Antarctic Blog

Circumnavigation of Antarctica - Russian Yachtsman Sets World Record!

A Russian solo yachtsman sailed into Western Australia today to set a record of 102 days for circumnavigating Antarctica. Fedor Konyukhov , 56, threw down the gauntlet to yachtsmen around the world in what was his fourth circumnavigation. Konyukhov set out from Albany (on Western Australia's south coast) with his open 85ft monohull Trading Network Alye Parusa on Australia Day. The adventurer braved a succession of storms, freezing temperatures, dodged icebergs and sailed past whales.

He came through it all unscathed, returning to King George Sound on 7 May to record a time of 102 days 00 hours 56 minutes 50secs for his 16,400 mile circuit of the Antarctic continent. Asked whether it would be his last such voyage, Konyukhov said it would be the last for a while!He said, "the Southern Ocean provides the most spectacular sailing conditions in the world".

If you fancy following in Konyukhov's footsteps, then you can do so thanks to the sturdy icebreaker, the Kapitan Khlebnikov, which will trace the coastline of the Antarctic continent in a semi-circumnavigation departing from South America (in an anti-clockwise direction) to Australasia this November. Find out more about the amazing Epic Antarctica voyage here - there is VERY limited availability left! Rumours abound that there may be a full circumnavigation voyage with the icebreaker planned for the Antarctic season 2009/10 - how incredible an adventure would that be! We hope to have details of the 2009/10 season within the next few weeks, so watch this space!

Posted on May 7, 2008 in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | E-mail this

A postmark from Port Lockroy - the most Southerly Post Office in the World!

There's nothing quite like sending a postcard from a far-flung corner of the world to let family, friends and loved-ones know you're thinking of them, even if you're thousands of miles away! I've been lucky enough to send my folks post from various exotic locations, but my Dad still treasures the one I sent him from Antarctica with that all-important stamp and postmark, thanks to the most southerly Post Office in World - Port Lockroy! The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust operates this tiny Post Office from Bransfield House on Goudier Island (on behalf of the Government of the British Antarctic Territory which donates a proportion of the Post Office revenue to the Trust).

Port Lockroy is a tiny speck on the map of the Antarctic Peninsula, located amidst a landscape covered in penguins, glaciers, mountains, with ice-berg choked waters - an astounding place! Amazingly, over 70,000 cards and letters are hand-processed by the staff there each year to over 100 different countries! Rick, Helen and Rachel (the intrepid trio who manned Port Lockroy for the 07/08 season) are now home and Port Lockroy is closed until November. You can read about the team's everyday exploits in Antarctica via the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust's website. Their 'Letters from Lockroy' are a great way of finding out what life is like down on the White Continent, and how the seasons and weather changes, together with the wildlife year-on-year.

Port Lockroy is not only an important natural and historic environment. The UKAHT consistently monitors (through a long-term environmental study) the impact of visitors to the site. This allows the Trust to regulate the number of visitors and ships visiting the area, as well as, in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty, imposing strict site guidelines to ensure the environment is properly cared for.

In true polar form, Discover the World also offer tours to the most northerly Post Office in the world, at Ny Alesund, Spitsbergen (the Norwegian High Arctic)! Both Port Lockroy and Ny Alesund are reached by expedition vessel on one of our polar journeys.

Posted on May 1, 2008 in Current Affairs , Travel , Travel Tips | Permalink | Comments (0) | E-mail this

World's First Antarctic Coin

The world's first Antarctic coin has just been struck earlier this month at the Pobjoy Mint in Kingswood (the largest privately owned mint in Europe, just a stone's throw from our offices here at Discover the World, funnily enough). Philippa Foster Back, Chairman of the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust and granddaughter of Frank Debenham (who accompanied Scott on his famous expedition to the South Pole) struck the first coin in the company of representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Polar Regions Unit, the British Antarctic Survey, the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust and the Scott Polar Research Institute. The new coin, issued on behalf of the British Antarctic Territory, commemorates the centenary of granting of Letters Patent in 1908, a formal declaration by the Crown that the land was British. You can purchase the coins from the UKAHT's shop, and in doing so will support the preservation of the historic huts and the UK's Antarctic Heritage.

Posted on April 28, 2008 in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | E-mail this

Glaciers - a lesson in features & terminology

There are very few destinations in Discover the World's holiday portfolio that don't boast some mightily impressive glaciers, whether reached by zodiac, expedition vessel, helicopter or superjeep. With all things ice in mind, I thought an overview of how glaciers are formed (and the proper terminology to impress your friends with when showing off your photos) might be appropriate.....

