Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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time, amid sometimes uncomfor table conditions, heightens the price that this r egion
exacts fr om trav elers. N evertheless, many of Antar ctica's 30,000 y early visitors would
agree that it's worth the effort.
A BRIEF HISTORY
The history of exploration and the discovery of the Antarctic continent are littered with
claims, counterclaims, tall tales, intrigue, and suffering. Captain J ames Cook discovered
the S outh S andwich and S outh G eorgia I slands in 1773 (a par t of Antar ctica, these
islands are a B ritish possession), but he nev er spotted the Antar ctic continent. H e did,
however, set off a seal-hunting fr enzy, after reporting the large colonies he found ther e;
it's estimated that sealers eventually discovered around a third of the islands in the region.
Two sealers w ere the first to actually step foot on the continent: the American J ohn
Davis, at Hughes Bay in 1821, and the British James Weddell, at Saddle Island in 1823.
During a scientific expedition in 1840, the American navy lieutenant Charles Wilkes
finally concluded that Antar ctica was not a series of islands and ice packs, but rather a
contiguous landmass.
The South Pole eluded explorers for another 90 years, until Norwegian Roald Admud-
sen and his w ell-prepared five-man team reached it on D ecember 4, 1911. Amundsen's
arrival at the pole accounted for one of histor y's most remarkable expeditions ev er. His
feat, however, was eclipsed by tragedy: His rival, the British captain Robert Scott, reached
the pole 33 days later , only to find Amundsen 's tent and a note. Scott and his par ty,
already suffering from scurvy and exposure, froze to death on their return trip, just 18km
(11 miles) from their ship.
No other destination has held such cachet for adv enturous explorers. In 1915, the I rish
explorer Ernest Shackleton deemed Antarctica “the last great journey left to man.” Shackleton
attempted to cross the Antarctic continent but never achieved his goal: Pack ice trapped and
sank his boat. The entire party miraculously survived for 1 year on a diet of penguin and seal,
before Shackleton sailed to South Georgia Island in a lifeboat to get help .
Today, 27 nations send personnel to Antar ctica to per form seasonal and y ear-round
research. The population v aries from 4,000 people in the summer to r oughly 1,000 in
the winter. A total of 42 stations operate y ear-round, and an additional 32 r un in sum-
mer only. The stations study world climactic changes and can be instrumental in improv-
ing the envir onment. I n 1985, for instance, r esearchers at the B ritish H alley station
discovered a growing hole in the oz one layer. This prompted the Montreal Protocol, in
1987, to cut back on CFC emissions.
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO ANTARCTICA
Visitor Information
Numerous websites offer helpful information about Antar ctica. A few of the best are:
•
www .iaato.org
: This is the official website of the International Association of Antarc-
tica Tour Operators. It is important that your tour group be a member of the IAATO.
Most cr uise operators ar e members. M embership in the organization ensur es a safe
and envir onmentally r esponsible visit to Antar ctica. S tatistics, general information,
and news can be found on this w ebsite.
•
www .discoveringantarctica.com
: This educational site has the nuts and bolts behind
natural and human life on the fr ozen continent.
•
www .antarcticconnection.com
: This site offers trav el information, tour operator
links, and Antarctica-related items for sale, including maps and videos.
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