Now that she has visited Antarctica’s frigid regions, this ninety-one year-old has traveled to all four corners of the world.She was able to witness the land with her very own eyes; Antarctica stretched out before her. She?d been to this continent twice before this trip, but this was the first time she?d actually seen Antarctica. She didn’t actually touch the Antarctic land, but flew over it.

The plane flew over Antarctica for four hours and she witnessed glaciers, fjords and mountain passes. Barely 300 feet above the ground was the lowest the plane went. A mountain range they passed was fog covered. The flight had perfect weather; it was clear and the sun was shining. Even though the flight took place at the end of the Antarctic Summer, early March, the air was below freezing. The flight offered a chance to hear a lecture from a naturalist who was working in Antarctica. You’ll get further resources on Cruises to Antarctica by visiting there.

Because she?s a birder, our traveler really wanted to see penguins. Though she didn?t see any on the flight, her daughter was able to see a colony of penguins in the distance. The pair also traveled via cruise ship to the Falkland Islands, off Argentina?s coastline. She boarded yet another boat to get to the East Falkland Island. Hundreds of Magellan penguins live on one beach there. Of all the penguin species on earth, Magellans stand the tallest.

They flew from the United States for sixteen hours. Then they left a South American city on the cruise ship. In addition to touring South American ports of call, passengers were invited to take a dip in the ship?s pool. Ignoring near-freezing temperatures, the ninety-one year-old took the plunge and earned a certificate for doing so.

They finally flew into Rio, after having toured Santiago. The cruise ship docked in Chile. The cruise, which was three weeks long, had ideal weather. Even the difficult to find Southern Cross, the smallest constellation, was visible to all passengers. You can get the best antarctic cruise ship information by visiting this website.

She?d been to South American prior to this trip. Our ninety-one year-old tourist centered her visit on a major river cruise and one big city. She returned to the rain forest surrounding that major rivers and witnessed the severe destruction that had befallen it in the few years since her last visit. She worries about the loss of bird habitat. She has even been on Safari in Africa. Antarctica was the last continent she needed to visit because she?d already been to. She did that with her four hour flight above Antarctica.

He consulted the two charts on the ship’s navigation table. Both charts show the ship has now entered waters that have never been surveyed. While concerned, the captain keeps us safe by setting a course over waters known to be safe because of depth soundings.He’s been through Antarctic waters many times before, but never in this particular spot.

Dusk sets in and reduces visibility. Then is starts to snow in earnest. The windows begin to fill with snow, which makes it even harder to see the icebergs ahead. The ship’s radar clearly illustrates each floating barrier.The monitor clearly shows each berg in blaring orange. Up ahead, the monitor paints a giant orange blob nearly blocking the channel. It’s only three kilometers away. You need to visit this site to learn about antarctica travel guide.

At one kilometer, the silence breaks with a whispered command from the captain. Quickly and effectively, the helmsman steers the ship away from danger. Found only here, the tabular iceberg peeks through the snow and fog like a shy ghost. The top is flat and extremely wide, and the sides can rise straight up over one hundred feet.

The sheer magnitude of Antarctica has dumbfounded me again. We’d boarded the polar class cruise vessel with the intention of reaching the Antarctic Circle.Having passed many unsettled and unoccupied areas of the planet, we are nearly there. Seventy-nine years after having been first sighted in 1820, a human spent an entire winter on Antarctica for the first time. Explorers searching for the southern pole struggled and scientists were the next to approach Antarctica. Only very rich tourists could visit Antarctica until very recent times. For about the same cost of visiting a Caribbean island, you can see Antarctica.

Some compare Antarctica to the shape of a manta ray with a curved tail. The manta ray’s tail is separated from South America by 500 miles of ocean. This is the Drake Passage, and some extremely rough seas are found here. Also known as ‘the slobbering jaws of hell’, it is truly difficult to pass through this area to the planets last continent. A reminder to make sure our cabin portholes are tightly latched and that our gear is thoroughly stowed before we retire comes from one caring passenger. Learn about adventure antarctica tours.

We left Ushuaia, the Argentine city on Tierra del Fuego, and crossed the calm waters of the Beagle Channel. It’s open ocean after that. We didn’t see land for the next two days as we were tossed in rough water. Nearly gale-forced winds pounded us the whole time.As waves broke over the bow, ocean spray shot up beyond my fourth deck window. Seeing swells of fifteen to forty feet in size did nothing to quell our seasickness.

