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I ARCTIC ECOLOGY antarctica 000 C9C9C9 00 G e It's not until a few hours after setting sail to Antarctica, when you meet the rough waters of the Drake Passage, that you fully grasp the significance of an eight-foot swell. The ship, 170 feet in length, lurching along at 10 knots, actually jumps eight feet into the air and then-boom!- slams into the sea, causing anything not latched down (including humans) to defy gravity_ It's at once thrilling and frightening (and for some, nauseating) as the sensation of exploring the unknown comes to bear. There are a lot of reasons to go to Antarctica. Perhaps the most com- pelling is that it may be the one place on earth least touched by time or humans. Sure, there are research stations and scientific huts, but for the most part, Antarctica's frozen land and seascape of glaciers, icebergs and penguins betrays few signs of age. Antarctica 101: It's at the bottom of the world , not the top. There are no hotels. No cars. No real airports. No ports_ No polar bears (other pole). No Eskimos and no igloos_ It's a minefield of icebergs, glaciers, penguins, and seals, with the occasional whale, and a smattering of tussock grass. To get there, take a passenger ship from the tip of South America, usually Ushuaia, Argentina. Most trips last from 10 to 20 days and you live the life of a slightly upscale explorer, sleeping, eating, and learning aboard ship. It's a rough 48-hour ride through the Drake Passage from Argentina to the Antarctic Peninsula_ Just 5 percent of the continent, the Peninsula is a sliver of land that sticks out from the Antarctic mainland, and because of its proximity to South America, wildlife and incredible beauty, expeditions usually spend all of their time here. What you will see when you get there: an overcast sky (it's almost always cloudy), gray, serenely calm water, an occasional penguin frogging though the water, blue icebergs rising 30 feet into the air. What you will hear: nothing, maybe the sound of a glacier calving into the water, the hum of the ship's engine. What you will feel: disbelief, an unending desire to take pictures to prove that you were actu- ally here. Bring lots of film or flash cards. Soon enough, it's time to head to shore to get a closer look at the land- scape and wildlife. When the expedition leader announces landing time, passengers suit up, putting on rubber boots, fleece, waterproof shell coat and pants, hat, gloves, and a small, water- reactive lifejacket. Alongside the mother ship wait motorized Zodiacs, or inflatable dinghies, to ferry passengers to shore. Antarctica is tolerably cold. In summertime, freezing is the average temperature and there is very little humidity. Visits to Antarctica are possible only during the austral summer, November through February. Interacting with Antarctica's wildlife is, for most people, the most memo- rable part of traveling to that end of the earth. You will encounter penguin rookeries in which-depending on where your expedition lands-up to 100,000 birds are nest- ing. Sit amongst the penguins and watch them watch you. Ever prevalent are fur seals, who bear the manner and appearance of puppy dogs. More rare are the 2,000 to 8,ooo-pound elephant seals, from whom steam rises as they languish on the beach. And if fortune is on your side minke whales may accompany your ship as you sail the inside passages of the peninsula. Days on an Antarctica trip are usually comprised of a morning landfall, lunch back on board the sh ip, and then an afternoon outing to yet another stun- ning location. The best trips have small groups-no more than fifty people - and a marine scientist on board who can explain how life exists in this unique environ - ment. You learn how penguins molt and how in the early 1990S scientists discovered the first dinosaur fos- sils on the continent. There are a few shore landings in the greater Anta rctica region that should be on your itinerary: Neko Harbor, to view a colony of Gentoo pen- guins; Baily Head, to experience a rookery of 100,000 Chinstrap penguins; Cape Lookout on Elephant Island, where explorer Ernest Shackleton's men passed four months subsisting on fur and elephant seals; and South Georgia Island, two days to the north, where Shackleton is buried. As you travel through the calm waters and past the dramatic cliffs of Antarctica, it becomes clear why explorers took the risks they did 200 years ago to reach this frozen world. - Jordan Stolper I OUTFITTERS I QUARK EXPEDITIONS, USA, UK Aside from its extensive menu of reasonably priced and small ship Antarctic expedi- tions, which can include scuba, kayaking, and camping trips, Quark is perhaps most famous for its longer expeditions, some of which make a complete circumnavigation of the continent. Next year they will run a longer expedition to the far side of Antarctica to witness a total solar eclipse of the sun. 10 to 30 days; $2,695 to $18,995; 50 passengers maximum; November to February; 800-3 56-5699, www_quarkexpeditions_com, enquiry@quarkexpeditions_com FATHOM EXPEDITIONS, CANADA Fathom is a boutique company that runs several Antarctica expeditions and can arrange special day trips, including ice climbing, and hiking. A longer trip retraces Sir Ernest Shackleton's famous 1914 Endurance expedition to Antarctica, South Georgia, South Orkney and Falkland Islands. Fathom owner, Dave German, often leads trips . 12 to 20 days; $3,990 to $12,490; January-February; 50 or 100 passengers maxi- mum, depending on the ship; 800-621-0176, www.fathomexpeditions_com, explore@fathomexpeditions_com :2 ;:: Ci o a ~ ~ '" ~ 28 ~----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~ ~