Rare Above Freezing Temperatures
Tuesday, 7. September 2010
What are you in to, raw vacation spots without as many tourists as the conventional areas? Destinations where they would be the first official settlers become the tourists’ motivation to go to the ends of the earth. Converging in the ice laden continent of Antarctica are the sightseers originating from New Zealand and South America. Go to this site for further information on polar travel.
There were only a few sealers, scientists, and explorers who have reached the continent discovered in 1820. As large as the United States and Mexico combined, it is covered by a 7,000 foot thick ice blanket so that they can only visit a few places on the partially ice free coast. When you want to get there, you need to be in a ship strong enough for ice impact and be able to sail through the stormiest seas. As a consolation, there are 24 hours of sunlight plus temperature that rarely go above freezing.
Reaching the south of the Antarctic Circle for the very first time is the group of 14 men and 12 women and they were also able to go the Mcmurdo Sound area, 2,000 miles south of and New Zealand. The area, made famous by British explorers who suffered untold hardship and death, is now occupied by a US Navy facility with a summer population of about 800 sailors and scientists. Consider summer in the south, it will definitely make it the winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Their brief landing in 1957 allowed two airline stewardesses to be the sole women in this area. However, there were no celebrations from the Navymen at McMurdo Station when the women arrived on the continent. What the sailors saw was something that may detract them from living a year without women, a feat worth boasting about when they returned. To get a closer look on arctic ocean cruises visit this site.
Those from McMurdo are not as eager to see the arrival of tourist ships in January and February. Many sailors, scientists and civilian technicians here see themselves as adventurers and explorers, or feel that they have been specially selected for rigorous jobs. They see it as the adventure in Antarctica being lost with the coming of tourists. Drinks, tips, laundry and seasick pills are extra on all trips, but the travel service supplies kodachrome, red parka, warm pants and mittens.
Since 1955, Antarctica has been continuously occupied by American scientists and US Navy personnel who support their research. As well as the Americans, there are nine scientific stations from other nations in the continent and nearby islands. How can tourists affect the position of the Navy? Having no territorial claim mean that they have no say in who comes here, according to the commander of naval forces in Antarctica. But they can say who can and cannot come to their stations.
Entry is only permitted to the self supporting. But a well equipped ship helps them out with this. There is a necessity for proper safety precautions. Based on the provided operation plan, the travel agency is seen to provide much safety.
Aside from the first nuclear power reactor in Antarctica, a visitor can experience some drinks at the enlisted clubs here, visit the ship’s store and post exchange, or attend services at the Chapel of the Snows. Since most of them are ardent hikers, conservationists and bird watchers, they will probably head for nearby penguin rookeries, the abandoned but restored huts of earlier explorers, or places where seals, skua gulls and killer whales may be seen.