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Antarctica is the perfect antidote to boring vacations to the usual locations. An increased number of tourists have come to this cold, barren continent in the past few years. Antarctica is a somewhat mythical place most of us only seem to read about in books and typically forget all about.

Travelers wanting to head to Antarctica from the New York City area can fly to Buenos Aires or Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, and the southernmost city in the world. After a couple days of sightseeing and orientation the tourists are able to board an Argentine Navy transport that will have an ice breaker and tugboat leading them, then the transport is sailing out across Drake Passage for some amazing adventures. Known as the fiercest stretch of sea in the world, the Drake Passage spans the 600 mile stretch between the bottom of South America and Antarctica. If you want more comprehensive info on cruise travel to Antarctica that site will help you.

The earliest seamen who had survived the passage were allowed to put one foot on the table after dinner was done. After the dinner port was passed, he could put one foot on the table. And if he had actually crossed the Antarctic Circle, he was allowed to put both his feet on the table. Its a little-known fact that, even today, this tradition still continues.

Anyone who has the courage to travel the entire distance to Antarctica has the ability to do more than just feed the penguins or leave his initials carved into icebergs. This particular tourist itinerary also visits several Argentine and U.S. scientific bases, and Argentine science stations. They are studying marine and glacial biology, earth movements and meteorology, among other projects.It is not surprising that these crew members and scientists, have much knowledge to share, and are eager to share information and companionship with visitors.

An extensive and highly informative program can be enjoyed by visitors, with a range of topics to choose from. For example, travelers will learn the interesting fact that one cubic foot of the water in Antarctica contains more living organisms and matter than water found anywhere else on the planet. Travelers return to the ship to sleep and then are transported the next day to their excursion sites. A lot of people don’t realize that when it’s winter in the U.Sit is summertime in Antarctica – or depending on which season you’re traveling, it’s reversed!During the summer months, the temperature in Antarctica is fairly temperate and measures around 30 degrees with a brisk wind typical on most days. Despite the cold temperatures, tourists will find that they stay warm in the gear that is provided for them; including long pants, mittens and parkas. Go to this site for further information on Antarctic travel.

Meeting elephant seals, weighing up to two and a half tons each, and sea leopards is part of the tour. Another unusual offering is trips to whale graveyards as well. Travel guides on Antarctic tours do not recommend that travelers attempt to take any whale bones found along the beaches due to very high charges that would be incurred on the return flight from Buenos Aires.

The total continent of Antarctica, from its massive mountains to the seas replete with blue whales, emperor penguins and leopard seals, is, by means of international agreement, classified as a wilderness preserve.This pristine ecosystem has been protected from mining and oil drilling since 1998 and will stay protected for at least 50 years.It has been agreed that this continent be used for conservation and science, not for development.Very few things that would be a danger to the wildlife here are allowed. This means that everything from pesticides to dogs are banned.

The treaty is known as the Environmental Protection Protocol to the Antarctica Treaty.The nations around the world agreed to leave Antarctica free from commercial and industrial development.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 great antarctica tours information see this resource.

The treaty stopped the arguing that was going on for more than 15 years about regulating the area.In addition to preventing all oil drilling and mining, the 35 scientific outposts on Antarctica are required to remove all garbage and clean up all dumps.Scientific stations and tourist ships are also not allowed to dump an raw sewage in to the Arctic waters.

When people like Roald Amundsen of Norway set out to discover parts of Antarctica, such as the South Pole in 1911, they had to use dogs to pull their sleds.Dogs are now banned by the agreement since some dogs have killed penguins and other birds of the region.Soil that has not been sterilized, polystyrene packaging materials, and pesticides are also banned in Antarctica.

The land of the Arctic is covered by ice that is on average 1 mile in thickness and only supports the most basic plant life, like moss and grass by shorelines. The ice is made up of 70 percent of the freshwater of the earth.Many kinds of sea life also live in or near Antarctica.If you want more comprehensive info on adventure antarctica tours that site will help you.

Antarctica is one of the most delicate locations on earth.Life grows very slowly at the continual below-zero temperature conditions.Many years will pass before any damage can be completely repaired.For instance, a footprint in a bed of moss may remain the same for 10 years.