Two days of travel brought us to the Southern Ocean. A coastal archipelago was a welcome sight that first morning. The land seemed to have a calming affect on the rough waters. Mile-high summits were draped in wispy clouds. Sharp ridges poked through the smooth glaciers and stood dark against their relative whiteness.Unusually rough, the bumpy slabs of ice fall right into the sea. It looks like a huge mountain range has been plopped into the middle of the ocean.

One traveler found the travel to Antarctica to be akin to childbirth?s labor. Antarctica, like a bratty kid, is the driest, highest, coldest and windiest of all the continents. Antarctica?s polar plateau gets the same amount of precipitation as Death Valley, but the continent holds 70 percent of all the freshwater we have on earth. No animal makes Antarctica its year-round home, nor is it owned by humans. It doesn’t even have a primordial human population.

We have to rely upon the weather to plan where to sail or when and where to land on shore in this inclement area. Our first trip to shore was actually able to proceed, even though we’d been warned this may not be the case. Those groups to which we’ve been assigned meet on deck. My name is called and I climb into the inflatable boat with 9 others. The powerful outboard quickly crosses the quarter mile to land. And then, with just one step, I am among the few who can say they’ve stood on the Antarctic Continent.

Uranium is being searched for in the Antarctic by two scientists. Much controversy is associated with this project as it is seen to be a severe test for international cooperation. During 1961 was when international scientific research efforts caused the setting aside of Antarctica.It is inevitable for some straining to happen in the model of international cooperation when interest is continuously pursued for resources that are protected by icy weather not to mention sinister snow situations.

Brief are the summers in Antarctica and this was the time when the scientists and their West German colleagues went on helicopter rides above the snow free valleys where they were given the best view of the continent. For the gentlemen, the helicopter rides were rather daunting. As much as possible, the radioactivity detector needed to be within range from the cliffs.It is recommended that you visit this site for resources on Cruises To Antarctica.

Also available from the continent are valuable resources other than uranium. Exploiting resources such as these may prove to be a challenge but many believe that in a decade or so these will be highly practical.

It is a large Polish fleet that is now studying about techniques for krill harvesting, it comes from the Weddell Sea and looks like a shrimp and is a cheap source for protein.It was in a mountain where high grade iron ore was discovered by Soviets. Americans then found ethane and methane in the Ross Sea in 1973 from their research vessel. Deposits for natural gas and oil can be located considering these trace evidences.

From the US Geological Survey came findings that the continental shelf of Antarctica has the capacity for 45 billion barrels of oil and 115 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. A measure of eight times more for oil and six for natural gas is present when compared to the annual US consumption.For the National Science Foundation, they will be supporting geologists this year for surveys on the Dufec Intrusive. Available here are chromium and platinum deposits in the same way as in the mineral rich areas and the bush veld of South Africa.If you’re looking to learn about Best Antarctic Cruise, visit their site for more details.

After being agreed upon by the majority of nations that joined in the International Geophysical Year celebration, an Antarctic treaty was in order. All the agreeing nations pledged to avoid making territorial claims, use the continent for peaceful purposes, protect its environment and wildlife, and also to conduct scientific research openly.It was the National Science Foundation that established the American bases.

It was during the Oslo treaty nations meeting when the major topic was about the resource exploitation issue. In this case, changes require unanimous agreements. A very sensitive issue is that which is related to other countries’ interest in valuable resources.Advising towards maximizing the research possible from the continent’s resources are these scientists. As it may have a severe effect on international cooperation one pressing issue that everyone agrees to is Antarctic resource development.

You’d be surprised that the farthest southern living animal is actually a pink mite. This tiny creature is only 1/100th of an inch long. This tiny critter likes algae and fungi and looks a lot like a spider. An entomologist from Hawaii recently discovered this mite only 309 miles from the South Pole. Within 266 miles of the South Pole, this same entomologist found lichens growing. This is far closer than any living organism has been found to the Pole.

Insects and insect-type life forms are the only kind of animals that live year-round on Antarctica. If you’d like to see most of the fifty-six species of arthropods from Antarctica, you’ll need some sort of magnification. They’re too small to see with your naked eye. The biggest is a wingless fly that is about the same size as a horsefly. When the temperature finally gets to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the melting point of water, the dormant animals are reactivated. You will find info on Antarctic cruise by visiting that site.

