not quite as hardy an effort as you'd imagine. Over at Pendulum Cover/Deception Island, there's a volcanic sand beach and an area where the more shallow shoreside waters are warmed by the volcanic fumaroles in such a manner as to make them pleasant... at least for a few feet from shore. Most people who chose to take a swim in our group learned very quickly that RIGHT in the water and down was the best plan... because there were two places you did not want to be wearing only your swimmers.... Place one would be UP in the air - where it had a breeze and subfreezing temperatures. Place two would be more than a few meters from the shore, where the water temperature...

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Port Foster/Deception Island

by 850prc

Approximate location : 62°56'S, 60°40'WDeception is a ring-shaped island, circling a huge caldera. Even now, Deception Island is classified as an active volcano. Its distinctive shape was formed when one side of the volcano caldera collapsed, allowing the sea to rush in and create a sheltered bay, known of as Port Foster. On our visit, we sailed into the caldera via "Neptune's Bellows", a narrow opening in the immense side of the caldera walls. Deception is the largest of three recent volcanic centers in the South Shetland Islands. (the other two are Penguin and Bridgeman Islands) The water in Port Foster is warmer than the surrounding sea because of the numerous active volcanic fumaroles. The most recent eruptions occurred in 1800, 1812, 1842, 1871, 1912, 1956 (the year I was born, perhaps I was destined to visit), 1967, 1969 and 1970. I couldn't help thinking that we were "about due"...

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Wordie House, 65°15'S, 64°16'W

by 850prc

Wordie House is now part of the Academik Vernadsky Antarctic station, operated by a friendly and entertainingly rowdy Ukrainian crew. Originally, Wordie House was the initial edifice at what was originally called Station F by the British. Built in 1947 and being the main structure until the Brits relocated to another island nearby, Wordie has a rich history in Britain's Antarctic scientific and military presence. BTW, the name "Wordie" is in honor of Sir James Wordie - a member of the original and infamous Shackleton Expedition. (He apparently visited the area during its construction) It was treated pretty much as a historic item from the British from 1953 on, and continued in that vein after its purchase by Ukraine in 1996. This original Wordie House is now a historic/living museum point for visitors to the area. This main hut is comprised of the kitchen and bunk room for the original...

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Portal Point,1st stop on the Antarctic continent

by 850prc

Approximate location : 64°30'S, 61°46'WWhile we'd technically touched Antarctica the day before when we landing on Barrientos Island/South Shetlands, our first steps onto the ACTUAL main continental land mass of Antarctica occurred on Thursday, Marcy 10th, 2011. We landed at Portal Point, a part of the Reclus Peninsula - on the Antarctic peninsula itself. It was a foggy day, and there were occasional flurries of snow... but any day that one sets foot ON Antarctica itself is one for the ages. :)We boarded the zodiacs and went ashore. The area was covered in snow - in contrast to yesterday's rock, dirt and green lichen-covered scenery on the Shetlands. Large glaciers surrounded the area of our landing spot. We were welcomed ashore by a few noisy adolescent male fur seals. We kept our distance and since we had them outnumbered, they didn't challenge us. We hiked up a snowy slope for a nice...

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Foyn Harbor/Nansen Island/Governǿren II

by 850prc

Our visit to Foyn Harbor came on a snowy afternoon, and afforded some very eery peeks at how powerful and cold Antarctic winters are. Even though the temperatures were still very tolerable, the increased snowfall and the blowing wind made it tough to see great distances ahead of us.Foyn Harbor is location in/on Nansen Island (64°33'S, 62°03'W), and is the sight of a (nearly) century-old shipwreck. The area was teeming with wildlife, including flocks of Antarctic Cormorants, kelp gulls and groups of fur and crabeater seals. We eventually came to the shipwreck. The vessel itself is the Norwegian whaler Governǿren II, and it sank during the summer of 1915/16. Basically, the ship caught on fire and the captain deliberately beached it to save his crew. The plan worked, as there was no loss of life in the sinking - the crew was picked up by other whalers in the area. Right after we...

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Vernadsky Stn - brassieres and homemade vodka

by 850prc

Vernadsky Station is another common stop for expedition ship visitors to the Antarctic. These days, the station is a research station manned by a crew of irrepressible and cheery Ukrainians. The station was originally established and operated by the British starting in 1947, originally christened as "Wordie House" in honor of Sir James Wordie. Sir James was a member of the infamous Shackleton expedition, and he actually visited the station during its construction. Wordie House was in use until 1953, when a new station was built on the site of present-day "Veradsky" by the British. For years, both the old and new area were called both "Wordie" and "Station F" by the Brits until 1977, when it was renamed in honor of British Scientist Michael Faraday. (becoming Faraday Station). It remained an English post until 1996, when it was sold for the symbolic price of 1 pound sterling to Ukraine,...

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Barrientos Island/Aitcho Islands/South Shetlands

by 850prc

For cruise visitors to the Antarctic peninsula, the first sighting of land - after the infamous crossing of the Drake Passage - will be the South Shetland Islands. On our trip, we made excellent time crossing the Drake, and conditions were such that we were able to make an unscheduled/extra zodiac landings at Barrientos Island, South Shetlands. So technically, the first moment that I set foot onto land that could be deemed as Antarctica was at Barrientos on March 9, 2011. For the record, here were my words upon touching the seventh and final continent in our travels...."That's one small step for Pete, one giant leap for Chamlis-kind". The locals at Barrientos are very very friendly.... but kind of short. Huge colonies of both gentoo and chinstrap penguins are there to greet and entertain visitors. When you first land, the cruise operators warn you that you're "not to approach the...

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Fun things to do in Antarctica
 
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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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