Archive for Antarctica Vacation
Survival In Icy Antarctica
Posted by: | CommentsA woman who insists she hates cold weather with a passion isn’t a likely candidate for spending time in the Antarctic, but this one lady did exactly that, not once, but twice. A way to return to the area is what the woman desires. Actually, the lady was aware that it was the coldest place on earth. Much of her motivation came from the notion of being part of the limited group of people who have encountered this. When you would like to get more information on antarctic cruises check out this site.
Finding herself working 825 miles from the South Pole, she was actually working as one of the support crew for scientists at McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf. She was a general field assistant which she considered as a go for in today’s everyday language. Before she ever set one foot on the ice, she first had to read survival in Antarctica, written by the national science foundation. As well as an extensive physical exam she also needed a series of inoculations. Because of the unavailability of medical treatment there these are necessary.
If there is the need for medical treatment then you will need a helicopter to fly you out and it can cost the government a pretty penny and get other people in trouble at the same time. There is an outdoor survival school that will be expecting her when she comes to Antarctica. What she will be taught includes spotting a crevasse field and making a sleeping shelter for when she finds herself far from the base.
There was a covered walkway from the tent to were there were four lavatories and two showers in a bathroom. On the bathroom door was a sign stating how showers per week should only be two minutes long. Only flush when it is needed. Without any other order this stands. The reason behind this is to have water if a fire happens on the station. Using the equipment throughout the day especially in the water plant in sub zero temperatures led to numerous mechanical malfunctions. This site teaches you about antarctic cruise ship.
Much value is given to saving water when this happens. It is highly important to always have water for cooking and drinking as well. Still, water for other purposes including toilets, showers, and even laundry were all limited.
Another thing they needed to do was plan every phone call they make. Before a call could be made there is a waiting list because air waves can easily be affected by the weather so you really need to wait. The communications link is run by ham radio operators.
She says of all the inconveniences and difficulties of life on the station, dealing with the cold was the hardest and cold it did get. 32 degrees was the usual temperature from October through December which was summer over there. When January came, the temperature changed. If there was a wind chill or the like she would note them down in her diaries.
Should the weather call for it, working may be done in pairs. Also, the weather can prohibit outdoor travel. All travel is forbidden by intense weather conditions. Forced isolation was the reason she learned about herself. Simply put, changes happened. No insecurities were part of her attitude before going to Antarctica. Now, she knows there are things beyond her control, things she can’t conquer alone. As a result, she’s says she’s more relaxed now.
There’s something about that continent. For this expedition, probably the most incredible feat was being able to go to a continent where no one has been to before. In general, all places have been visited by man. Man has gone to the rivers, mountains, and even in the timber.
Uncovering Uranium Deposits In The Antarctic
Posted by: | CommentsTwo scientists are prospecting for uranium in the Antarctic. When the cooperation among nations can be affected, then this kind of project proves to be controversial. Beginning in 1961, Antarctica was to remain a continent meant for international scientific research. 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. When you would like to get more information on antarctic cruises check out this site.
Summertime in the Antarctic does not last long and when they could and while the valleys had no snow the scientists and their West German colleagues decided that helicopter rides would be good to take allowing them a full view of the wondrous scenery of the continent. Such helicopter rides were not as pleasing for the gentlemen. The radioactivity detector which they carry must be kept within a few hundred feet of the sheer cliffs.
It has been said that other than uranium, valuable resources are plentiful in the continent. For these resources there are a lot of difficulties to overcome but there is a lot of optimism that in the years to come these will be very practical.
Techniques for harvesting krill are being studied today by a Polish fleet, it is an inexpensive protein source found in the Weddell Sea that looks like a shrimp. The efforts of Soviets allowed for high grade iron ore to be found in a mountain. From their research vessel, Americans in 1973 found ethane and methane in the Ross Sea. Other than being possible sources of natural gas, these could also be signs for oil deposits. To get a closer look on antarctic cruise ship visit this site.
45 billion barrels of oil and 115 trillion cubic feet of natural gas could be carried by the continental shelf of Antarctica according to findings from the US Geological Survey. Considering the yearly US consumption, this is about eight times for oil and six times for natural gas. Surveying the defect Intrusive are geologists to be supported this year by the National Science Foundation. Here is where mineral rich areas just like in South Africa are, as well as the bush veld which may be a source for chromium and platinum.
A celebration was held for the International Geophysical Year and this was when a number of the participating nations agreed upon to the Antarctic treaty prompted by America. Among nations was an agreement inclusive of factors such as not making any territorial claims, using the continent for peaceful purposes only, preserving the environment and wildlife, and openly conducting scientific research. For the National Science Foundation American bases needed to be administered.