The original Antarctic Treaty, executed in 1959, prohibited nuclear tests and any military maneuvers in the area.It also asserted that Antarctica was to be owned by no nations. The rules for research were also established at this time.While no country may possess Antarctica, literally every square inch of the land is claimed by some country or the other.

In the early 80s, after scientist discovered deposits of zinc, coal, manganese, uranium, copper, gold, iron and offshore oil, environmental groups started to push for conservation laws. When the world saw an energy crisis in the 1970s, many companies considered drilling in Antarctica.Drilling for oil in Antarctica will probably become a highly-debated topic if the cost of oil continues to go up.

Rules will be enforced individually since all 26 nations have their own laws.This is kept in check by the other nations in the treaty applying pressure to the government to punish any transgression.Many are in agreement that the treaty constitutes an environmental success story.

Antarctica, magnificent in its beauty and unmerciful in its brutality, is a land unto itself.During the history of mankind, there has been no blood shed due to war, making it unique in that respect.Despite the fact that battle has never reached this enormous continent, the sanitary cold kills germs to the point where men die more from violence there than illness.

This continent is quite the oxymoron, the most different of faiths and political stances cam come here and work closely together only inches away from freezing sub 100-degree weather.The cold environment on Antarctica necessitates the consumption of four meals per day, but the Americans there don’t gain weight, as maintaining body temperature burns calories at a ferocious rate.

This continent is often said to be the home of the “big eye.” This is due to the fact that in the summer season the sun shines 24 hours a day and causes many people to suffer from insomnia.In spite of this, the Antarctica based ’300 Degree Club’ has given rise to great entertainment.A bar the furthest south of the border exists in Antarctica, no matter what you buy it all costs the same, even if it is an expensive cognac. But a single night can lead to a massive bill.This is especially true between the months of April and September when the nights are very long.antarctica cruise adventures

Its heartland is blanketed with a 9,000-foot sheet of ice in motion, and yet geologists state that it may harbor a sufficient quantity of oil, gas and coal to heat the 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.

You may be surprised that even though there are no laws, it is the continent with the lowest rate of crime in the world.If you wanted to commit a murder, you would do it in Antarctica, because you could never be prosecuted for it due to the lack of laws there.Even if someone knew about the murder, there are no extradition treaties or statutes that could be used to charge or prosecute the murderer.Recommended Antarctica Cruises

Ten flags from different countries are unfurled over the continent; however, not a single square foot of this real estate is claimed by any.Not a single country or nation has even attempted to try and make a permanent colony here on these primal lands. Ironically, these primal lands have some of the most technologically advanced pieces of equipment.

Even though most of the residents aren’t not permanent members of it’s society, they have the highest IQ in the world.In no other continent will you find more people with degrees than a high school education.There is more research preformed here than in any other geographical location. If you want to find scientific talent, you will find more here than at any university in the world.Unlike any other landmass, there are strict regulations that prevent any nuclear testing or nuclear bomb explosions.

The laws that Antarctica does have are incredibly strict environmental laws.A century ago the land and sea were bloody from the slaughter done by seal and whale hunters; today a special license is required before any animal life is killed.The world’s scientists, who find Antarctica to be a research treasure, are working hard to maintain its pristine condition.

Antarctica is famous for it’s vast and unforgiving ice, snow and wind. Nations around the world with interests in whaling controlled their own various sections of the continent.Land on the Peninsula has been claimed by Chili, Argentina, and Britain.Claims have also been made by Australia, Norway, New Zealand, and France.

The greatest example of nationalism came in 1940 when planes were sent by Nazi Germany to drop stakes with the swastika symbol carved on them over vast areas of Antarctica to allege ownership by the Third Reich.With the exception whaling, the world left Antarctica alone, so it could fight a second World War, and then a Cold War after that.However, science would soon be motivated by celestial events to return to Antarctica.

