ANTARCTICA: The White Continent


ANTARCTICA

Antarctica is a continent that spreads around the South pole. Most of it, is circumscribed by the polar Antarctic circle (66°33´south) and none of its points reach the 60° south parallel.
From Ushuaia's harbour, between November and March, several ships, with capacity for carrying between 38 and 1400 passengers, leave towards the fascinating and mysterious white continent.

Due to the distance that separates Ushuaia from Antarctica (1200 km) and the crossing of Drake Passage that takes, at least, two days, these trips last about 8 days. When the voyage includes Cape Horn, Shetlands, Georgias or Malvinas Islands, lasting increases to two weeks or more. The circumnavigation of the white continent needs two months, approximately.

Along the circuit, different places are visited, chosen for the beauty of their landscapes or their rich fauna, in which passengers can disembark on board dingy boats.
In order to get off the boat, it is necessary to have impermeable clothes: coat, trousers and boots, as well as cap and gloves, woolen clothes, sun glasses and sun protector. All ships have a very good heating system, so it is possible to wear light clothes while on board.
Fares of these voyages vary not just according to the circuit and characteristics of the ship, but also for the king and location of the cabin. In all cases you have full board and they include excursions, informative material and lectures by naturalist and other scientists. The official language on board is English. Fares do not include: personal insurance, alcoholic drinks, laundry, phone calls or tips.

It is possible to visit Antarctica by vessel. A classical circuit, depending on then weather conditions, includes a visit to Puerto Williams, (where customer steps are done) and to Cape Horn, from where we leave towards the peninsula.

Once on it, different scientific bases are visited, old whaler anchorage, Shetland and Deception Islands (in the last one there is a crater in which is it possible to have a thermal bath). Returning to Tierra del Fuego starts going through Drake Passage again, this navigation lasts about four days. These vessels can room between 2 and 8 passengers, the voyage last 4 weeks, approximately.

TO BEAR IN MIND:
While Continent is one of the most important natural resources in the world. Therefore, protection and preservation are necessary, that means to protect fauna and avoid any kind of contamination, chemical as well as residual one. We do not have to forget that there are scientific bases that make investigations about changeable trends, such as: pollution and global weather change, that seriously endanger the evolution of the whole world