One of the primary discussions in Oslo during the meeting of treaty nations was about resource exploitation. Agreeing unanimously to change allows it to be made. There is another sensitive issue and this is about other countries and valuable resources. Gaining a multitude of information from the continent’s resources has been argued by the scientists. Virtually everyone does agree that the issue of resource development will put the Antarctic example of international cooperation to its severest test yet.
Personally Viewing Antarctica
Posted by: | CommentsThis well traveled tourist has seen a large part of our planet. This ninety-one year-old has now visited Antarctica too. She saw it with her very own eyes, not in a magazine or on television. During her two previous trips to the area, she’d not seen Antarctica. This time she was actually able to view it. The plane may not have touched the ground, but they did fly over the land. This site teaches you about antarctic cruise.
She traveled over Antarctica for four hours time and saw fjords, glaciers and mountain peaks. They even got as low as 300 feet above the land. Fog shrouded one mountain range they flew past. The clear sky and bright sun made for perfect viewing weather. The flight took place in early March, nearing the end of the Antarctic Summer, so air temperatures were far below freezing. During the flight a naturalist lectured and served as tour guide.
She really wanted to see penguins, as she’s been interested in birds her entire life. Other passengers were able to see a distant colony of penguins, though our traveler did not. They took a ship to the Falkland Islands. These are off the coast of Argentina. Luckily, while visiting the East Island there, she was able to see hundreds of Magellan penguins. Of all the penguin species, Magellans are the tallest.
They flew from the United States for sixteen hours. Then they left a South American city on the cruise ship. Aside from visiting many South American ports, cruise passengers were given the opportunity to jump into the ship’s pool. Swimming in air temps of only thirty-five degrees doesn’t sound so fun, but this ninety-one year old did it and got a certificate for having done so. Visit this site for further information on great antarctic cruise.
After the ship reached Chile, the tourists were driven to Santiago, which they toured. They then flew to Rio. Ideal weather held for the entire three week cruise. The Southern Cross was visible in the clear night air. It’s hard to see because it is the smallest of all the constellations.
She’d only seen one large city and cruised the major river system on her previous trip to South America. Loss of bird habitats from deforestation in the jungles surrounding that major river were a major concern of our traveler. She has also visited Africa and gone on a Safari. She’d been to, too, so Antarctica was the last of the continents she needed to visit. She finally visited them all with her recent trip to Antarctica.
Cruising To Wild Antarctica
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The very last spot in South America leads to a massive body of water. On the other side is the Antarctic continent. Drake’s Passage is like a rite of passage one must endure to get to Antarctica. That 400 mile stretch of water has some of the worst reported sea weather in the world, ad is a place where no speck of land big or small could cause the currents a moment’s pause in their collision course toward one another. I only hoped to see icebergs and penguins. I hadn’t done any research on Antarctica, so I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know any history or geography of the continent, and I certainly couldn’t prepare myself for the land’s majesty. This site teaches you about antarctic cruise.
We were prepared for Drake’s Passage’s fury, but our cruise was uneventful on the way there. It was the return trip that we would have to spend clutching at our beds while we slept. That first morning in Antarctica was calm and gray all over.
After spying tall mountains of gray-brown with snow capped peaks, we were treated to our first glimpse of ice. Small sections of ice rested on the water like frozen marshmallows. Everyone is issued a bold, red expedition parka when they arrive. I threw mine on and secured my camera inside it before I dashed out into the brisk, heavy air.
We had spent the day rushing outside whenever anyone spotted a whale, dolphin, or penguin. We’d also listened to lectures the ship’s naturalist provided. Excitedly, we debarked into a small rubber raft, seemingly unconcerned that we were leaving the larger ship behind and getting up close and personal with those floating chunks of ice. We could finally see the rocky, icy coast. The edge was rimmed by penguins thinking about getting in the sea. This site teaches you about antarctic cruise ship.
Suddenly, we found ourselves surrounded by penguins. This little outpost of land in Paradise Harbor is home to both gentoo penguins and a small group of researchers. They waddle around in a giant hurry; they look as though they have too many things to get done and not enough time to do it in. A few of them stood on rocks watching these silly creatures in red point at them and grin. The majority of these were adolescent chicks, as the majority of the parents had already moved on. Some of the chicks were decidedly in denial about this. At this point in their lives they are usually provided with a down covered sack of krill – food that their parents catch and then regurgitate into their chick’s mouth until they are old enough to hunt on their own.
