Sign In
Blogs from Antarctica
Advertisement
April 27th 2013
This is absolutely going be the hardest blog post to write. In all of the places we've been in the last 11-months there has always been some sort of relatable experience to compare it to. I have never wanted to tell someone about someplace so much but be at such a loss for words to describe it, or have as many pictures I want to share that won't do it a bit of justice! So please enjoy all of the photos at the end. As Sky mentioned in our last post there was only one female spot available as a last minute trip so the decision was made that I would head out to Antarctica while Sky went fishing. I felt quite guilty taking this opportunity solo, plus after spending 24/7 together for the previous 9 ... read more
February 25th 2013
Antarctia was on my bucket list and I am glad that we had the opportunity to visit it. It is a continent of white and black, quickly changing weather, massive icebergs, plentiful wild life in the form of penguins, seals, whales and birds, no permanent human residents. You are the visitor. I have previously posted a number of pictures from places we visited, these were posted from my mini-computer so it was tough looking at a small image to know if I had selected the best pictures to present our experience. The accompanying pictures show some of the beauty of this last unexplored continent.... read more
February 22nd 2013
Former Whaling Station --- Tuesday, January 29, 2013 The weather is terrible today as we disembark for a former whaling station that was used by 13 nations and abandoned at the time of the First World War. The station sits upon an active volcano. If you put your hand into the water and scratch away a couple of inches of gravel you will have to pull your hand back quickly, it is so hot. The large tanks in the picture may remind you of the large storage tanks for fuel. They were used to store whale oil, so this will give you some idea of the number of whales that were killed; this was only one of several whaling stations in Antarctic at the turn of the century.... read more
February 20th 2013
Like a crocodile with dwarfism, I shall attempt to make this fairly short and snappy. I am writing this on the 19th of February. By now I have completed not only my Antarctic cruise but also my hike around Torres del Paine, and I am keen to get you all up to date before I head off for the next big adventure: Africa! In my previous posts I really concentrated on the various landings that we made in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica itself, so it’s about time I gave you a bit more of the people perspective, as I met some great people and some great characters on the boat. First though, one more wildlife experience, which happened in Antarctica after we had landed at Petermann Island. When we got back into the ... read more
Advertisement
February 15th 2013
The White Continent. On The Ice. Antarctica. Whatever you refer to it as, there is no denying the pull that Antarctica can have on a person, way more when you are counting down the days to actually getting there. We left South Georgia as bad weather set in, and had heard stories of boats recently not being able to reach some areas around the peninsula due to the amount of ice. In fact, one ship had become stuck several days before hand and an ice breaker had to be sent to break them free. Hopefully this was not a fate that awaited us. Our first stop was Elephant Island, the location where Shackleton’s men had waited for his return for several months under two overturned lifeboats. Ironically, the spot is in fact marked by a statue, ... read more
February 15th 2013
Port Lockroy – Neko Harbour --- Monday, January 28, 2013 The Fram did have a stop yesterday Sunday but the rain and snow were heavy and we decided to take it easy and not risk my camera getting too wet. There was a small boat tour around the icebergs in the Lemaire Channel that would take people closer to sites, but it was so wet and windy that 2 of the people that went their cameras no longer work. Port Lockroy is a former British base that has been restored to its former state in the 1950’s. It also has a post office and a store, so it is the most visited spot in the Antarctic. The British have formed a trust to try and restore former bases to former state; the store is one of ... read more
Below the Antarctic Circle -- Detaille Island January 26, 2013
Published: February 14th 2013Antarctica
February 14th 2013
Antarctic Circle – Detaille Island --- Saturday January 26, 2013 The Antarctica Circle is one of 5 major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It lies 66* 33’ 39” south of the equator. We proceeded a bit further south to the former British base on Detaille Island. The Brits were not very imaginative when it came to naming their stations. Here on Detaille Island is former Station W. The base was abandoned after 3 years since sea ice had made relief so difficult for each of the 3 years it was open. The British at their bases used huskies for much of their exploration around their bases. Some of the passengers were brave or foolish enough to take a plunge into the ocean. Later we took the smaller boat out to cruise around ... read more
February 8th 2013
Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest place on Earth.The lowest temperature ever registered was of -89⁰C in 1983, while in the warmest day of summer, it doesn’t reach more than 15⁰C near the coast.There is no rain in Dry Valleys, Antarctica for 2 Million years.No permanent human lives there because the weather is extreme, also no land animal except a very small insect called Mingle Midge. Although 70% of world water is in Antarctica but it is a driest continent. If all ice in Antarctica was to melt the sea water would raise about 200ft.( Click "Antarctica 1/2013" for the panoramic pictures) Co 17 loai Penguins song rai rac khap noi nhung cho o Nam Ban cau ma thoi. Tuy nhien chi co vai loai Penguins song o Antarctica vi troi lanh ma thoi trong ... read more
February 7th 2013
The time had finally come to embark on our way to Antarctica. My stomach was filled with as much excitment as it was dread of how I would fare on a boat crossing the Drake Passage - one of the roughest patches of sea in the world - with my notorious history of seasickness on even mild ferry trips. So with a scopolomine patch behind my ear, a decent ingestion of meclozine, ginger tablets and ginger ale, a couple of acupuncture sea bands on my wrists and armed with a prescription dose of metamide in case I did throw up, I boarded our boat, the Sea Adventurer. Things were all going well as we set off through the (sheltered) Beagle Channel and I enjoyed some time on deck and a big dinner. ...And then we hit ... read more
