By CLAY LARROY
Leisure
travel is
a wonderful experience that everyone should have in their lifetime. Even
business travel can be made enjoyable. There are some aspects of travel that can
detract from your enjoyment. When
planning to fly for a trip, don't forget any frequent flier miles you might
have racked up. It does you no good to hang onto those once you've already gone
on your big vacation. Even if you don't have enough miles to cover the whole
trip, many airlines will allow you to discount your rate using your miles. When you want to
plan a vacation contact me!
ANTARCTIC
Most visits from travelers occur during the
Antarctic summer from November to March, when there is typically 20 or more
hours of sunlight each day. Sunglasses, hats and sunscreen are a must as more
solar radiation hits the earth here than anywhere else - due to both the length
of the day and the invisible, infamous hole in the ozone layer. During the
summer, the coastal zone ice melts, making incursion by ice-hardened tourist
vessels possible. The scenery is comprised of every shade of purple, blue,
white and golden images and reflections against the water, which is filled with
enormous icebergs. Winter visits by tourist ships are nearly impossible due to
the shifting ice flows that can encapsulate a ship very quickly, stranding it
in the pack ice that extends for more than 600 miles around the continent in
the near total dark of the southern winter.
Antarctica is far from the lifeless void many
perceive it to be. Summer is the mating season for penguins and the many
species of seabirds. Fur seals and elephant seals breed here, and more than 200
species of lichens grow. The long days create spectacular lighting conditions
for photography as the penguin chicks begin to hatch and the rookeries become a
maddening cacophony of noise. As late summer approaches humpback, orca and
minke whale are a common site. Antarctic expeditions offer some of the most
unique and esteemed photography and wildlife viewing opportunities.
Most
leisure expeditions to Antarctica originate in Ushuaia in Argentina or other
South American ports in the Western hemisphere and either Hobart or
Christchurch in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Interestingly,
visiting requires no visas or other travel documents beyond the trip’s point of
origin. It does, however require an eagerness for adventure, time (most
journeys are fifteen days or more) and a budget within a wide range of $4,000 to
$50,000, depending on the itinerary, tour company and ship accommodations.
Ships that visit range in size from small 20
person vessels to larger 900+ passenger cruise ships. Companies that bring
tourists are almost uniformly conscientious of the ecological systems and
maintain a rigorous respect for the environment. Visitors are inevitably
accompanied by experienced naturalists that watch over both travelers and
wildlife, ensuring that each keeps its appropriate distance from the other.
Many such tour operators belong to an organization known as the International
Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) that voluntarily restricts the
number of persons who may land at any one time.
Inflatable
boats known as Zodiacs provide much of the transportation for sightseeing as
they shuttle from the ships, filled with travelers. Trips out in a Zodiac can
be invigorating, rigorous and on most ships, completely optional for
passengers. A few ships have on-board helicopters, allowing for visits to the
interior. Biologists, ornithologists and experts in oceanography accompany
many, if not all of the trips to enlighten and engage the passengers.
Itineraries are well planned - and subject to change. Glaciers calving into the
water, animal sightings, moving ice-flows, wind and water all conspire to keep
everyone flexible and excited.
Because
of the small number of tours operating in Antarctica, the short length of the
tourist season, and the capacity limitations of the IAATO, it is best for
travelers to plan well in advance of their visit, as available space goes
quickly. Working with an established tour operator and a solid travel
consultant on your Antarctic adventure ensures the trip of a lifetime and an
experience reserved for the lucky few.
REFERENCE SITES:
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