Ocean Realm

Do you want to go somewhere pristine and untouched by the presence of a lot of vacationers? There are a number of vacationers who search up to the ends of the earth for such a trip to a rather isolated location. Coming from New Zealand and South America, the sightseers will be meeting in the ice laden Antarctic continent.

From explorers, to scientists, to sealers, they are the ones who have been to the continent found in 1820. Putting together the United States and Mexico will give you an idea of how big the continent is but explorations are limited to the partially ice free coast from its 7,000 foot thick ice blanket. Getting there is a matter of being in a ship built to handle the impact from ice and sailing through stormy seas. Temperatures rarely go above freezing and there are always 24 hours of sunlight there.

One hardy group of 14 men and 12 women becomes the first group of tourists to venture South of the Antarctic Circle and the first to visit the historic McMurdo Sound area, 2,000 miles south of and New Zealand. In the past, British explorers faced much hardship and death in this area but now there is a US Navy facility here housing 800 sailors and scientists. The seasons here happens in the exact opposite of that in the Northern Hemisphere.

In 1957 was when two airline stewardesses were the only women able to visit here after a brief landing. Considering how they have not seen women for a year, the Navymen at McMurdo Station did not provide them with a warm welcome. What the sailors saw was something that may detract them from living a year without women, a feat worth boasting about when they returned.

The same lack of excitement from McMurdo personnel applies to the tourist ships that are to be expected come January and February. For the civilian technicians, scientists, and sailors, they are here because they have been chosen to perform special assignments in this continent. The thought of tourists wandering around the place takes the edge off the adventure and romance of Antarctica. For all of the trips there is a red parka, kodachrome, mittens, and warm pants but things like laundry, seasick pills, tips, and drinks come extra.

It was in 1955 where the only people inhabiting Antarctica were US Navy personnel and American scientists. There are nine nations also maintaining their own scientific stations on the continent and nearby islands. How will the Navy see the tourists’ arrival? Having no territorial claim mean that they have no say in who comes here, according to the commander of naval forces in Antarctica. But they can say who can and cannot come to their stations.

Those who are not self supporting are not allowed to enter. No problem like this is match for a well quipped ship. It is with safety precautions that people aboard are secured. Taking note of passenger safety is the travel agency considering their operation plan.

Aside from the first nuclear power reactor in Antarctica, a visitor can experience some drinks at the enlisted clubs here, visit the ship’s store and post exchange, or attend services at the Chapel of the Snows. Bird watchers, hikers, and conservationists comprise the tourist group, and so this makes trips to where the seals, skua gulls, and killer whales live a treat as well as penguin rookeries and some may even be headed off to where the early explorers settled.

A deeper insight relating to holidays to the arctic is found there. Detailed resources on artic cruises are located there.