Antarctica・Ten Questions
We often talk about traveling to Antarctica, but the "Antarctica" we refer to is not exactly the same as the real Antarctica. There are two ways to say "Antarctica" in English: South Pole or Antarctica. What is the difference between the two? What is Antarctica? Where is Antarctica? How to travel to Antarctica? What should you pay attention to or prepare for when traveling to Antarctica?
I tried to organize the questions I had in the past into ten questions, and summarized the answers using the information I collected on hand and obtained and confirmed on the way, and provided them as a reference for friends who want to know more about Antarctica or want to travel to Antarctica.
1. Where is South Pole?
Antarctica literally refers to the southernmost point, but how to define the " southernmost " point of the earth is quite difficult.
South Pole usually refers to the geographical South Pole or South Geographic Pole, which is the location of geographical coordinates 0°, 90°S , and is the southernmost point where the earth's axis intersects the earth's surface. The southernmost point where the geomagnetic lines intersect with the earth's surface is called the geomagnetic South Pole or the South Magnetic Pole. The two are more than 2,800 kilometers apart.
The South Geomagnetic Pole refers to the southern intersection point between the Earth's axis and the geomagnetic lines, usually between the South Geomagnetic Pole and the South Magnetic Pole. The South Pole of Inaccessibility is the farthest point of the Antarctic continent from its coastline. The Ceremonial South Pole ( Ceremonial South Pole) has a short red and white pole erected around the flags of the 12 original signatories of the Antarctic Convention. It is located near the Amundsen-Scott Research Station in the United States.
The Earth's axis or geomagnetism drifts slightly due to factors such as the mass of the Earth or changes in the atmosphere, so the South Pole mentioned above is not a fixed position and is recalculated every year to confirm their location.
2. Where is Antarctica?
Traveling to Antarctica mostly refers to traveling to Antarctica and its surrounding islands. In addition, according to the Antarctic Convention, the area south of 60 degrees south latitude , including the Antarctic continent, islands and the Southern Ocean, is within its regulatory scope. Therefore, this area is also commonly known as Antarctica.
Antarctica is the southernmost continent on Earth and the latest continent to be discovered. It is also known as the Seventh Continent. The nearest landmass is Cabo de Hornos in Chile, South America, and the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica are separated by the 970-kilometer Drake Passage .
Antarctica is mostly located south of the Antarctic Circle (66°34′S) and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. The total area is nearly 14 million square kilometers, and 98% of the surface is covered by ice sheets up to 1.9 kilometers thick. Among them, the Antarctic continent covers more than 12 million square kilometers, the surrounding islands are nearly 80,000 square kilometers, and the coastal ice (ice shelf) is about 1.6 million square kilometers. Its annual average temperature is −25°C, reaching below −80°C inland in winter, and milder along the coast in summer, about 5°C to 15°C.
Except for staff stationed at research stations from various countries, Antarctica has no indigenous people and no one has settled there. Indicative animals include penguins, seals, whales, albatrosses, etc., which mainly rely on Antarctic krill and plankton in the Southern Ocean for survival. However, the number of Antarctic krill (krill) is decreasing due to climate warming and commercial fishing, which in turn affects the Antarctic ecology.
3. Which country belongs to Antarctica?
The sovereignty of Antarctica is very delicate. Many countries have claimed parts of the area as their territory, or mutually recognized parts of the area as each other's territory.
These countries include: geographically related South American countries (especially Chile and Argentina), South Africa, New Zealand or Australia; the United Kingdom, Russia, the United States, Norway, Germany, Japan, etc. that have been discovered (seen) or landed in . In addition, because the self-declared territories of the United Kingdom, Argentina and Chile overlap, there has been discord between the two countries.
To this end, in 1959, 12 countries actively establishing research stations (and commercial fishing) in Antarctica jointly signed the Antarctic Treaty , which came into effect in 1961. Due to the increasing number of people going to Antarctica, from 1991 to 1992, 33 countries renegotiated the Convention and signed the "Protocol on Environmental Protection ", which came into effect in 1998.
The Antarctic Convention regulates the land and ice shelves south of 60° south latitude . They can only be used for peaceful purposes. Scientific research is conducted based on the principle of mutual assistance. Research observations and results should be shared and freely accessible . Any military operations and nuclear tests are strictly prohibited. explosion, economic development or territorial claims.
The "Environmental Protection Agreement" makes up for the shortcomings of the Convention, regulates the protection of the Antarctic environment and ecology, and limits and details of human activities , and establishes the principle of no mining or oil exploration for 50 years (expires in 2048, young friends, please wait and see) .