Glaciers are huge sheets of moving ice that erode the land as they move. Due to their sheer mass, glaciers flow like very slow rivers. Glaciers store about 75% of the world's freshwater. Some glaciers are as small as football fields, while others grow to stretch over an incredible one hundred kilometres in length.

HOW DO GLACIERS FORM?

Glaciers begin to form when snow accumulates and remains in an area year-round. If temperatures do not rise enough to completely melt the snow, snow continues to accumulate. Each year, new layers of snow bury and compress the previous layers. The weight of the overlying snow puts enough pressure on the bottommost snow layers to compress them into large, thickened ice masses. This compression forces the snow to re-crystallize. During recrystallization, the crystals interlock to create ice that essentially behaves like rock. Once a mass of compressed ice reaches a critical thickness, it becomes so heavy that it begins to move.

GLACIAL FEATURES - TERMINOLOGY IN A NUTSHELL

The glacier terminus is the leading edge of a glacier. The accumulation zone is the area where snowfall is added (usually near the top of the glacier). The ablation zone is the area of the glacier where glacial ice is being lost through evaporation, melting, or calving. When a glacier flows rapidly over uneven land, the top of the glacier bends and breaks, creating huge cracks called crevasses. Internal stresses build up in the ice that cannot be relieved by internal deformation alone, and crevasses form at the surface of the glacier. Glaciers leave grooves, gouges, and scratches on the landscape called glacial striations that record their passage.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF GLACIERS

Ice sheets, ice caps, and ice fields are all masses of glacial ice of various sizes that spread laterally across the landscape and vary in size. Ice caps are smaller than ice sheets. Ice fields are similar to ice caps, but are typically smaller, and are therefore more influenced by the underlying topography.

Ice shelves occur when ice sheets extend over water. They are large, flat-topped sheets of ice that are attached to land along one side and float in an ocean or lake on the other side.

Mountain (Alpine) glaciers develop in high mountainous regions, often flowing out of ice fields. The topographical features of the surrounding mountains define their shape and control the direction of their flow. Mountain glaciers include cirque glaciers, named for the bowl-shaped depressions they occupy; piedmont glaciers, which occur when steep valley glaciers spill out into relatively flat plains; and valley glaciers that flow within the walls of a mountain or river valley. Valley glaciers may be very long, often flowing far enough to reach sea level.

Tidewater glaciers are valley glaciers that flow far enough to reach out into the sea. Tidewater glaciers “calve,” which is when portions of a glacier break off into the sea, becoming small icebergs.

Hanging glaciers cling to steep mountain slopes and terminate at or near the top of a cliff; they are wider than they are long. Hanging glaciers are common in the Alps, where they often cause avalanches due to the steep slopes with which they are associated.

Posted on April 5, 2008 in Environment | Permalink | Comments (1) | E-mail this

Times Online - Awestruck in Antarctica

You can always rely on the Times to feature some inspiring travel. Here's a great online piece by Gareth Jenkins, who is 'Awestruck in Antarctica', having decided to quit the daily grind and trot off around the globe with his trusty camera.

Gareth travelled onboard the 46-passenger former research vessel, the Aleksey Maryshev, and recounts his experiences in an article that brings the experience of visiting the Antarctic Peninsula vividly to life. Having been privileged to travel onboard the sister vessel to the Aleksey Maryshev, the Grigoriy Mikheev, he took me right back there to the peace and tranquility, and astounding beauty of the area. Take a peek at his image gallery - some truly breathtaking shots on there.....

Posted on April 5, 2008 in Client Stories , Environment , Ships , Travel , Wildlife | Permalink | Comments (0) | E-mail this

Flying Penguins on the BBC

The BBC today announced that they will be screening remarkable footage of penguins flying as part of its new natural history series, Miracles of Evolution. When the weather turns chilly and they've had enough of all that snow and ice in Antarctica, these remarkable Adelie penguins take to the skies - watch the incredible scenes as they crash land into more tropical climes! See the video here. For those of you who aren't based in the UK you can read about it here, on the Telegraph's website (who also have video footage).

The programme is presented by ex-Monty Python star Terry Jones, who said: "We'd been watching the penguins and filming them for days, without a hint of what was to come". The footage is only available for viewing from 1 April for a few days...

UPDATE (8 APRIL) - you can now see the video on YouTube (and the spin-offs at the end) and also watch how it was made - very clever!

