Traveling to the Antarctica
Traveling to the Antarctica
It will be two more days before the ship to Antarctica arrives, and we spend it shopping in the southernmost city of the world, Ushuaia, Argentina. As the white ship cut through the sparkling, blue harbor, we raced ahead of the crowd to board it first. A pleasant surprise we received upon finding that we will pass the Horn.
I am flabbergasted when I learn that I will be witness to the Horn. Even as I child, I devoured stories about how sailors braved the danger of the Horn waters around the tip of South America. What really gets to me, though, is reaching the bottom of the ocean in only 700 more miles.
Our cabin, at mid-center of the ship, is the most steady part of the ship and thus the area least likely to induce motion sickness. To check out the ship and find public areas, we decided to walk around. We found that quite a few people were onboard, 98 passengers and 46 crewmen.
Ice breakers during dinner, our first meal aboard, consisted of asking dinner mates why they decided to go to Antarctica. Though my conclusions are preliminary and limited to those seated at our table, I discovered the majority reason was that a visit to Antarctica would mean they had been to all seven continents. Undisputed was the strong pull of seeing the wildlife and terrain of Antarctica.
Our anxieties about encountering foot-thick ice were quieted after a crewman told us our 7,500 horse power ship was built for the job. Antarctica is rich in ice and freshwater, about 90% and 70% in the world, respectively, to be exact. This makes climate change so dangerous, as a melted Antarctica would convert the Andes extension and the Transantarctic at 7,000-8,000 feet elevation to mere islands.
A huge bird had been chasing the ship, and we were told it was a lost albatross. Its 11.5-foot wings allow it to fly, and it is the world's biggest flying bird.
It also survives on its superior sniffing power. Other bird varieties we expect to see are petrels, shags or cormorants, skuas and penguins. It seems the entirety of bird life in Antarctica has turned to webbed feet.
Whales were the next topic of conversation. They can live anywhere from 60-100 years, depending on the species. A reproducing whale increases progeny one every two years.
Including my companion and me, there are a total of eight Americans onboard, which may or may not pose a problem. All other passengers are Australian or from companies that follow the system internationale. Math is not my strong point, and even with conversion tables I find computation hard. About Trekking tours in India Tamil Nadu Travel Kodaikanal Hill Station Travel Have A Luxurious Christmas! How To Save Money At Christmas? Kovalam Beach Having A Wonderful Holiday In Playa Del Carmen Himalaya Tour, visit Ranikhet, the queen's meadow A Deal that Heightens the Holidays Flying to Exotic International Destinations Property For Rent London A Better Option For Living The Legendary Panama Jack Travel Gear Luggage Set Have you ever had a sunbath in Vietnam beach