These youngsters are also going through various stages of molting. Most of their baby coats were gone, but some patches remained where the birds couldn’t really reach. They looked as if they had on hats and earmuffs or had gone to the barber for a punk hair cut. We floated back by some suspended ice as it bobbed along in the bay as we made our way back to our ship. The driver approached a large, irregular chunk of ice where we saw a solitary seal stretching regally. He yawned at us, showing us all his teeth, and perhaps telling us we didn’t matter to him. was the perfect ending to a really wonderful day. |He gave us a giant tongue-filled yawn; maybe he was telling us how boring we were to see. |Maybe he was commenting on how boring we were when he gave us a giant yawn. |Evidently we bored him because he gave returned our stares with a huge yawn. |He yawned, exposing his enormous pink tongue. His lack of concern for our presence belied the unspoiled characteristic of this beautiful land where we’d spend a perfect day. |He presented us with a large, pink-tongued yawn, by which he could have been indicating just how impressed he was that we were there, but which certainly was an ideal manner of concluding our day. ]
We couldn’t resist the penguins as they started doing their cutest skill. The waddle and awkwardness, I suppose it is. The contrast of orange feet with the formality of the black and white feathers Because these islands were less dirt and more rock or ice, the penguins tended to be very clean and neat looking. They appear to have chubby cheeks because of a thin black line under their chins.
A Tourist?s Idea Of Antarctic Cruises
Posted by: | CommentsHe consulted the two charts on the ship?s navigation table. Never surveyed waters surround the ship, according to both charts. The captain keeps us on a cautious course using depth soundings. He may be a seasoned Antarctic sailor, but he?s never sailed this channel before today. This site teaches you about antarctica travel adventures.
First it turns to dusk, then a heavy snow starts to fall; it is difficult to see. The icebergs that impeded the channel are harder to see as the huge snowflakes stick to the bridge windows. Luckily, radar clearly illuminates them. We can see large spots of orange, indicating icebergs, on the screen. All at once, a giant orange blob fills the screen. Three kilometers separate us from the behemoth.
The captain whispers his command at one kilometer. No one else speaks. The helmsman deftly moves the wheel and the ship alters its course. Through the falling snow and deep fog, we glimpse a tabular iceberg. This kind of berg can only be seen in the southern ocean. This type of iceberg sports a flat, wide top with sides that rise straight upwards.
Antarctica has amazed me again. The goal is to reach the Antarctic Circle via this polar class cruise ship. We?d gone by areas that were terribly remote and removed from life. It took an additional 79 years for someone to winter over on Antarctica after it was found in 1820. While attempting to find the southern pole, many adventurers died. Scientists were the next group of people to come to Antarctica. Coming to Antarctica used to be something only rich people could do. With the extreme drop of costs, you can visit this continent for about as much as you could a Caribbean island. Visit this site for further information on adventure antarctica tours.
You can imagine that Antarctica looks like a manta ray with a curved tail. The manta ray?s tail extends to within 500 miles of South America. This stretch of seas is called Drakes Passage and is notorious for its turbulent waters. ?The slobbering jaws of hell,? as the waters are also known, extract your true payment for wanting to reach Antarctica. 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.
After sailing from Ushuaia, in Argentina, we sailed through the Beagle Channel and reached the open ocean. We continued on for two days in very turbulent waters. The wind approached gale force for the entire time. Like bullets, ocean spray shot past my fourth deck window as numerous waves crashed over the ship?s bow. Depending on the level of your seasickness, you could see swells from 15 to 40 feet.
We got to the Southern Ocean after two days on the sea. A coastal sanctuary was my first view the next morning. The waters were calmed a little by the land. The peaks of extremely tall mountains were covered in misty clouds. Looking like chocolate spikes through the glacier’s frosting, angular ridges poked up. The ice found its way to the sea in cracked and frozen slabs. Looking like the range in which you’d find Everest, it sticks straight up out of the water.
One traveler found the travel to Antarctica to be akin to childbirth?s labor. Like a naughty kid, Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, highest and driest of all the earth’s continents. The polar plateau only gets about as much precipitation as Death Valley does, even though it holds about 70 percent of the fresh water on the planet. This land is owned by no person, and has no human population, nor do animals live year round here.
Due to the rigorous weather and poor conditions, sailing routes, as well as shore landings are dictated by the weather. Our guides have advised us that we’ll need to be flexible, but our initial shore landing comes as scheduled. We meet on deck in the groups we were assigned to be in. After the call for my group, I climb into an inflatable boat with nine other people. We finally reach the continent after crossing one more quarter mile of sea. And then, with one simple step, I am in the small group of humans who has ever touched Antarctic ice.
