Antarctica
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Overview:
The last frontier, the chilly but remarkable beauty of the seventh continent of the world is something that all travelers must gaze upon once in their lifetime – with it’s vast ice sheets, towering glaciers and volcanoes and it’s abundance of exclusive wildlife making it not just a geological and wildlife phenomenon but also a truly unique wonder of the world.
While made up of 98% ice, Antarctica is also the 5th biggest continent in terms of land mass and is home to at most 5,000 researches at any one time – with the continent well earning it’s reputation as being the driest, windiest and coldest continent with an average temperature of −10 °C in the warmer parts and −63 °C in the coldest parts – meaning a trip there across the infamous seasick instigator of Drake’s passage is not for the faint hearted !
However, a trip to Antarctica – which normally takes the form of a 2 week boat journey is unquestionably unmissable – with the continent containing not just the South Pole but also the beauty of the southern Ocean – with seals, seabirds, dolphins, whales and penguins dotted along King George Island alongside the sighting of frequent icebergs, deception Island and the active volcano of Mount Erebus giving true explorers a chance to set foot on the forgotten continent and a true unique wonder of the World.
Where:
Antarctica is a continent itself ! – located on the south of the earth – in terms of a base camp trips commonly leave from the town of Ushuaia, Argentina which is accessible by air from Buneos Aires of Santiago in Chile.
Best time to Visit: Unquestionably during the Antarctic summer (November — March) for three main reasons, firstly Drakes passage – which most trips will have to pass through, and which has a reputation for being a bit bumpy is calmer during these months and secondly the start of November signals the beginning of 24 hours of daylight meaning you’ll have a much greater chance of seeing wildlife (February in particular is whale season), thirdly – this is also the time when most trips run – so you’ll have a better chance of getting a more affordable price.
Explore:
Having left the port of Ushuaia, Argentina you can expect most trips to head south through the infamous Drake’s passage – which is a notoriously bumpy route into the Antarctic Peninsula – although the sight is also well known for Dolphins, sea birds and Whales which are known to accompany Tourist boats cross the passage.
Having made it through the passage, the exploration will most likely be at the determination of the trip, however typically tours include the chance to go sea kayaking in the Southern Ocean to allow you to get close to both Whales and Icebergs, zodiac trips to meet marine life including seals and penguins, and a trip to set foot upon the wonder – and depending on the weather and the trip a chance to Ski or Camp beneath the starts of the Seventh Continent.
For those looking to hit the main sites – the big four of Antarctica are:
- The South Pole – one for those with a big budget, a stop off at the south pole by plane coasts some $45,000 usd which can take you for a quick photo spot at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station (Skiing isn’t something worth considering).
- Mount Erebus — an active volcano on Ross Island and considered the world’s most southernmost active volcano which is famous for its boiling active lake and unfortunately an airline disaster in which 237 people lost their life. The mountain is located at 3,794 m and while it can be summited in the summer months access to it requires a special permit from the US Government and the mountain is only accessible by flights by the US Air National Guard and the Royal New Zealand Air Force from Christchurch in New Zealand.
- Deception island – despite it’s name Deception island is hailed as being a photographer’s paradise and is home to colonies of penguins, with the Island also offering fossilised evidence of human activity on Antarctica and being considered a must stop for many tours into the continent.
- King George Island – although considered a gateway to the real Antarctica, King George island is the biggest of the South Shetland Islands and offers explorers a chance to not only explore artic research stations and visit the first orthodox church of Antarctica – but get there first real experience of trekking on the ice of the continent and come face to face with colonies of Penguins, who prefer the warmer climate of the Shetland islands.
Cost:
Trips to Antarctica don’t come cheap unfortunately as it’s normally at least a 10-day expedition on a specialised boat – so you can expect to pay anywhere between $6000 — $20,000 depending on your trip length and the activities you wish to undertake. However, that being said, there are a number of things you can do to reduce the cost, including up to last minute deal website (Freestyleadventure has a good reputation) planning well in advance, heading out from Ushuaia Argentina. We would strongly advise to not cut corners when it comes to gear and clothing in Antarctica as it can affect your enjoyment and in some cases, mean the difference between life and death.
Top Tip:
As obvious as it sounds – you need to prepare for the cold weather ! – so remember to bring many many layers including Parkas, gloves and a nice wolly hat – and if required a hot water bottle.
It’s also strongly advised to base yourself our of Ushuaia, that way you can take in not only the beauty of this town at the end of the world, but also the Tierra del Fuego park – itself a true wonder of the world.
Further many travelers fall foul of the bumpy conditions along Drake’s passage so be sure to make life easier for yourself by skipping alcohol, drinking water, staying active – and bringing with you many fisherman’s friends and anti sickness pills if required.
It’s also strongly advised to invest in specialised camera equipment that can cope with the arctic weather – a lot of cameras are known to break down when they hit the cold and require a long time charging to get a single photo !
Finally make sure you get yourself on an expedition trip rather than a cruise liner – as an expedition trip will give you the chance to set foot on the continent , kayak in the waters and if you’re lucky spend a (somewhat) cold night camping on the ice – but be warned there is a strict leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories policy in affect across the continent.
Getting there:
Even though people have tried – trips to Antarctica require a guide and an expedition trip to get to the wonder, with most trips leaving from the port and town of Ushuaia in Argentina. Once the ship sets sail you can then expect a 2‑day trip including across the infamous Drake’s passage until your reach the continent.
From here it depends on the trip you have booked in terms of exploring the wonder, with some trips offering 5–6 days including trips on the ice and others a quick turnaround after 2 days glancing the continent from the boat – it really is down to the explorers preference – although we would strongly recommend spending at least 5 days on a smaller boat to allow for the excursions both at sea and on land to be experienced.
Fun Fact:
Antarctica is the only continent governed by a special treaty known as the Antarctic Treaty – which thankfully forbids nuclear weapon storage, radioactive waste and government – meaning that it can only be used for peaceful purposes and scientific research and the preservation of the unique wonder that is Antarctica.
Best photo spot:
While it’s hard to narrow it down to just one – with the zodiac trips to spot whales and icebergs, the whales across drakes passage and a glimpse of the aurora borealis against the backdrop of Icebergs — a trip to Deception island and a photo of it’s many residents is something not to be missed.