Sunspot movement became prevalent in the years 1957 and 1958, so nations all across the globe began getting ready for the International Geophysical Year. Antarctica became a focal point due to its one-of-a-kind visibility of a clear spot in the magnetic field of the Earth in which they could examine it while it was being assaulted by solar radiation.The continent was soon home to a 67 country coalition of science personnel.This was such a successful cooperative effort, that the Antarctic Treaty, among the most remarkable international pacts ever created, was negotiated.affordable travel to antarctica

This treaty was signed in 1959 by all the countries with major interests in Antarctica. It was an agreement that made this continent to be used solely for peaceful purposes.The treaty specifically spelled out not allowing any destructive forces to be detonated on the continent, including banning nuke testing and exploding, as well as not allowing countries to dump their toxic waste onto it’s barren landscape or waters.The same went for military presence on the continent. Any military forces on Antarctica are only allowed to support scientific research.The deliberation over land claims were put to rest for the time being.

This period marked an odd time in the Cold War where the superpowers both put aside their differences for the moment, staking no claims on Antarctica or recognizing any others as well.The smaller countries became reluctant to pursue their claims in light of the maneuvering practiced by the more powerful countries.antarctica trip

By the 1960s and 1970, other countries began to realize the extent of oil, gas and minerals that lie in and around Antarctica, and they also began to realize the value of those resources.Countries established bases in and around the continent along with dozens of science stations in the area.

Bases were opened on King George Island throughout the 1960s and 70s by Chile, Great Britain, Poland, Italy, Argentina, the United States and Soviet Union, with Peru, Brazil, China, Uruguay, and South Korea joining them in the 1980s.Even though these bases are carrying out legitimate scientific work, just like the swastika stakes the Nazis were dropping via planes, they also serve as individual political markers.Essentially, they claimed territories as their own.

However, by the 1980′s the political tide was starting to change from supporting exploitation. It began being more supportive of science.Antarctica is now becoming thought of as communal property and is thought not to belong to one major political power, but to all countries.The Halley Bay Antarctic headquarters, a British base, found the opening in the Earth’s ozone layer, indicating that man’s actions might chip away at the atmosphere so much so that ultraviolet rays can pass through and cause cancer.

Because of this, there was an international ban of ozone depleting toxins like Chloroflorocarbons or CFC’s in 1987. The agreement was that they would be completely gone by the mid 1990′s.This finding emphasized the importance of the Antarctic scientific headquarters. They have since been shown to be essential in keeping track of the “greenhouse” gasses that have been prevalent in the atmosphere for decades.The 1980s saw anti-whaling movements at their peak, as well as the Green movement, which helped convince countries to leave Antarctica alone biologically.

By 1991 Antarctica received protection from ravaging of it’s natural resources with the Antarctic Treaty where participating nations agreed to ban exploration for oil and gas, mining and any other irreversible exploitation for at least 50 years.Antarctica is important today as it was during it’s hey-day because instead of being exploited and ruined in the name of wealth and greed, it’s teaching us how those very things that marked progress are creating a very unstable world. Hopefully, through the studies conducted we will be able to learn how to reverse some of those issues and challenges we will face in the future.

It was one hundred years ago when the whaling ship called Antarctic lowered its anchor of the volcanic coast of this wind-battered landmass. Soon it sent a longboat to the landmass through the rough waters of the Ross Sea.The leader of this party was Captain Leonard Kristensen and they were the first people to set foot on Antarctica. This historic event happened on January 24, 1895 while on a mission to kill whales in waters that remained unclaimed.

Antarctica proceeded to be baptized with blood.The Industrial Revolution was starting to grow and the millions of seals that were slaughtered for their fur, as well as penguins and whales massacred for their oil, were part of what was needed to keep society moving forward.Many more hundreds of thousands of confused penguins form Macquarie Island were shepherded into large, boiling vats of oil and were subsequently reduced to oils themselves.

It took 100 years, but mankind has thankfully become much wiser and finally set priorities in the right direction. Rather than exploiting the amazing Frozen Continent for money, Antarctica is now designated as a nature preserve and used only for scientific research.There’s even talks of establishing a park where people from all over the world can visit.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.Small areas of the coastline, some trails to the South Pole and a few islands were explored up until 1958.antarctic cruises

From the very first, the appearance of men on this continent has resulted in a convoluted story of nationalism, aggression, idealism, and unchecked slaughter, with sporadic, cavalier attempts toward scientific research.Whaling was stepped up in World War I, as refined oil was used to make glycerin for artillery shells.America and the Soviet Union began killing sperm whales for their extra-fine oil after World War II. This oil was used as jet engine lubricant.Prior to the International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958, Antarctica was identified as the “Terra Australia Incognita,” by medieval mapmakers.

