Exploring Antarctica
Leaving the known world
M/V Ushuaia
Winter time in the northern hemisphere is the right
time to visit Antarctica, as it will be summer there.
From San Francisco you will most likely fly to
Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is a wonderful city
and worth spending some time in either before or after
your visit to Antarctica.
Ushuaia is your next stop and is the better part of
4 hours away by jet aircraft. This little tourist
outpost is at the southernmost tip of South America. In
summer the temperature in Buenos Aires, on average, is
around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature in
Ushuaia, on average, is 40 degrees Fahrenheit. But the
temperature in the Antarctic Peninsula will be 20
degrees Fahrenheit, or less, in summer. You will
experience an almost exponential drop the further south
you go.
Snowing on the Beagle Channel
I arrived at Ushuaia during a snow storm in November
2007. Snow and sleet were blowing sideways across the
runway at over 30 mph. Luckily I had a sky bridge to
leave the airplane via and was insulated from the
freezing weather outside. After picking up my luggage I
boarded a small bus and was shuttled through Ushuaia to
the docks. My ship the
M/V Ushuaia was waiting for me there. I had to make
a short walk from the bus to the ship. This exposed me
to the full force of the weather and it was bitterly
cold. After a few photos I boarded the ship, registered,
and was shown to my cabin. The room was small, but
adequate for my needs and my brother's who I was sharing
it with. We also had to share the bath room with another
cabin, but we soon spoke with our neighbors and worked
out a plan.
Antarctica, the forgotten continent (Part One)
After a short reception and orientation lecture a
life boat drill was conducted. Then we ate dinner and
the ship set sail via the
Beagle Channel to the open ocean and the
Drake Passage. The Beagle Channel was named for the
ship that Charles Darwin made his world changing trip
on. The HMS Beagle passed through the channel on its way
to the Pacific Ocean on 29th of January 1833.
Predictions of 30 mph winds in the passage only
delayed the departure, they did not stop it. The sail
through the Beagle Channel was smooth. However, the high
winds predicted for the Drake Passage had everyone
talking about their motion sickness medications and
strategies. I had my under-ear patch on to guard against
this dreaded ailment. However, there are no medicines or
practices that can stave off the illness induced by
sailing the Drake Passage; you must endure it.
Antarctica, the forgotten continent (Part Two)
It takes approximately 2.5 days to cross the
infamous Drake Passage from
Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula. It is infamous
because this stretch of water has a reputation of
getting very, very rough. The other phenomenon that
makes traveling here tough is that the sun does not set
until after 12:00am in November. The other influence
that made this trip particularly harsh was that the
Antarctic summer of 2007 was, what locals referred to
as, a Shackleton Summer. This is
a reference to the extraordinarily cold summer weather
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, the great Antarctic
explorer, encountered on his ill fated expedition of
1914--17. Disaster struck this expedition when its ship,
HMS Endurance, was trapped in pack ice and slowly
crushed stranding the expedition in Antarctica.
The story will continue in my next article.
Exploring Antarctica, the Drake Passage.
More information:
Betchart Expeditions
Buenos Aires
Ushuaia
M/V Ushuaia
Beagle Channel
Drake Passage
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton