subject: Looking For 70,000 Pairs Of Penguins? Try Antarctica [print this page] There are over seventy thousand pairs of penguins in Antarctica, and they walk around looking like they're dressed for dinner and they own this entire land you are about to check out.
You can watch them as they preen themselves, send any other penguins away that aren't part of their nest, and defend their families against aggressive seals. It seems the little ones who are still brown and covered with down, are always hungry for their parent's predigested food. The parents always have a ready supply of food for their chicks. Once the now-full mother returns from feeding, she and the father perform a ritualistic dance of bows and pecks. Then the father takes a turn in the ocean.
Contrary to our expectations, penguins are far from cute. They are cantankerous and offensive, and they don't smell good, either. Even with these poor characteristics, humans still want to see these birds in their own habitat. For this reason, travel to Antarctica has increased in great numbers.
Penguins aren't the only reason people are visiting Antarctica, though. There are many other creatures, such as dolphins, sea birds, whales, albatross, and seals, as well as an amazing looking landscape and seascape that will never be forgotten. You'll see glaciers which point sharply upwards, mimicking the grand cathedrals found in Europe. If you are one of the brave, then you can always take a trip to see a remote setting where hardly anyone has gone before. The world's final border, Antarctica is the last frontier.
Even taking the trip is going to be an adventure! The trip, though rarely taken, will be stimulating, unique and costly. If you are leaving from the US, it takes at the very least 20 hours of air travel to make it to the southernmost port of Argentina. Alternately, people can leave from Christchurch in NZ, Cape Town in South Africa, or Punta Arenas in Chile. All of these places have cruise ships which can travel through the icy waters of the Antarctic. You can still only reach the land by sea; and you must endure several days of rough water to get to Antarctica.
Larger than the US And Mexico put together, the continent holds over 70 percent of all the freshwater preserves and is so heavy that it causes the earth's surface to indent. When you count all the ice shelves that surround the continent, the area is larger than North America, Europe and Greenland put together. Various cruises will offer you different itineraries, which can reach up to one month. The ships that are taking you to Antarctica aren't giant cruise ships, either, they're much smaller. The ships are vastly different than those you'll find on Caribbean or Mediterranean cruises. You won't find a casino on board; rather, you'll experience lectures and slide shows on Antarctica.
Visits to seal colonies, penguin rookeries, and research centers on Antarctica are made possible by the use of smaller rafts. Passengers are ferried to land from the larger ships.
Five different countries have research stations in Antarctica, but Antarctica has been decidedly border free and environmentally protected as per an international agreement to keep the country exactly as it is.
Such tourism strikes various individuals as a big mistake. There once was flyover tourism of Antarctica, but in 1979 a plane crashed and killed 257 people. Antarctica's fragile ecosystem must be protected from all tourism, according to environmentalists. Politicians, environmentalists, and scientists all debate tourism to Antarctica. The first argument is for the protection of Antarctica. The second side is the fact that some of the tourists who have been to Antarctica see how beautiful it is and become environmentalists themselves.
At the moment, tourism to Antarctica is not regulated. But everyone who visits is expected to follow some basic rules. Leave the natives alone, take only pictures and leave only footprints. Clothes that can be removed in layers are best. Pack you own waffle-soled, waterproof boots and plenty of extra socks. Most ships will supply you with a down-filled parka. You're going to see the prices for items on the ship are extreme, so be sure you pack your own camera as well as sun block and sunglasses.
