Interesting places in Antarctica. The main attractions of Antarctica. In the world of penguins and sea lions

Did you learn interesting facts about Antarctica in geography school? Surely yes. Then you should know that Antarctica is the largest desert on the planet. At the same time, it still remains a white spot on geographical maps. For the continent is surrounded by riddles and mysteries. For example, many scientists believe that the mainland is actually the lost Atlantis. You will learn many more interesting facts about the mainland Antarctica in the process of reading the article. Let's talk about everything in order.

pioneers

Antarctica is the sixth continent of the Earth. Moreover, it was opened much later than all the others.

It is believed that the first scientist in Antarctica was Karsten Borchgrevink from Norway. But there is evidence that Bellingshausen and Lazarev were the first to set foot on the harsh continent with their expedition. It was at the very beginning of January 1820. To be honest, the existence of the mainland was a real surprise for them. For earlier everyone was sure that this territory was an archipelago or a group of islands.

A century later, the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first person to reach the South Pole.

And only a few decades later, scientists began to closely engage in Antarctica, creating scientific bases.

Geography of the continent

The territory of the mainland is the most severe region of the planet. More than 99% of the continent is covered with ice. Their thickness reaches 4.5 kilometers. In Antarctica, low air temperatures (up to -70 degrees) prevail. February is considered the most "summer" month. Although in the prehistoric era the climate of the mainland was very warm. Palm trees even grew here.

Now there are often snow storms and strong winds. Nevertheless, Antarctica is not only the coldest place on the planet, but also the driest. The combination of dryness and cold reaches the absolute there.

There are mountainous regions in the territory. Moreover, scientists even discovered two volcanoes. One of them - Erebus - is the southernmost volcano on the planet. And he is active.

Minerals have also been found here. We are talking about coal, iron ore, mica, copper, lead, zinc and graphite.

Bloody waterfall, Onyx and transparent sea

About 80% of the planet's fresh water reserves are located in the ice sheet of the continent.

There are also reservoirs here. So, on the mainland there is the Weddell Sea. It is recognized as the cleanest in the world. The water is so transparent that through its thickness you can see objects that are at a depth of 80 m!

As for the rivers, the most famous is the Onyx River. Its length is almost forty kilometers. True, it flows only for two months and in the summer.

Also in Antarctica there are a large number of subglacial lakes. The most famous is Lake Vostok, 250 km long and 50 km wide.

Of course, there are many glaciers on the mainland. One of them gives rise to the so-called Bloody Falls. The water has a high iron content. This gives it a beautiful blood-red color. By the way, the water never freezes there.

iceberg land

What else is Antarctica known for? For children, an interesting fact will be that this is the land of icebergs. Here they reach a truly record size. So, one of them broke away in 2000. Its length was almost 300 kilometers, and its width was 37. The weight of the "floe" was three billion tons. This iceberg was larger in area than Jamaica! Interestingly, part of this iceberg has not yet melted.

And more recently, a giant iceberg, having broken off, went on a free journey. It is an order of magnitude smaller than the ice floe in 2000. But scientists believe that if you melt it, you can easily fill about 460 million artificial pools. Or, say, fill the famous Lake Michigan in the United States. By the way, this body of water is one of the largest lakes in the world.

The continent is hospitable to fur seals, blue whales and killer whales. "Whites" also live in the water. These are the so-called ice fish. Their blood is colorless, since there is no hemoglobin and red blood cells in the body. But still, the most numerous species of inhabitants of this territory are crustaceans, or krill. Their number is measured in tons. This is the largest population in the world! By the way, Uruguayan doctors use krill powder in the treatment of their patients. Thanks to this drug, people tend to quickly part with excess cholesterol.

By the way, researchers from Chile were able to prove that the emperor penguins of Antarctica, interesting facts about which we are considering, feed exclusively on these crustaceans. That is why they do not suffer from atherosclerosis!

By the way, these birds live only in Antarctica. They are mainly engaged in hunting in the water and can swim away even for tens of kilometers. Emperor penguins are solitary and only form large colonies during the breeding season. This is when the Antarctic winter comes.

In general, Antarctica is more than poor in land animals. There are no reptiles here, but ants live. And polar bears do not live here at all, but in the Arctic. Although recently a number of scientists have already thought about populating this southern continent with them.

Antarctic population

For obvious reasons, there are no permanent residents here. But on the other hand, scientists live and work in this inhospitable territory. In summer, their number is about 5 thousand people. In winter, this figure decreases several times. They say that specialists live more than amicably. In any case, there are already registered interethnic marriages.