Currently, a total of 56 countries have signed the Antarctic Convention. Therefore, Antarctica is not the territory of any country, but is jointly governed by these 56 countries.
4. How to get to Antarctica?
The main impression everyone has of Antarctica is that it is icy and snowy, remote and cold, and traveling is expensive. However, traveling to Antarctica is not difficult, nor is it as unattainable as imagined.
Most people travel to Antarctica by Fly Cruise (aircraft + boat) . First fly to the country of departure port, such as Argentina , Chile or New Zealand , and then take a boat to cross the Drake Passage (Drake Passage) or Ross Sea (Ross Sea) to reach Antarctica.
Among them, Ushuaia in Argentina is the most important gateway and home port to Antarctica, and most expedition ships depart from here.
In addition, there are flights from Puerto Williams or Punta Arenas in southern Chile to King George Island or Frei Station (Chilean research station) in Antarctica. You can then take a boat to other parts of Antarctica to save time or avoid the strong winds and waves of the Drake Passage.
Australian airlines offer one-day Antarctic flights ( Antarctic Flights ), departing from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth. You can take a flight to overlook the Antarctic scenery from the sky. They also provide charter flights to land on the Antarctic continent, and you can even fly to the Antarctic continent. Landing at the South Pole.
Both the United States and the United Kingdom have charter flights to the Antarctic continent and then to the Antarctic Pole. The British White Desert company flies from Cape Town, South Africa to Whichaway Camp on the Antarctic continent, and then transfers to other camps or the Antarctic Pole. The top-notch luxury itinerary charges from more than 600,000 US dollars to more than 1 million US dollars. It is definitely not something ordinary ordinary people can afford. burden.
The source of the above pictures is: Royal International Express official website.
Antarctica is not only psychologically distant, but also physically distant. Taiwan is located in the northern hemisphere, and Antarctica is located south of the antipodal point, so the flight time is very long.
Take this trip as an example: flying from Taoyuan (TPE) to Amsterdam (AMD), then to Buenos Aires (EZE), the capital of Argentina, and on to Ushuaia (USH). The total one-way flight hours are more than 30 hours, with a total flight mileage of nearly 25,000 kilometers. Including transfers, it took two days. Although the return flight was faster, due to the time difference (11 hours), it spanned three calendar days and was very tiring.
5. What is the best season to travel to Antarctica?
The Antarctic climate is severely cold, and the most suitable season for traveling is the relatively warm summer, from December to February of the following year. This period is the longest day in Antarctica, allowing you to enjoy the longest sunshine, and is also the period when Antarctic animals are more active.
Most Antarctic expedition ships and Antarctic flights sail from early November to early March of the following year, and the period from Christmas to New Year's Day is the peak season.
6. What is the travel itinerary for Antarctica?
If you take a boat from Ushuaia and land in Antarctica, you can roughly divide it into three types of itineraries: the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding islands, southward across the Antarctic Circle or the three Antarctic islands (Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula). ;The Falkland Islands are not within the Antarctic range).
If you only go to the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding islands, it will take about 9-12 days; if you go south and cross the Antarctic Circle, it will take at least 11 days; and if you go south to the three Antarctic islands, it will take more than 15 days. If the above itinerary is changed to take a flight from Port Williams in Chile and then transfer to a ship, it can take 2 to 3 days less. However, the flight is more expensive and is more susceptible to suspension or delay due to weather conditions.
In addition, most shipping companies will provide free accommodation in Buenos Aires the night before boarding, charter flights to and from Ushuaia, and a half-day trip to Tierra del Fuego National Park.
During the Antarctic itinerary, in addition to hiking and enjoying the scenery or cruising, most of them will provide paid or free polar camping (one person per tent), canoeing (one or two people per canoe) or Antarctic diving (Polar plunge) depending on the weather conditions.
It depends on the length of the itinerary, ship class and equipment (star rating, Icelandair class), cabin type (two, three, four people, with or without balcony or suite, etc.), itinerary content (whether alcohol, Internet, equipment or camping alone are included) Canoes and other activities), ordering time (Early birds, last minutes), travel period (peak season or not) or ordering object (shipping company or travel agency), the price can range from US$2,300 to more than US$10,000 per person.
The above image was taken from the following URL: https://atlasoceanvoyages.com/destination/11-night-ushuaia-roundtrip-3-7-24
Most of the Antarctic tours offered by Taiwan travel agencies also include local excursions to Buenos Aires or Iguazu Falls. The total journey is about 20 days. For the three Antarctic islands, it takes about 30 days. All of the above are round-trip departures from Taiwan. Number of days. If the tour fee includes round-trip air tickets to Taiwan, it will cost about NT$700,000 to more than NT$1 million, and most of them only go out once a year.