Posted on April 1, 2008 in Current Affairs , Environment , Wildlife | Permalink | Comments (2) | E-mail this

Iceberg pictures - mmmmm minty!

Did you see the amazing pictures in the media yesterday of some incredible icebergs? They really are fantastic shots - especially the one of the minty hum'berg' (groan - sorry, couldn't resist!). Thanks to all my friends & colleagues who forwarded them to me - you know me too well! Anyhow, for anyone who missed them, here's a link. These incredible pictures of striped and sculpted icebergs were taken by a Norwegian sailor aboard a research vessel around 660 miles from the Antarctic Peninsula. Enjoy!

Posted on March 19, 2008 in Current Affairs , Environment , Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | E-mail this

Waterproof Camera Bags & other handy items....

When in Antarctica, it's vital that you keep your gear (especially your camera) safe and dry. As you'll be transported from vessel to shore (what we call 'landings') by zodiac, sometimes you can't help but get a little wet from the spray or the weather in general. Do not fear - a solution is nigh thanks to the beady eyes of my colleague Pam. She spotted the Aquapac company at the Outdoor Show last weekend - here's the link. They stock a variety of waterproof bags to ensure your items are protected - ranging from specific items for cameras (SLR and compact), camcorders and even for your ipod!

Posted on March 18, 2008 in Travel , Travel Tips | Permalink | Comments (0) | E-mail this

Tourism in Antarctica Quadruples inside of a Decade

Just reading an interesting article by Simon Jenkins at Guardian.co.uk regarding tourism in Antarctica. Incredibly, visitor numbers to the white continent have quadrupled over the past decade, with a 14% increase compared to last season alone.

As anyone who has ventured to the Antarctic will I'm sure agree, the scenery and wildlife that one encounters down there is just astounding. For many of our passengers this is a trip of a lifetime and is strangely humbling. I've heard of numerous passengers returning home and making considerable lifestyle changes. There's something about the vastness and remoteness of the continent that puts things into perspective. But if it comes at a potential price to the continent itself, then what? The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) proffers strict guidelines as to conduct of adventure cruise vessels in Antarctica, which so far keeps things in check. But what of the future? Like journalist Simon Jenkins says - there are no police in Antarctica, and territorial claims from various governments (including our own) are looming large.... The world has truly opened up. Even the Northeast Passage, closed to visitors for the past fifty years or so, will see an icebreaker carrying paying passengers through its icy straits this summer. Visitors can stand at the North and South Pole thanks to intrepid adventure operators...

You can read about IAATO guidelines and passenger statistics across the various landing site on the Antarctic Peninsula at their website.

Posted on March 14, 2008 in Current Affairs , Environment , Travel , Travel Tips | Permalink | Comments (0) | E-mail this

Other Antarctic blogs....

Thought I'd share with you some choice Antarctic blogs you may like to dip into:

My absolute favourites, from the guys down at Port Lockroy (Base 'A' now run as a living museum and post office by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust) - http://www.ukaht.org/portlockroydiaries.htm and http://rachelhazellisaway.wordpress.com/ and http://helen-in-antarctica.blogspot.com/ - they're just about at the end of the season down there now...

http://antarcticjournal.blogspot.com/ - written by a graduate student who is resident on Ross Island, studying penguins.

http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/living_and_working/research_stations/halley/halleyvi/ - the British Antarctic Survey's blog featuring a Halley Station webcam.

http://www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2008/nov/blog111607.html - University of Delaware blog from the South Pole.

http://web2.clarkson.edu/projects/antarctica/blog/ - John Bean's Antarctic blog from the US base McMurdo.

I'll be looking forward to reading Ben Saunders' SOUTH expedition blog - http://www.bensaunders.com/south/ SOUTH will be the first return journey to the South Pole on foot, and the longest unsupported (human-powered) polar journey in history.

http://www.dumont-durville.ift.fr/ - a blog from the French base Dumont d'Urville (amazing photo of the southern lights on there at the moment) - this is very close to where March of the Penguins was filmed...

Any other recommendations are most welcome!

Posted on February 25, 2008 in Client Stories , Current Affairs , Environment | Permalink | Comments (2) | E-mail this

Solar Eclipse in Antarctica and New Zealand

Penguins and a few lucky scientists in Antarctica will have witnessed a solar eclipse today (7 Feb 08), when the Moon passed between the Earth and Sun, blotting out the view of the Sun from Earth. Today’s eclipse was an annular eclipse, in which the Sun is not completely masked by the Moon. This means the Moon moves across the Sun from the left, creating a black silhouette over the Sun that eventually covers it except for a brilliant ring of sunlight (dangerous to the naked eye).