While the continent itself is barren and lifeless, there are all manner of animals traversing the Antarctic oceans, like the giant blue whale, which dwarfs every other living creature.At one point, scientist sought to observe the sea’s creatures by lowering a steel capsule under the ice. It measured six by four feet. The professionals each took turns climbing into the make-shift lab, and looked out the windows at the dark, cold world around them. They even utilized a hydrophone to listen into the sea life.

The scientists didn’t see many fish, except for one very spectacular jelly fish. The fish sported thirty foot-long tentacles. Seals were constantly surrounding the chamber. They were very curious about it. The hydrophones provided their sounds: chirps, beeps, buzzes and whistles. This was an underwater racket one scientist hadn’t heard previously.

These noises help the Weddell seals to navigate and communicate. The navigation theory helps scientist understand how the seals could find food and sources of air in the dark waters. Analysis of the seal sounds is being performed in the Antarctic.Human ears can’t even hear all the sounds the seals make due to their rapid beat and high frequency. If you are in search of info don’t forget to view this resource Antarctic cruise ship.

Scientists don’t know how Weddell seals make all their sounds. Their nostrils and mouths are kept tightly shut when they go underwater. Weddell seals can dive very deep; one holds the records for all mammals at nearly 1500 feet. One seal was seen to stay underwater for over 28 minutes before surfacing. With a lot of time and care, it was possible for a zoologist to earn the trust of a mother seal and get a sample of the milk that the mother excretes.Seal milk has a much higher fat ratio than human milk does. This is one of the reasons that baby seals can gain weight more quickly than any other mammal. In fact, a baby seal only takes a month and a half to quintuple its own weight.

The Antarctic seas have been traversed time and time again by wetsuited scientists.Colorful seaweeds, including red ones, filled the ocean’s bottom. Other species included five foot words, four foot sponges, and starfish that had both red and white coloration on it, making Antarctica the most interesting place to find new life.

Antarctica is a continent with immense mountain peaks and oceans filled with emperor penguins, blue whales, and leopard seals, and it is protected as a wilderness through an international pact. This pristine ecosystem has been protected from mining and oil drilling since 1998 and will stay protected for at least 50 years.The protection focuses on conservation rather than developing the continent.It prohibits a vast range of threats to wildlife, including pesticides and dogs.

The treaty is known as the Environmental Protection Protocol to the Antarctica Treaty.Many countries signed this accord in order to protect this one region on earth from commercial interests and development by industry.This agreement was signed in 1991 by the 26 leading nations with scientific interest in the land. Some of the most prominent nations in the agreement are the United States, Russia, China, India, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, and most of the primary European nations.To find affordable antarctica tours information see this resource.

By delineating regulation, the treaty served to end more than fifteen years of lobbying by environmentalists and diplomatic discussions.In addition to the restriction of oil and mining, the treaty also requires nations that run any of Antarctica’s 35 scientific outposts to remove all trash.Moreover, cruise ships and scientific outposts cannot drain their sewers into the seas of Antarctica.

The first person to get to the South Pole was Norwegian Roald Amundsen in 1911 and he used sled dogs to get around.However, the accord prohibits dogs specifically since recently some scientists’ pets were known to have killed penguins and other native birds.Pesticides, non-sterile soil and polystyrene packaging are not allowed to be brought into Antarctica either.

Since Antarctica’s land is buried under a mile of ice, most kinds of plants are not able to grow there, with the exception of moss and grass, and only close to the ocean.The ice in Antarctica holds about 70% of all freshwater on Earth. Surrounding the ice mass is an abundant amount of seals, fish, sea birds, and whales. If you want more comprehensive info on adventure antarctica tours that site will help you.

This amazing continent is considered one of the most fragile places on the planet.Due to the constant below zero temperatures, any growth if slow. Any disturbances can take years to fix.As an illustration, a footprint left behind in some moss could stay there for 10 or more years.

The original treaty, which was signed in 1959, also banned any military activity and nuclear testing near the Arctic area. The treaty also declares Antarctica independent of any nations and also establishes guidelines for research. No one nation can claim all of Antarctica but every inch is claimed some country.

When scientists reported the discovery of oil, coal, gold, zinc, iron, uranium, manganese, and copper, among other minerals, environmental organizations started fighting to establish laws to protect Antarctica early in the 1980’s. In the 1970’s during the energy crisis, several companies even started discussions about the feasibility of Arctic drilling. Drilling for oil in Antarctica will probably become a highly-debated topic if the cost of oil continues to go up.

