Antarctica Warnings Or Dangers

 
by JessieLang
 
  •   Warnings Or Dangers
    by JessieLang
  • scrub a-dub dub, get rid of that grub
      scrub a-dub dub, get rid of that grub
    by 850prc
  • One bag left, after the 1st night of crossing.
      One bag left, after the 1st night of...
    by 850prc
  • ICEBERG >>>>> larger than the M/V Ushuaia
      ICEBERG >>>>> larger than...
    by 850prc
  • The worst of the bunch, speedwise...aka Niki Lauda
      The worst of the bunch, speedwise...aka...
    by 850prc
 
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Skuas - flying skunks with attitude

by 850prc

The ship's birding expert, Cece Ratto, summed it up this way... "I hate skuas, they are awful awful birds. Nasty, unfriendly. They are awful."OK, I'm sure that mother skuas love their little skuas, but these birds are not really popular among both other birds and humans in the area. Some call them flying skunks because they will literally bomb you with a horribly smelly defecation if you do something to anger them - such as getting too close to their nests. They'll dive bomb you and peck the daylights out of you, too. And sometimes, like some horrible Hitchcockian flashback, they'll fly right at your face with their claws outstretched. They do the same thing to any unfortunate penguin who gets anywhere around their nests as well.Biologically, these birds are closely related to other members of the gull family. And in more scientific terms, their behavior is referred to as "fiercely...

Tip Photo
Glacial calving could cause a mini-tsunami

by 850prc

Calving is the word to describe large pieces of a glacier falling into adjacent water. It makes a monument sounds.... increased creaking, like the hold of an ancient ship, followed by what sounds like thunder's roar, and finally a huge splash into the water. It's incredible, a true show of nature's power, but can also be very dangerous. IF the glacial "calf" is large enough and the body of water that it falls into is small and pretty much surrounded by shoreline, a mini-tsumani can actually happen. At one point on our journey, this was pointed out to us with a severe warning. We were told that IF we chose to explore a particular shore area and IF we heard or saw a large chunk of glacier fall into the small sound on the other shore, then we should RUN not walk as high up onto the hill/slope beside the shore as possible. We were told that waves of 25-35 feet suddenly hitting the shore...

Tip Photo
X-rated icebergs

by 850prc

With literally thousands of icebergs to see, there is a huge variety of shapes and sizes. And inevitably, just really by luck of the draw, some of them might just end up looking "like something or someone". The "like something" icebergs are especially entertaining when they might be a little bit x-rated. I can guarantee you that the zodiac drivers, madmen that they are, will make a beeline taking you to some questionable content icebergs if they know about them.As for the one below, yes... we all knew what it looked like. Fun, huh?

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The Sailor's Grip - learn it, use it

by 850prc

On Antarctic expedition cruises, you'll spend a lot of time getting into and out of zodiac craft. You'll also be climbing up steep steps, narrow trails and the like. In short, you're going to have people stretching out their hands to help you, and you'll be doing the same for others. That's where the sailor's grip comes in. They teach it on day one of the Ushuaia cruise.Basically, instead of gripping hands tightly, you grip the other person's forearm with your hand and he/she does the same. It's a much more solid bond, the kind that might just keep you out of the sub-freezing waters of Antarctica.

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Penguin Poo - stay out of the line of fire. :)

by 850prc

OK, penguins are birds. We are all familiar with the nuances of bird poo. They just kind of "let go" and if it's your wonderful fortune to be under them, well..... a trip to the dry cleaners for your new linen suit, right? The good news is that penguins are rarely ABOVE you, they generally stand on the ground, down around your feet. The bad news is that like other birds, they just let fire when they have to go. And judging from the array of fecal vectors evident on the ground around the penguin areas, it was obvious to us that they also let go with "some force" so to speak.Well, we finally got that rarest of shots, a penguin pooping. This little baby gentoo just had to go, and the fact that they had visitors just didn't matter. The adult gentoo to his side doesn't seem overly concerned. But looking at the photo, you can imagine what a mess it might be if you were unfortunate enough to be...

