Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.
Today: Top 10 best things to see & do on Antarctica
Antarctica is the ultimate journey on the bucket list of many travelers. Whether you're drawn to Antarctica's unique fauna & flora or its sheer isolation, you will find nothing like the planet's most remote place, never mind seeing it with your own eyes. The coldest, driest, and windiest place in the world, Antarctica's desolate, frozen landmass also is the closest most people will ever get to have the feeling of being on another planet without leaving Earth (unless you've already booked your ticket on the Virgin Galactic shuttle). Two centuries after its discovery in 1820, Antarctica remains almost as elusive and mythical as during the days of its earliest exploration, and those lucky enough to visit the White Continent talk about an unforgettable, life-changing experience with otherworldly landscapes and beguiling wildlife (count me in). Here's my top 10 list of the best things to see & do during a trip to Antarctica.
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10. TRAVEL TO ANTARCTICA BY CRUISE SHIP
The most common way to travel to Antarctica is by ship from South America, usually Ushuaia (Argentina) or Punta Arenas (Chile). Departing from Ushuaia is by far the most popular route to take when going to Antarctica, as this port city is located closer to Antarctica than Punta Arenas, hence less time is spent traveling to Antarctica and more time is spent on the continent itself. These trips - ranging from 9 to 30 days - involve a crossing of the iconic Drake Passage, a journey which takes about 2 days (one way) along one of Earth's roughest seas (with waves that can be up to 18 m or 60 ft tall). Several companies as well as some more-traditional cruise line offer expedition cruises to Antartica. The two most luxurious options are Silversea Cruises - which travels to Antarctica with its brand new ultra-luxury expedition vessel Silver Endeavour - and Cookson Adventures - which cruises to Antarctica with Legend, a former Russian icebreaker completely overhauled and refitted by ICON Yachts in 2015.
9. MAKE A STOP-OVER ON THE SUB-ANTARCTIC ISLANDS
Even though the White Continent has more than enough attractions to fill any expedition program, it's common for Antarctica cruises to make landfall on two sub-Antarctic islands during their itineraries: the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. These overseas territories of the UK - located halfway between Argentina and Antarctica - are great sea life and birdwatching locations shelters, especially South Georgia because of its overwhelming numbers of breeding penguins and seals. For example, the island is home to 450,000 pairs of King penguins, which is about half the world's population. The colony on South Georgia also boasts the largest nursery of baby Kings on the planet and is often referred to as the largest crèche in the world. Many people who head to the South Georgia have kKing penguin watching in mind (the second largest penguin species in the world), but the island is also home to 3 million breeding pairs of Macaroni Penguins, the largest penguin population in the world.
8. VISIT A SCIENCE RESEARCH STATION
Being the most remote place on earth, scientists from around the world flock to Antarctica to perform a lot of cutting edge research. There are currently 70 permanent research stations scattered across the White Continent, which represent 29 countries from across the planet. Together, these countries, or 'signatories' of the Antarctic Treaty, are committed to the preservation and conservation of the White Continent. McMurdo Station, operated by the USA, is the largest and most famous Antarctic station, while Belgium's Princess Elisabeth Station is the most modern and the only zero emission polar research station. Due to its geographic location, the most visited center is Vernadsky Station, a former British research base transferred to Ukraine in 1996. Named after Russian and Ukrainian mineralogist Vladimir Vernadsky, this station s located at Marina Point on Galindez Island and boasts a lounge that serves as the 'Southernmost Bar in the World', as well as a post office where visitors may send mail from Antarctica.
7. SPOT WHALES
Antarctica is the perfect place for close encounters with whale. Humpback whales are the most abundant whale species in the icy waters around the Antarctic Peninsula. They, along with millions of penguins, seals, seabirds, and other whales, feed primarily on Antarctic krill during the Austral summer months (November to February) and there are few displays as exciting on an Antarctica cruise as a humpback whale lobtailing right in front of the boat. Watching the whales from a cruise ship gives you a better viewing angle, but small guided zodiac excursions can get you closer to the action and allow you to follow a pod as the whales breach and dive together beneath the snowy sky. Seeing humpback whales in Antarctica is also a powerful symbol of their resiliency. Hunted to the brink of extinction before the International Whaling Commission intervention in the 1960s, humpback whales in the Southern Ocean have rebounded and returned to their historical feeding grounds around Antarctica.
6. KAYAK AROUND ICE BERGS - OR SCUBA DIVE UNDER THEM
Few things will get you closer to Antarctica's rugged scenery than kayaking. In a kayak, you can get away from the noise of the motorized vessels and enjoy the spectacular landscape in a pure way while keep a steady rhythm with your paddles. You'll see marine life, crystal clear waters and shimmering icebergs that turn the water beneath you a brilliant blue. You may even spot some local wildlife, and when you're lucky, you may encounter a humpback whale breaching right next to your kayak. If you'd rather see Antarctica's natural treasures from an underwater perspective instead of from a kayak, consider polar scuba diving. Scuba diving in Antarctica is not for beginners as it's both technical and challenging, and it's for everyone as some be turned off by the cold weather and lack of modern aids in Antarctica( such as decompression chambers). Nonetheless, true diving enthusiasts who want something off the beaten track will be dazzled by the White Continent's exotic wildlife and the raw underwater beauty.
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