antarctic cruises

Sep 3 2010

Above Antarctica

Visiting almost every clime on earth, this ninety-one year old traveler has now seen Antarctica. This visit was in person to Antarctica. She saw the continent with her own eyes and didn?t rely on television or magazines to show her. Though she?d been in this area twice before, this was the first time she?d actually viewed Antarctica. Though they never actually touched down, they did travel over the land.

The lucky tourist flew above the continent for four hours and was able to see a variety of features. She saw fjords, glaciers and tall mountain passes. The pilot took the plane down to 300 feet above the ground. Fog covered one of the mountain ranges they passed. They couldn?t have asked for better weather for viewing. The sun was bright in the sky and it was absolutely clear. The airs were very cold, sub-freezing, even though the March flight took place during the Antarctic Summer. They were treated to a lecture, and had their questions answered by a naturalist who was currently researching on Antarctica. You’ll get further resources on antarctic cruises by visiting there.

The 91 year-old traveler really wanted to see penguins during the flight. Her daughter, also on the plane, saw a far-away colony through another window. She did not see any penguins on the flight. They took a ship to the Falkland Islands. These are off the coast of Argentina. Hundreds of Magellan penguins greeted her as she reached the East Island of the Falklands. This took another boat ride. These are the tallest of the penguins.

They cruised from a South American city after having taken a sixteen hour flight from the US. Passengers could opt to swim in the ship?s pool, in addition to traveling to many ports of call. She took the dive, disregarding the thirty-five degree temperatures, and was rewarded with a certificate.

They finally flew into Rio, after having toured Santiago. The cruise ship docked in Chile. The passengers could not have asked for better weather on their three week cruise. They were even able to see the Southern Cross, the world?s smallest constellation, because of the incredibly clear night air. You can get the best antarctic cruise reviews information by visiting this website.

In a previous trip to South America, the tourist was able to cruise the continent?s major river system and visit a big city. Because she was able to see the devastation visited upon the rain forest around that river in the few years between her visits, she is deeply concerned about the loss of bird habitat. She has also visited Africa and gone on a Safari.She’s been to, also. So, Antarctica was the only continent she had not been to.Her flight above Antarctica satisfied that need.

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Aug 10 2010

Teeming With Life: Oceans Of Antarctica

Tiny at only one hundredth of an inch long, the animal that chooses to live the farthest south is a pink mite. Fungi and algae are what the arachnid uses for its own sustenance.Imagine the delight a scientist from Hawaii felt when he found the pink mite living a mere 309 miles from the South Pole. This same scientist found lichens growing 266 miles from the Pole, which is the nearest any living thing has ever been found.

One popular magazine states that only insects and relatives of insects live permanently in Antarctica. Although your eye can’t see them, around 56 species of arthropods have been found there. The biggest is visible. It’s about the size of a horsefly and is a wingless fly. The animals reanimate when the air reaches temperatures above thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit. They are asleep during Antarctica’s long, hard winter. You will find info on Antarctic cruises by visiting that site.

A huge conglomerate of living creatures fills the waters surrounding Antarctica. They range in size from microscopic to the biggest on this planet. At one point, scientists used a steel chamber to access the world beneath the water. It measured 6 by 4 feet in size. As they took turns, the scientists watched the sea life around them through six windows. They could even hear the life beneath the waters because they installed a hydrophone.

Though there weren’t a lot of fish to be seen, there was a jelly fish that sported tentacles of up to thirty feet in length. The chamber did attract the attention of local seals, who surfaced at a nearby ice hole and looked at the chamber itself. Scientists could hear them chirp, beep, buzz and whistle through the hydrophone. This was an underwater racket one scientist hadn’t heard previously.

Weddell seals are typically thought to navigate and communicate using those series of sounds.The navigation theory makes a lot of sense when you consider finding food and air in the darkness of the Antarctic. Seal sounds are being investigated. There are some sounds that we, as humans, can’t even detect because they are beyond our capabilities. If you are in search of info don’t forget to view this resource best Antarctic cruise.

It’s still unknown the method by which the sounds are made by the seals.Underwater finds the seals with sealed nostrils and mouths. Weddell seals have been recorded diving up to 1500 feet in depth. This is the farthest any mammal has ever been officially recorded as diving. Their lung capacity is also great, one seal waiting a half hour before needing to emerge from the water.One zoologist was lucky enough to get a sample of a mother seal’s milk. Seal milk has a much higher fat ratio than human milk does. This is one of the reasons that baby seals can gain weight more quickly than any other mammal. In the space of a month and a half, a baby seal can grow fourfold.

Scientists dressed in frogman suits, were able to check out the seas round Antarctica. They even found red, among other colored, seaweed growing on the sea floor. Other species included five foot words, four foot sponges, and starfish that had both red and white coloration on it, making Antarctica the most interesting place to find new life.

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