It is important to note that even the first person to be born in Antarctica, who is still not an adult, was born here for the sake of patriotic affectation.In 1978, Emilio Marcus Palmer was born at Esperanza Base, owned by Argentina in order to reinforce claims by Argentina to large portions of the territory.antarctic cruise reviews

This was similar to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon nine years earlier and placing the American flag on the moon as a symbol of its dominance. Norway’s Roald Amundsen 1911 race to the South Pole was done explicitly to honor King Haakon VII, and make a direct claim on the territory.This same journey was made by Robert F. Scott of England, though his team took the time to amass fossil and rock samples along the way, carrying these things all on sleds.

Unfortunately, Scott arrived at the South Pole only to find that Amundsen had already been there the month before, and thanks to the depression over this realization, their poor diet, the effort of dragging those rocks, and some bad luck, Scott’s party never made it back, and became the first to give their lives for the sake of Antarctic science.America earned its claim to the South Pole when Richard Byrd flew over it in 1929 in a Ford Trimotor.The Soviet Union also announced their own interest in the area in 1821 when they sent Admiral Thaddeus Bellinghausen through the territory.

If you want to be in hundred-degree weather in the middle of summer, you go two places – Dallas, Texas, or the South Pole.However, the difference between the two is that you experience negative 100 degrees at the South Pole.Think about it this way, it will be sufficiently cold to freeze exposed skin in mere seconds.

During this time there is alo no sunlight, little contact with the outside world, and little hope for assistance if things should go wrong, and yet twenty-eight people will spend six months of their lives in Antarctica.As a crew they work to maintain the U.S. polar base and operate telescopes and other scientific devices located at the research station.Present day communications and technology are altering that purpose.

In the past, astronomers located in North America used satellites to operate the telescope at the South Pole observatory.This was the first time a South Pole telescope was controlled from a warmer continent.Astronomers are wishing that someday they will have the ability of observing the universe from the South Pole while being physically located in a warm office somewhere else.affordable antarctica tours

The people who commit to staying at the South Pole have to contend with the coldest, driest, and windiest conditions on this planet.They also have to be careful of breathing difficulties as the result of the high altitudes at the South Pole.As a result, little else survives in that climate, save for animals and plants that have already adapted to the cold.

“Winter-over” is the moniker given to people who spend their winter working in Antarctica for whatever reason.In order to occupy their time, they’re given great meals, exercise rooms, pool tables, as well as hundreds of videos to choose from.Normally, winter-overs do not speak much about what occurs during their winter months of isolation at the South Pole, from February to October.antarctica vacations

Since the number and complexity of the South Pole facilities have expanded so greatly, electrical power can often be fairly dogdy there.There are only three oil-burning generators to power everything, including computers, lights, telescopes, lasers, and other electrical devices.That being the case, the winter-overs must cope with insufficient power, tight quarters and cold buildings.

Various traditions are used by winter-overs to help pass the time.If there’s a day in which the outside temperature is more than 100 degrees below zero, you can join the “300 Club.”The sauna is stoked up to 200 degrees for maximum warmth.Then they run from the sauna out into the 100 degree air and back.

They also look forward to the annual airdrop.This occurs in June. It is the drop of pallets of food, mail, and supplies by a U.S. Air National Guard military transport plane.The winter-overs will operate heavy equipment to retrieve the supplies and bring them into the station.This airdrop is the closest contact with the civilization and the outside world that the winter-overs will experience during their six month stay.

During their stay in Antarctica, they will not travel over a mile from the pole or even see a tree.Everyone who takes on this responsibility is given a week’s vacation at the McMurdo Station, which is a U.S Antarctic base.While on this vacation the winter-overs typically camp out in the wonderful 25-degree weather, sun bake on rocky beaches, and wear t-shirts and jeans.