The vast majority of Antarctic tours only cruise or land on the northern side of the Antarctic Peninsula at the edge of Antarctica, surrounding islands and nearby waters. They are still very far away from South Pole, and most of them have not entered the Antarctic Circle.
In addition, Antarctic tourism is greatly affected by the weather, and the route cannot be determined in advance. It depends entirely on the captain's experience and current conditions to determine the route or landing location. The expedition team members will first survey the surrounding sea areas, snow, and ecological conditions before deciding on the passengers. When taking a zodiac cruising route or hiking ashore, you must keep a distance of more than five meters from animal habitats.
7. How are expedition ships to Antarctica different from ordinary cruise ships?
The Antarctic Convention revised in 2009 stipulates that only ships carrying less than 500 passengers can dock in Antarctica, only one ship can berth at each location, and no more than 100 tourists can disembark at each time. Therefore, only large or mega cruise ships carrying more than 500 passengers are allowed to sail through.
Considering the limit on the number of people disembarking, currently the ships sailing in Antarctica are those with less than 200 passengers (usually 198 people, so they can be divided into two batches to disembark). Ships intended for polar landings have a higher level of ice navigation (some are even icebreakers) and are usually called expedition cruises .
In addition to being smaller in tonnage, carrying fewer passengers, and having fewer cabins, expedition ships have roughly the same hardware facilities as ordinary cruise ships, including cabins, restaurants, entertainment facilities, etc. A few expedition ships converted from research ships have relatively simple equipment, but most expedition ships have swimming pools, spas, gyms, bars, lounges, shops, theaters or lecture halls, etc.
The expedition ship is also equipped with a mud room to store the jackets, boots, life jackets or other items needed for tourists to land. There is a shoe cleaning machine at the entrance and exit to clean the trouser legs and boots of tourists returning to the ship. In order to meet the needs of cruising and landing, the expedition ship has more rubber boats than the number of tourists required (usually a boat can carry eight tourists and one to two expedition members), and higher-end expedition ships even have helicopters.
Recyclable or environmentally friendly items are used on the expedition ships. For example, glass bottles are used for drinking water and packaged water is not provided; napkins are used in restaurants instead of paper towels, etc. In addition, the hand soap, shower gel or shampoo used in the bathroom are all environmentally friendly raw materials.
The expedition ship also has an expedition team, which is led by an experienced captain and consists of team members from various countries with different expertise, special training and assessment, and proficient language and expression skills. The main tasks of the expedition team are pre-departure exploration, ecological explanations on landing and Antarctic-related knowledge briefings on board, and ensuring the safety of tourists and compliance with Antarctic tourism regulations. According to regulations, tourists should maintain a distance of more than five meters from animal habitats and must not affect their activities or cross their usual paths.
During cruises or breaks, general cruise ships will provide entertainment programs or activities, while expedition ships will provide briefings on sailing and landing or briefings on Antarctic related knowledge. Occasionally there are side programs or exchanges, but most of them are small in scale and short in duration. The ship I took had a dedicated pianist who played regularly in the lounge every evening. In addition, I also visited the galley and bridge (Bridge) while the expedition ship was moored.
8. What is the purpose of traveling to Antarctica?
When ordinary people travel abroad, they only want to eat, drink, have fun, enjoy the scenery and check in.
Antarctica only has natural landscapes and animals (there are abandoned workstations in some places). The main purpose of tourism is to enjoy the scenery; as for eating, drinking and having fun, you have to rely on the expedition ship you board. Since there is no Internet (there is a paid or free satellite network on the ship), the mobile phone's GPS will be confused, and there is no check-in point, so it is impossible to check in (I used Google Map to locate it, and it will be in Norway).
Some people go to Antarctica mainly to see animals, especially penguins. The penguins that inhabit the Antarctic include Adélie penguins, Gentoo penguins, Emperor penguins, Chinstrap penguins and Macaroni penguins. I saw the first three species during my trip to Antarctica . Penguins mostly lay eggs, incubate eggs and raise chicks in the summer. It can be seen that penguins gather in groups in the habitat, hold eggs and take a nap.
In addition, seals (elephant seals) or whales (big-winged whales) can also be seen along or along the Antarctic coast. February and March are the best seasons for whale watching.
However, the silvery white land of Antarctica's frozen snow and the strange and majestic icebergs are beautiful scenery rarely seen elsewhere, and they are also the focus of tourists' admiration and photography.
Nearly half of the tourists on the boat I took have visited six other continents, and some have even traveled to more than 100 countries. So Antarctica is the final piece of their puzzle to complete the world.