Tip Photo
Maniacs driving your ZODIACs

by 850prc

This 'warning' is really just in jest. The drivers who captained our zodiac landing craft were experts, true professionals. They knew what they were doing.Early in our trip, we were remarking about how fast Phil (one of the guides and also a zodiac driver) liked to go. Since he was an Austrian, we christened him NIKI LAUDA in honor of the Austrian formula one race driver. However later in the trip, we road with another fellow (Ariel "Flaco" Crujeiras) who made Phil seem like a school bus driver. One of our group remarked that "this guy should be Niki Lauda, he makes Phil seem like Niki Lauda's grandmother" with an outboard engine in his hand. Sooooooooo, we transferred the Niki Lauda tag to the real hot rod of the bunch.That being said, most of them - except Veselka (the lone female driver and also coincidentally Mrs Phil - see the great guides tip) who was much more mild-mannered - were...

Tip Photo
HOLD ON, while onboard

by 850prc

OK, it goes without saying, but I say it anyway.... ships are in constant motion. Sometimes they are in contant heavy motion, crossing the Drake Passage for example. HOLD ON. Always keep one hand free for holding on. We were told early on to "reserve one hand for the ship" to hold on to rails and such. And to be quite honest, sometimes TWO hands didn't seem like enough to hold on when climbing or descending some of the steep staircases. That being said, to my knowledge, nobody was injured during the cruise. ::I:: had an annoying habit of forgetting to duck my head when descending the steeper staircases and I always would whack my forehead. I'm only 5'10", so I can only imagine the trouble my Dutch friend Marc-Peter (6'7") had.Another item we had to consider.... all doors had latches so that they could be latched in the open position. The problem is that sometimes if someone were to put...

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Icebergs

by 850prc

Anyone who has seen the movie Titanic - or perhaps actually read the history of the disaster learning of it sans Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio - knows all too well the hazards posed to ships in an iceberg-laden area. Icebergs range from small to massive, and you can never really - with your naked eye - know how big or how an iceberg is shaped, because 2/3 of it is usually under the surface of the water. So, that means that maybe 50 feet away from a moderate iceberg, the actual 'depth' of the water might be about 5 feet, due to iceberg beneath the surface. VERY dangerous for larger ships. And, icebergs are "active". They are not "attached" to the earth, but are rather floating with the current. SOMETIMES, they'll melt enough or change in shape such that the balance is wrong, leading them to suddenly flip over - maybe putting some of the underwater portions of the 'berg above the water....

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Eaaaaaasy, Stomach. Here comes the Drake!

by 850prc

The Drake Passage, which separates Argentina and Chile from Antarctica, is one of the most active watery convergences on earth. Strong back and forth currents are created by the meeting of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, coupled with the strong winds and weather swings in the polar region. The result is that the current in the passage will be either strong, stronger, really strong on unGodly strong. Crossing the Drake Passage is something that is both anticipated and feared for those sailing to Antarctica - especially those who are on smaller "expedition ships".OK, we crossed the Drake, both going and coming. We did not get sick, didn't lose any lunches. There were times that we felt somewhat nauseous, and we were a little more careful about what and how much we ate during the crossings. (careful what you swallow, it may be coming back up) And in complete and honest candor, we were...

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Protecting the Antarctic environment

by 850prc

Antarctica is a pristine, fragile and unique environment - like nowhere else on earth. Unlike almost every other place, it is pretty much untouched and unspoiled by mankind and "progress". In deference to its unique and delicate nature and by unanimous treaty agreement, all ships traveling to Antarctica and facilitating human "landings" take necessary steps to safeguard the continent from any harmful introduced plants, seeds, soils, etc. One step in all of this is that you must disinfect and scrub your landing boots both before and after landing on its shore. In the photo below, we are walking through the cleaning station before descending the gangway to board the zodiacs.

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Safety Tips in Antarctica
 
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Questions and Answers

adventuregurl profile photo

Q:  I am hoping to do an Antarctica expedition next Dec,Jan or Feb. I have been reading various forums on the best types of ships... 

Miguelzgz profile photo

A: Bookmark. I didn´t laugh. I think(knowing nothing, it is just a "feeling") it is almost imposible to go on a budget to such a "unique" place. I guess, that if you... 

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