Warming Up To The Wonders Of The Frozen Continent

I waited for the waves to break before doing my thing once I carefully stepped down the gangway of the cruise liner. I was seated in my tiny rubber boat after one fast stride. A napping seal and chunks of blue ice were the things we passed by in just a matter of minutes. To get to the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula, I swing my legs over the zodiac as soon as the boat comes to a stop at a rocky beach.

A precious sight complemented by a strong guano smell overcame me as I walked along the beach, laden with large blocks of ice. I was amazed at the adelie penguins waddling around me by the hundreds. Up a craggy slope their numbers rose, right as far as I can behold. And this would be the first landing we have on this remotest of continents, and I can indeed say that the two day cruise through rough seas, from Ushuaia, Argentina, is paying off indeed. More and more travelers across the globe see that this huge crystalline wilderness at world's bottom is worth all the trouble.

Over 26,000 tourists came last year and this keeps increasing every single year. Lectures on antics of sneaky penguins are able to break patterns of swirling blue off. During December days of the austral summer, the weather gets surprisingly pleasant here in the continent know to be the coldest in the whole world. Going above the 40s on the peninsula, temperatures can become cruelly way beyond freezing point. The time when trips usually run is from November to March.

Going on a sea adventure for around 11 days, this 100 meter ice strengthened ship body is full with passengers most of the time, carrying about a hundred or more of them. The ship is not fancy at all, but it is extremely comfy. It has a cozy bar and lounge, plus an auditorium and library. Going on a trip to Antarctica can be done with tiny yachts. We shall leave the port come Friday evening. The next morning, we got the chance to behold a spectacle of marvelous southern sea birds as they glide, especially the remarkable albatrosses.

In their aim to pass time while cruising the sea, tour guides inject lectures by different experts from a marine biologist, geologist, bird expert, historian and an artist that teaches them how to draw and paint penguins and icebergs. Even as global warming was often part of conversations, it came as a surprise that during the trip, this was absent.

Events in the nearby islands as well as during the landings on the continent is mostly where the highlights of the trip were. Seeing an avalanche in action or perhaps listening to the boisterous sound produced by a calving iceberg will never be forgotten. However, much can still be viewed from the ship's glorious decks. Thanks to short hours of darkness, tourists maximize their trip.

Being heavily dressed to stay warm from strong, cold winds is a must before going up the deck of the ship to witness the breathtaking array of icebergs sculpted by the wind as they parade past your ship, glorious in white or blue shades. Beautiful high mountains brimming with hanging glaciers are the pristine landscapes we feasted on. Most times, whales will greet humans. Lighting up the wide sky with bright orange and red, sunsets last long.

One elderly passenger needed to be evacuated soon after getting so sick and this shocked us as we got back on our cruise liner. This means we will make a long detour overnight and go back to the South Shetland Islands to get to an airstrip. These instances, evacuation that entail tens of thousands of dollars, call for the wise move of getting medical evacuation insurance before embarking on a journey.

After the evacuation to Chile, much needed by the passenger had taken place, we found our way going all the way to Ardley Island, and saw how adorable newly Gentoo penguin young being fed. Feeding a young penguin entails the parent penguin regurgitating a snack of krill and this is done by the adult penguin delicately taking in the head of the chick into its mouth, and after, a strand of slime from beak to beak shows.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

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by: Andrew Cook

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