And in 1978, seven Argentine families arrived on the mainland. They wanted to see how long they could survive in these difficult conditions. Jokes aside, but Emilio Marcos Palma turned out to be the first representative of the stronger sex who was born on this uninhabitable continent.

True, Antarctica is not at all isolated from the outside world. There is also the Internet, and television, and a telephone connection with a code, and an ATM. It also has its own currency. It's called the Antarctic dollar. There is also a bar. In fact, it is considered the most inaccessible drinking establishment on the entire planet. By the way, the diet of specialists also includes a foamy drink - beer.

There are several Christian churches in Antarctica. One of them is a Russian Orthodox church.

At one time, a nuclear power plant, which belonged to the United States of America, also worked here.

By the way, before a person is going to go to the icy continent, he has to remove his wisdom teeth and appendix in order to minimize the risks of sudden inflammation. There are no operations. But one day, in 1961, a Soviet scientist was forced to operate on himself due to acute appendicitis. Fortunately, the surgery was successful.

Politics of Antarctica

There is no president and no government on the mainland. Antarctica does not belong to anyone at all. Although a number of powers at one time claimed ownership of this territory. But these plans were in vain.

A few years ago, representatives of a number of countries signed the so-called "Antarctic Treaty". The document proclaims this territory an international protected area or "natural reserve". Since then, the continent has been considered a demilitarized zone. Scientists of any state can only conduct research here.

Secrets of the Continent

Interesting facts about Antarctica do not end there. She is surrounded by secrets. So, at one time, researchers discovered some buildings here. Their dimensions were similar to those of the Egyptian pyramids of Giza. In addition, there are legends about the underground bases of Adolf Hitler. It is known that during the war the Fuhrer began to explore this area.

Anyone who studies meteorites knows that there is no better place in this regard than Antarctica. The fact is that the fireballs that fell on the ice cover of the mainland are preserved much better than in any other place on the planet. So, in Antarctica, scientists discovered fragments of a meteorite from Mars. It was an unexpected discovery. After relevant research, scientists said that the mainland is similar to the red planet. In the sense that the territory of the continent is so similar to Mars that they began to use the icy continent as a model for Mars!

Antarctic tourism

Since 1980, the mainland has been accessible to tourists. Fortunately, there are many abandoned places that guests of the continent want to visit. For example, there is still a camp that was founded by the famous traveler R. Scott back in 1911. Such bases have already become a real tourist attraction.

In addition, wrecked ships are often found on the coast of Antarctica. As a rule, these are Spanish galleons of the 16th-17th centuries.

Well, one more interesting fact about Antarctica: a few years ago, musicians from the cult band Metallica arrived here as guests and tourists of the mainland. They even gave a concert for an audience of 120 people! The most interesting thing is that the members of the group were able to comply with the accepted international agreements related to environmental standards on the mainland. Namely - they did not use sound amplifiers. The latter was broadcast into the headphones of fans ...

The article talks about places on the mainland that tourists from all over the world have chosen. Describes the living conditions of the employees of the research stations.

Sights of Antarctica

Antarctica is the last vast of the wild areas on the planet, which has not yet been fully inhabited by man thoroughly and completely.

Because Antarctica is the most isolated continent on the planet, a trip to the polar south should be considered. Visiting these places is possible only in a long and inconvenient way: a voyage on a passing ship or an expensive flight. Despite the harsh conditions and impassable road, there is something to see in Antarctica. The circumstances of arrival and stay here are dictated by:

ice;
weather conditions.

In these places, no one is guided by waiting times or calendar schedules.

Rice. 1. Tourists in Antarctica.

The polar stations and research bases are great attractions in their own right.

Attractions of the mainland Antarctica

Lemeyre Strait is the pride of Antarctica. It is a narrow channel between the Antarctic Peninsula and Booth Island. A favorite place for visiting tourist ships. At the northern end of the strait, there is a colorful pair of rounded, snow-covered peaks - Unas Tits. This is a favorite place for tourist picnics.

Travel companies present certificates at these peaks, which indicate the crossing of the Antarctic Circle.

Zavidovsky Island in the South Sandwich Islands is one of the largest penguin colonies in the world. About two million king penguins regularly live here.

Rice. 3. Royal penguins on the island.

Bouvet Island is the most isolated and most mysterious island on Earth. Glaciers hold down about 93% of the 54 sq. km. km. island territory. This area is rarely visited, but it is shrouded in many secrets and mysteries. In September 1979, the strongest explosion was noted in the western part of the piece of land, which was classified as a thermonuclear bomb explosion, but the source was never found. No country in the world has claimed responsibility for what happened.

What have we learned?

We learned where on the mainland is the largest colony of king penguins in the world. We found out which place is recognized as the most mysterious and enigmatic. We got acquainted with the entertainment arranged by polar explorers.

