Things That You Must Do And See On A Trip To Antarctica
It's an unforgettable sight to see them all waddling about their rookery
, a square mile of mud and rock, all neatly pressed out in their tight fitted tuxedos.They preen obsessively, shoo away neighbors who encroach on their pebble nests, fend off pesky seals and chick-threatening skuas. Brown down-covered young chicks clamor around, thrusting their tiny beaks into mother's mouth for pr-digested food.
The parents are constantly feeding their chicks. As one parent comes back with fish from the icy sea, a ritual takes place of bows and pecks and then the other heads to the ocean for their stint.
Penguins aren't actually really cute. Penguins are noisy, rude and foul-smelling. But still, they're fascinating and the opportunity to stand amongst them, close enough to be touched by their flippers, draws more numbers of tourists to visit the Antarctic. It really is a vast frozen continent at the end of the world.
Penguins aren't Antarctica's only attraction. There are other sea birds, dolphins, seals, albatross and glaciers and a sea of icebergs that resemble beasts.
Not too many people have been there before and this is what makes a trip to this place most exciting. To many, Antarctica is like a dream destination, holier than any place of worship. Reaching there is an adventure by itself. This trip is thrilling and fantastic which is why it is a bit costly. Depending on where in Antarctica they want to reach, travelers need to first take a 20-hour flight to Ushuaia in Argentina, or Punta Arenas in Chile, Cape Town in South Africa, or Christchurch in New Zealand. Depending on their convenience, people can select any of these ports as their transit point and board ice-rated cruise ships. The only way to reach the big icy continent is by enduring a journey of several days through rough seas.
Even though the world map shows Antarctica as roughly the size of the U.S. and Mexico put together, if we consider the icy shelves around it, the area is actually double that size. Over two-thirds of the Earth's fresh water is contained in this continent which is actually a two miles thick mass of ice exerting a lot of pressure on the Earth's surface.
With a total of nine ships operating, this cruise season offers various itineraries between February 10 and 18. A single ship that carries 400 passengers is the lone exception while all the others range in capacity from 75 to 200 passengers. They are less formal than larger cruise vessels plying Caribbean or Mediterranean waters; instead of casinos, they feature lectures and slide shows about Antarctica's natural science and history.
Using zodiac rafts, passengers are taken to see scientists at work, penguins in their rookeries and vast colonies of seals.
Besides the U.S., Russia and China a few other countries including Argentina, and Chile are parties to the Antarctic Treaty and maintain research stations. Through the Antarctic Treaty, countries agreed to keep Antarctica free of borders, commercial and nuclear activity and to preserve it as an environmentally clean research facility. Tourists are seen as a nuisance by some research stations while at a few places they are most welcome.
At Hope Bay, on a frozen plain, there are numerous orange-colored pre-fabricated bungalows that form Argentina's Esperanza station where tourists can roam about in work areas as well as recreational facilities, church and school. All the meteorologists, the military personnel, their guard dogs, penguins and children seem to enjoy each other's company.
On King George's Island, Chile has its Teniente Marsh station which happens to be the biggest bas on that island and, surprisingly, has a post office besides a restaurant and a convenience store. Not too far away is China's Great Wall Station where you can lay your hands on casual wear and curios. Only selected ships are allowed at specified times to halt at Palmer Station, the largest U.S. base at Anvers Island. At most places, tourists are not allowed inside residential and work areas.
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