9. What equipment is needed for Antarctic travel?
The climate along the Antarctic coast in summer is mild, around 0°C. When there is sunshine during the day, the high temperature can sometimes reach 10°C. However, on cloudy, windy, snowy days, or in the early morning and at night, the temperature can drop below 0°C. .
There is air conditioning on the ship, so dressing is not a problem, but when cruising or landing on a Zodiac, you must consider cold protection, wind protection, waterproof and sun protection (UV protection).
Most shipping companies will provide a three-layer warm and waterproof jacket (Parka, free of charge) and rubber boots suitable for snow hiking (need to be recovered).
When cruising or ashore, you only need to wear a moisture-wicking inner layer (add a warm mid-layer depending on the temperature) and Parka on your upper body, and warm and waterproof trousers on your lower body (I wear Gort-text with a thermal lining, and some people wear snow pants. Some people only need to wear warm trousers (plus rain pants) and thick woolen socks; the trouser legs should be placed outside the boots to prevent snow or sea water from flowing into them.
In addition, you must wear sunglasses to prevent snow blindness or sunburn caused by the powerful ultraviolet rays in Antarctica, and wear waterproof gloves to use hiking poles or grab the rope of the rubber boat. In addition, I also wear a wool hat and wool gaiter to regulate the temperature.
Clothes, glasses, hiking poles, backpacks, etc. that will come into contact with the outside when cruising or ashore must be carefully inspected by members of the ship's expedition team during designated periods, and any soil, seeds or organisms that may be entrained must be removed with a vacuum cleaner. wait.
The boat I took not only provided the Parka and rubber boots, but also provided a lightweight titanium water bottle that could fit into the Parka's pocket. In addition, hiking poles are provided ashore and a pair of binoculars are provided in each room.
Therefore, when I cruise or land in Antarctica, I am empty-handed, and the clothing or items I need to prepare specifically for my trip to Antarctica are very limited.
10. What are the regulations or requirements for tourists in Antarctica?
The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators ( IAATO ) was established in 1991. It is composed of travel agencies, shipping companies, airlines, national tourism bureaus or relevant government departments that provide Antarctic tourism. Its purpose is to advocate and Promote private sector safety and environmental practices in Antarctica and provide guiding principles for Antarctic tourism.
Before departure, the expedition ship sent an email asking passengers to view the videos and precautions provided by IATTO and sign a consent form. content include:
Carefully check and clean your clothing and luggage to avoid bringing organisms (plants, insects, soil, microorganisms, etc.) into the Antarctic. Inspection areas include: shoes, trouser cuffs, pockets, backpacks or camera bags, tripods or hiking poles, etc. Wearing or using Velcro felt clothing or items is not encouraged [ Don't pack a pest! ].
Bring reusable supplies, such as water bottles, cups, cutlery or shopping bags, and use environmentally friendly sun protection, cleaning, maintenance or cosmetic products [ Reducing Waste ].
In addition to following standard procedures for getting on and off the shore and keeping a prescribed distance from animals, in order to avoid avian influenza, you are not allowed to sit, lie down, kneel or lie down, nor are you allowed to place any equipment or objects on the ground or snow, nor are you allowed to touch any animals [ The Response to Avian Influenza ].
No eating, drinking, smoking or defecation except drinking water, no graffiti on the ground or snow, no touching of items from any abandoned workstations, and avoid dropping any objects or waste.
The Antarctic tourism report released by IATTO in 2022 shows that the number of tourists landing in Antarctica increased from 21,131 in 2011-2012 to 55,164 in 2019-2020, and it is estimated that there will be more than 100,000 tourists in the 2023-2024 tourist season. Visitors disembarking or navigating.
With the advent of human adventure and the ambition to explore the world, and the advancement of shipbuilding, aviation and navigation technology, traveling to Antarctica is no longer an unattainable dream; however, behind the rapid increase in tourists, there is also the destruction of the Antarctic environment and ecology. . In addition, under the norms of the Antarctic Convention, although a certain degree of peace and checks and balances can be maintained, there are more struggles and competitions behind the scenes.
Therefore, Antarctica, which contains 90% of the world's ice and 70% of fresh water, is the origin of global ocean currents and ecological chains. It is everyone's responsibility to maintain its purity, simplicity and independence from the world to avoid causing more serious ecological catastrophes.
Unless otherwise stated, the above photos were taken by the author and please do not use them without permission.
[Reference materials]
Australian Antarctica Division official website.
Antarctic Treaty official website.
IAATO official website.
Antarctica , South Pole , Wikipedia.
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