The eclipse passed over the region of Antarctica pointing towards South America, travelling over the Ellsworth Mountain range, the highest mountains in the Antarctic, before passing out across the Pacific. It's from near the Ellsworth Mountain range, at Patriot Hills Camp that our 'South Pole Adventure' takes place; visitors to the white continent fly out from a naturally-occuring blue ice runway south to the pole.

A partial eclipse appeared over New Zealand today, where the Moon masked roughly three-fifths of the solar disk in late afternoon, local time. A smaller partial eclipse also appeared in southeastern Australia. Discover the World offers the chance to experience a solar eclipse in the High Arctic on 1 August this year; stand on the deck of a powerful icebreaker or a sturdy ice-strengthened former research vessel (the Yamal and Aleksey Maryshev respectively). Our Around Spitsbergen Solar Eclipse and North Pole Solar Eclipse itineraries aim to give passengers the chance to reach the path of totality and witness the solar eclipse on in the beautiful icy landscape of the High Arctic. Contact us now as space is extremely limited!

Posted on February 7, 2008 in Current Affairs , Environment | Permalink | Comments (1) | E-mail this

Kayaking in Antarctica - Small Ship Adventure Options

Several of our Antarctic cruises offer kayaking excursions in addition to the normal expedition programme. Please contact our team for details of such adventure options, as these are offered on particular vessels and departure dates when the appropriate adventure guides are onboard. What a wonderful way of experiencing the continent; I can just imagine paddling silently through the calm waterways of the peninsula, penguins diving all around and the creak of the icebergs as you glide through the stillness, shades of aquamarine beneath the water’s surface.

The photographs attached to this blog are with the kind permission of Paul & Emmeline Johnston, who travelled with us down to the Antarctic Peninsula aboard the Prof Multanovskiy. If you are considering kayaking in Antarctica, then you should have a good level of physical fitness and it is essential that you have basic sea kayak experience. Kayak and canoe clubs in the UK and your home country will be able to help with this if you haven’t the necessary experience as yet. All kayak excursions will take place within a safe distance from the ship, and at all times a zodiac will be on standby.

Numbers are limited for kayak options and these are VERY popular, so early booking is recommended; between 10-15 passengers (with 1 or 2 guides) can join a kayak trip, depending on the number of guides involved and the kayak skills of the participants.

On every cruise with a kayak option a minimum of around 4 kayak excursions will be offered, weather permitting of course. The activities will only take place in good/safe weather conditions.

Kit List

thermal underwear

fleece pants

fleece vest

paddle anorak/jacket (or normal gore-tex shell)

neoprene kayak shoes

neoprene gloves

Additional

cap

dry suit

waterproof bag (for camera etc.)

Contact our team for further information and to discuss your Antarctic voyage on 01737 218800 or visit our website to check departure dates and itinerary options.

Posted on February 7, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | E-mail this

February in Antarctica - a Whale of a Time!

As January is now behind us, I thought I'd reflect on the splendours of travelling down to Antarctica in February. Undoubtedly February has to be one of the best times to see whales. As most departures run from November to mid-March each year you might mistakenly think that this the tail-end of the season and wonder if it's a good time to travel. Year on year we speak to returning passengers who have had the most amazing encounters with these mammoth marine mammals at this time of year.

One lady was quite emotional as she described the vessel being surrounded by a pod of 50 or so Orca. Another passenger described how a cheeky gentoo sought refuge in their zodiac from a hungry killer whale, and how the orca casually spy-hopped not far away, keeping its beady eye on his potential snack! Each Antarctic experience is very different and special in its own way, which is part of the charm of the white continent - you never know what suprises your particular voyage will bring! February and March are 'late summer' for Antarctica, and besides enjoying whale watching at its very best, penguin colonies are very active and the chicks are particularly playful. Read more about the season highlights here. Your parka toggle could be a tasty treat for a gentoo chick, and there's only one way of finding out! Receding ice also allows for easier exploration; the ice choked waterways are still dotted with the most spectacular carved bergs and fur seals are most commonly seen on the Peninsula at this time. With penguins, seals, whales and other birdlife in abundance throughout the austral summer in Antarctica, take the plunge and start planning your adventure of a lifetime right now!