Elaborations on the Route to Antarctica
Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world, was a wonderful place for my companion and me to shop while waiting for the ship to Antarctica. We knew we had to board first once we spotted the white ship pull into the pristine harbor. A pleasant surprise we received upon finding that we will pass the Horn. More expert antarctica information is located at antarctica cruises.
I find it hard to believe that I’ll get to see the Horn. Stories of sailors who braved the high seas and danger around the Cape Horn, the tip of South America, were always my favorite. The only thing better is walking on the bottom of the world, like the great explorers, after treading 700 more miles of sea.
The ideal lodging for those afflicted with motion sickness is the center of the ship, where we chose our cabin. We also explore the inside and outside decks to familiarize ourselves with the location of public rooms. Then it hits us that there are 98 passengers and 46 crewmen on board.
Ice breakers during dinner, our first meal aboard, consisted of asking dinner mates why they decided to go to Antarctica. I made no scientific study, you understand, but it seemed that at least half answered that it’s their last continent to visit and they’ve already been on the other six continents. Of course, all of us are also interested in the wildlife, the scenery, the unusualness of the terrain. To read other antarctica articles make sure to visit antarctica vacations.
A staff member tells us that our 7,500 horse power sea craft is able to cut through a foot thick ice. Almost all of the world’s ice and fresh water, specifically 90% and 70%, respectively, are located in Antarctica. Floods would ensue if Antarctica’s ice melting, even reducing the South American Andes extension and the Transantarctic at 7,000 to 8,000 feet elevation to mere islands.
Some people remember an oversized bird trailing behind the ship and are told that it is actually a lost albatross. As the world’s largest flying bird, it boasts an 11.5-foor wingspan.
Hunters should also note its keen sense of smell. Other bird varieties we expect to see are petrels, shags or cormorants, skuas and penguins. Somewhere along the evolutionary line, Antarctic birds found it better to have webbed feet.
The next topic was Antarctic whales. Life for these beings can be 60-100 years. They can produce only one offspring every two years.
The total number of Americans on the ship is eight, including my companion and me. Everyone else, to our anxiety, is from Australia or other countries that use the metric system. Conversion charts provided come in handy, but actual reckoning can still be an effort.