Each of the 26 nations will enforce rules individually on their claims.But if someone belonging to a particular nation goes against the treaty, and the government does nothing, the other 25 countries will exert pressure to remedy the issue.The story of Antarctica is very encouraging for the environmentalist movement.

Antarctica and all of its emperor penguins, leopard seals, blue whales, and towering mountains have been set aside for protection under international agreements. This coldest and most pristine of the world’s ecosystems has been protected since 1998. Oil drilling is banned for at least 50 years. Conservation is the foremost concern regarding policy in Antarctica.Dogs and pesticides are prohibited by these policies, including other threats to the wildlife.

The agreement in question is titled the Environmental Protection Protocol to the Antarctica Treaty.The nations around the world agreed to leave Antarctica free from commercial and industrial development.Approval was gained in 1991 by the twenty-six leading countries having scientific interests in the area, including the United States, Russia, China, India, Japan, Argentina, Brazil and most of the main European countries.To find antarctica travel adventures information see this resource.

The regulations set forth by this treaty ended over 15 years of lobbying by environmental groups and put as stop to diplomatic talks.The rules banned oil drilling and mining. It requires that the nations who run Antarctica’s 35 scientific research outposts clean out their garbage dumps.Scientific stations and tourist ships are also not allowed to dump an raw sewage in to the Arctic waters.

Sled dogs were how explorers like Norwegian’s Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole in 1911.However, the treaty makes dogs illegal since a few of the scientists’ pets have recently caused the death of penguins and other birds common to the area.In addition, pesticides, polystyrene components, and contaminated dirt cannot be transported to Antarctica.

Since Antarctica’s land is buried under a mile of ice, most kinds of plants are not able to grow there, with the exception of moss and grass, and only close to the ocean.The ice on the continent accounts for 70% of the Earth’s fresh water.It is encircled by a rich web of whales, sea birds, fish and seals.If you want more comprehensive info on adventure antarctica tours that site will help you.

On this earth, Antarctica is considered to be one of the most fragile places.Growth takes place very slowly because of the consistency of the sub zero temperatures.It can take years for the area to recover from any disturbances.Footprints, for example, can take as much as 10 years to disappear.

1959 marked the signing of the initial Antarctic Treaty, and it prohibited military operations and the testing of nuclear devices in the region.It also kept any one nation from owning all of Antarctica and gave rules for research.In spite of the treaty that protects the non-ownership of Antarctica, one country claims to own nearly the entire continent.

When scientists reported the discovery of oil, coal, gold, zinc, iron, uranium, manganese, and copper, among other minerals, environmental organizations started fighting to establish laws to protect Antarctica early in the 1980’s. Discussions about drilling for oil in Antarctica began in the 1970’s during that decade’s energy crisis.The interest in mining and drilling will probably increase as technology advances and oil prices increase.

Rules will be enforced individually since all 26 nations have their own laws.But if someone belonging to a particular nation goes against the treaty, and the government does nothing, the other 25 countries will exert pressure to remedy the issue.The agreement on this continent is believed to be an environmental success story.

The continent of Antarctica is a place like no other in the world with its stark beauty and brutal climate and terrain.It remains the only continent in the world that has never seen the face of war.This is hard to believe when you realize that it is larger than Europe and America combined. It is true that many men have died here, but these deaths were do to the brutal conditions on the continent. The weather is so cold that virtually no germs can survive here.

Today Antarctica is a place where people from various countries, and conflicting political views, can come together to work in harmony, warmth, and comfort, while outside the labs are temperatures of 100 degrees below which could kill them within seconds.Since the horrendous cold of Antarctica makes their bodies lose calories at an alarming rate, those living in Antarctica are forced to eat four generous meals a day just to keep up.

It is home to the “big eye,” a singular condition of mass insomnia caused by the perpetual daylight of summer where inhabitants cannot sleep in the full sunshine of 3:00 am. The residents of Antarctica boast that they are members of the “300 Degree Club,” which is a very exclusive club.It claims the least expensive and southernmost bar of the world located at the South Pole where all drinks cost a like amount, but where even so the bill for a single night can be a great amount.From April to September, the people there experience long nights.antarctica cruise deals

Even though the heartland of this continent has a 9,000-foot shield of moving ice, it is believe to hold enough oil, gas, and coal to heat the entire world.Lacking most laws, ones that it does have is quite peculiar, not a single fugitive could be arrested. If capable of surviving such harsh environments and temperatures a criminal would have massive valleys and mountain ranges to hide in.

