They call it
the white continent. It is remote. It is the highest, driest, emptiest and
coldest place on Earth. It has just two seasons–summer and winter. It is
considered a desert as it receives very little rain or snowfall. There are
beautiful etched out glaciers and an ice surface that can be blinding. No
permanent human residents reside here, but throughout the year there are
visiting scientists scattered at research stations across the continent. They
work on unique projects related to ice, weather, penguins, whales, and seals.
This is Antarctica. In mass, it is larger than the United States. And,
while nobody owns it, forty-eight nations signed a treaty designating the land
as a “natural reserve.”
I had the
incredible opportunity to visit Antarctica this winter (their summer). The
typical way to reach the continent is cruising by boat from Ushuaia, which is a
southern port of Argentina. This route sails you through the Drake Passage for
two days each way. It is a very rough body of water because it is where the
Atlantic meets the Pacific. My group and I took a different route.
From Santiago,
Chile, we took a three-hour flight to Punta Arenas, the furthest point in
Chile. There, we were met by the staff of Antarctica XXI. They organized a very
comfortable cargo jet that landed right into a base camp on Prince George
Island, in the South Shetland Islands. It was easy and cut four “travel” days
out of the journey by allowing us to bypass sailing the Drake Passage. This is
a great advantage as it gives travelers more time to visit other parts of South
America; like Patagonia, Santiago, or Valparaiso, as an add-on to a minimum
five-day visit in Antarctica.
Blue skies and
fresh air greeted us upon arrival. We took a twenty-minute walk to the water’s
edge where we boarded Zodiacs to take us to the Ocean Nova, our home for this
adventure. The ship was an expedition type that holds 68 passengers. I enjoyed
the very knowledgeable and interesting speakers and guides. The meals on the
ship were impressive, as the staff has to deal with limited supplies being able
to reach them. We dined on delicious soups, salads, and, of course, fish.
Each day we
took two outings to the various islands, lasting from 2-3 hours each. We
boarded our Zodiacs with our wellies, warm jackets, and three layers of
clothing and had fantastic sightings of penguins, seals, and whales. I
can still hear the sounds of the penguins squawking and talking to each other.
Watching the interaction of the adult penguins with their babies was fascinating;
especially feeding them and teaching them to swim. It was a delight to behold.
I was also surprised how big the seals were up close. We stopped at three base
camps, each governed by a different country, and visited with scientists. It
struck me how alone they are while living on this vast, empty continent. They
can go weeks without a shipment of supplies, so they must be prepared!
This
destination has been high on my bucket list, possibly because it seemed so
elusive and mysterious to me. The pristine beauty and breathtaking
landscape is unforgettable and definitely worth the journey. With awe, I
finally made it to my 7th continent!
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