Even though Antarctica lacks a legal system, it enjoys the smallest incidence of crime than any other continent.Even if a crime did happen, such as a murder, it was never reported or prosecuted. Leaving a lot of mystery behind what may or could happen here.And if someone DID commit a crime, with no extradition agreements or statutes, there would be no way to charge or prosecute them.Recommended Antarctica Cruises

While the flags of 10 different nations are flying over this beautiful continent, there are no claims to the real estate located here.There has not been a single attempt by any nation to try and form some type of permanent colony here. Even so, some of the most brilliant minds and best technology resides here.

Most of the residents will not permanently live here, but they are some of the brightest in the world.Antarctica has the distinction of having a populace with more college graduates than high school graduates.Plus, there is more scientific talent here than you would find at any university. In addition to all this brain power, there is more peaceful research done here than in any capital in the world.The detonation of nuclear warheads is expressly forbidden on the continent, which makes it the only land mass on the planet to specifically prohibit such activity.

The laws that Antarctica does have are incredibly strict environmental laws.Animals that were once slaughtered by whale and seal hunters are now somewhat protected, as special licenses must now be obtained prior before hunting. The world’s pure scientists are working and playing together to keep this continent as pristine and primitive as possible.

It was over a century ago when a whaling ship called the ‘Antarctic’ found itself anchored along the arctic, volcanic coast in the Ross Sea. It sent a longboat to shore.On January 24, 1985, this landing group, led by Captain Leonard Kristensen, was the very first humans to step onto the continent of Antarctica. Their mission was to hunt for whales in territories that were still unclaimed.

The continent of Antarctica’s baptism was bloody.Millions of seals were slaughtered and their fur was collected. Penguins and whales were killed for their precious oils, which were used in the machinery used by the Industrial Revolution.On Marquarie island alone, hundreds if not thousands of penguins were herded up into giant vats of boiling oil, until they became oil themselves.

However, after 100 years of journeys to this Frozen Continent, humans have decided to stop using it to make a quick buck by killing the animals and have chosen to make Antarctica into a preserve of nature and science.There has been recent discussion into the inception of a world park.Antarctica serves as a window for scientists to understanding the potential danger of several global threats such as our ozone depletion as well as greenhouse effect.Thankfully, humanity’s presence in Antarctica was short-lived, and the reversal of the travesties committed on this great continent are now a thing of the past.Up until the International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958, only several routes to the South Pole and small areas of coastline had been explored.antarctic cruise

It is shocking to look at the hundred years of ferocity, nationalism, idealism, and constant killing that fills Antarctica’s history since people first landed on this continent. There have only been occasional attempts to perform scientific research here.One remarkable event in the history of this continent was the increase of whaling during World War I so that the oil could be refined into glycerin and used for artillery shells.After the end of World War II, it became the Soviet Union and the United States that hunted the sperm whales for the extra-fine oil they produced, which was needed as lubricant for jet engines.The term “Terra Australia Incognita” was used until the IGY to label this continent. This term was first used by medieval mapmakers.

It may be surprising to note that the first person born in Antarctica was born there out of patriotic pretentiousness.Emilio Marcus Palmer’s birth was highly calculated as Argentina flew his mother to Argentina’s Esperanza Base to give birth, with the sole goal of securing Argentina’s right to much of Antarctica’s territory. great antarctic cruise

This incident occurred only nine years after America ‘claimed’ the moon by planting a US flag when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed there.However, Roald Amundsen’s 1911 trip to the South Pole, honoring King Haakon VII of Norway, still stands as the most single-minded and successful exploit to date.The British Empire gained honor through the works of Robert F Scott and his group who undertook a similar journey, with the addition of rock and fossil sample collection which they carried with them in their homemade sleds.

Due to a combination of being demoralized by Armundsen getting to the South Pole a month ahead of them, an unhealthy diet, hauling the rocks out, and basic overall bad luck on the return trip, Scott’s group became known as the first martyrs of Antarctic science.A rather unique attempt to stake America’s claim on the territory took place when a Ford Trimotor was flown over the South Pole by Richard Bryd in 1929.In 1821, the soviets utilized Russian Admiral Thaddeus Bellingshausen’s voyage passed Antarctica in 1821 to justify their interests in the continent.