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Antarctica is the last vast wilderness on the planet. Its gigantic icebergs, ice-covered mountain ranges, and the emptiness of its polar plateaus inspire fear, while the temperatures, winds, and weather seem to warn against a risky trip to these harsh places. It is a place of extremes, beautiful and serene, wild and strong, and its scale is almost incomprehensible, whether the observer is on the ground of Antarctica (rather on ice) or viewing this continent from an airplane. Antarctica is the most isolated continent on the planet, and a trip to the polar south must still be carefully crafted, as it can only be accomplished by a long and uncomfortable voyage on a passing ship or an expensive plane flight. Weather and ice, not clocks and calendars, set the schedule for a trip here. Regardless of the reason for visiting, all people on the mainland are always and everywhere completely dependent on the vagaries of the weather.

Nevertheless, more than 40 thousand tourists from all continents of the Earth visit these harsh places every year. They mainly come to this region to sail around the planet's south pole, explore scientific bases, take unique photographs, or take a trip on zodiacs (inflatable boats that are familiar to everyone from Cousteau's films) to the mainland's breathtaking natural attractions. However, more and more people are making the trip for skiing or snowmobiling, trekking or diving in the shelf seas adjacent to Antarctica (diving under ice shelves or inland lakes is considered especially exotic). Currently scuba diving, including night diving, is offered to suitably qualified tourists. Dives are less than 39 meters and the diver must have at least 100 logged dives or a PADI rescue diver qualification or equivalent.

One of the excursions that can be done only here is flying around the entire Antarctic (as the entire adjacent region is called, and not just the mainland itself) on an airliner. The Australian airline Qantas started such flights in 1994 and they quickly became very popular. The comfortable Boeing 747-400 that carries the flight does not land on the continent, but offers breathtaking panoramic views of glaciers, icebergs and mountains. The aircraft does not drop below 3,050 meters (610 meters above the highest point in the outskirts), and the engines are brought to less than a third of full power, reducing noise, pollution and providing better viewing conditions from the windows (and from such an altitude in conditions of ultra-clean and dry Antarctic air, you can look up to 185 kilometers of space in all directions!).

Polar stations and research bases often serve as magnificent sights in themselves - each of them unwittingly turns the staff into an exhibition of the country's scientific achievements and national character differences. It is quite typical for any scientific complex in the region to have video halls with scientific films and video reports on research; billiard rooms, which are usually decorated with all the fancy that a person is capable of; libraries and even bars.

General concert evenings are quite common, and often (if possible) neighbors from scientific expeditions of other countries are invited to them. The polar explorers of Antarctica have a clear penchant for clubs - there are at least 300 clubs with a wide variety of traditions. At the Amundsen-Scott base (USA) in the South Pole area, for example, to enter the club, you need to enter a sauna heated to +93 ° C, and then immediately run around the marker that marks the point of the pole, while the temperature outside can reach up to -73°C. The Wanda Swimming Club, at the New Zealand summer base of the same name, is made up of those who were able to swim through the permanently ice-bound Lake Vanda and then managed to independently (due to frost!) Get to the base. Probably every scientific town has its own chess club.

Lemaire Strait is a narrow channel between the Antarctic Peninsula on one side and Booth Island on the other. This is one of the most popular places to visit for tourist cruise ships - a breathtaking view with huge ice cliffs falling directly into the sea, sparkling ice walls of glaciers, teeming waters and majestic panoramas of floating icebergs against the backdrop of the unique Antarctic sky is simply provided here. This is such a photogenic strait that the place was nicknamed the Kodak gap - according to the joking estimates of polar explorers, at least 600 kilometers of film are spent here every year on photographs.

At the northern end of the strait lies a picturesque pair of high, rounded and often snow-covered peaks known as Unas Tits (Oona's Tits), a favorite landing and picnic spot for tourist groups. Many companies also give them certificates for crossing the Antarctic Circle.

The unique Dry Valleys (Dry Valleys) - Victoria, Master and Taylor - are unusual in that rain has not fallen there for at least two million years. They do not have any ice or snow because the air is too dry (places not covered with ice are called oases in Antarctica) and are considered by many scientists to be the driest place on the planet. The valleys are huge (about 3000 sq. km), deserted and were discovered by the famous Robert Scott in December 1903. He wrote about these places: We did not see any living creatures, not even moss or lichen ... This is of course the Valley of the Dead from biblical prophecies, even the largest glacier that once crushed them with its weight died far from here. Despite their harsh appearance and conditions, the valleys support some of the most unusual life forms on the planet. American biologists in 1978 discovered algae, fungi and bacteria living inside the stones (!!). These stunningly ancient lifeforms grow in the airy cavities of the porous rocks and feed on the light, carbon dioxide and moisture that permeate the rock's surface. The extraterrestrial nature of the local landscape is emphasized by the bizarre forms of ventifacts rock sculpture, which abound in the area, which abounds in bizarre landscapes shaped by the omnipresent wind. Scientists believe that the Dry Valleys are the closest Earth equivalent to the surface of Mars, and NASA did a lot of research here before launching the Viking to the Red Planet.

Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands is called the Santorini of Antarctica. Its collapsed volcanic caldera, Mecha Neptune, despite periodic volcanic eruptions, makes it one of the safest natural harbors in the world. Vessels enter the relatively calm waters of Port Forster (12 km wide) through a collapsed section of the caldera wall, which is surrounded by snow-covered hills up to 580 meters high. The island has an interesting history - it was the base camp for several early exploration expeditions and is still a point of contention between Argentina and the UK. The volcano is still very active, and its eruptions have caused significant damage and damage to scientific stations and whaler bases (during 1920-1921, the water in the harbor was so warm and saturated with volcanic activity products that it corroded the paint on the hulls of ships specially built for sailing in these harsh waters). The most recent eruption was in 1991-1992.

Often tourist boats come here specifically to organize swimming in the thermal and highly mineralized waters of Pendulum Bay (so named because of the British gravity pendulum built here specifically for experiments on the Earth's magnetism conducted in the last century). Here you should be very careful when bathing, because if you mix only the top layer of warm water (literally a meter!), You can severely burn your skin with hot or almost boiling water spouting from the bottom, or get a slight frostbite from the icy water of a thermocline disturbed by too intense swimming movements. There are large colonies of penguins on the outer coast of the caldera, but few marine animals enter the harbor because the numerous volcanic springs and fumaroles heat the water too much and unevenly.

Zavidovsky Island in the South Sandwich Islands is one of the largest penguin colonies in the world - approximately two million king penguins live here permanently. Bouvet Island (54°42 S, 03°37 E) is the most isolated island on earth. The nearest land to the island is more than 1600 km to the northeast. Glaciers cover about 93% of the 54 sq. km. km of the island and prevent landings on the south and east coasts, while steep cliffs 490 meters high block access to the north, west and southwest. Between 1955 and 1958, a single low-lying lava patch appeared on the west coast of Bouvet, providing a tiny nesting area for birds on the island. The island is rarely visited, but it is surrounded by many secrets and mysteries, and two events in its history are especially mysterious: first, in 1964, a lifeboat sank from a passing ship (by the way, the reason for its flooding is also unknown), and food supplies and equipment from its side were found by rescuers in the center (!!) of the island untouched, but where the crew, having such good means for survival, disappeared, was never established. The second case is even more mysterious - in September 1979, a powerful explosion was recorded west of Bouvet, identified by scientists as an explosion of a thermonuclear bomb, but its source was not discovered, and not a single country that ever had nuclear devices was seen sending such devices in these waters.

Paradise Harbor on the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most visited areas in Antarctica and hosts zodiac cruises among the icebergs that are born from the glacier at the head of the harbor. Zodiac cruises have recently become a very popular type of recreation, as such regattas allow you to observe the life of the Antarctic waters almost from arm's length. No landfalls are usually scheduled on these trips, but the glaciers and mountains are most beautiful from the water, and the serene nature and sea are a highlight for many visitors, which is why such cruises are gaining more and more popularity year by year.

Population of the country 0 people Territory 14.4 million sq. km Capital McMurdo Station Domain zone.aq

Antarctica Hotels

Antarctica is the most remote place on the planet. The presence of a person here is reduced to an absolute minimum, because the harsh climate of the continent prevents this as much as possible.

In the summer months (in our winter months), the temperature rises to the level of " you can survive"(up to about -50 degrees, on the coast up to -2).

About 4,000 people live in scientific stations (150 of them are citizens of our country, Russia). Therefore, tourists who come to explore the mainland live on a cruise ship.

The ship is a "floating hotel" that moves smoothly through the straits of Antarctica and lands on the coast so that tourists can see everything with their own eyes.

Climate: Severe low temperatures vary with latitude, altitude, and distance from the ocean. East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica due to its high elevation. The Antarctic Peninsula has the most temperate climate. Higher temperatures occur in January. On the coast, the average is slightly below zero.

Antarctica attractions

South Pole. Many seek to get here not for the sake of marvelous landscapes, but just to get here. Place for the sake of a place. There is nothing here: clear skies and miles of impenetrable snow around. There are two South Poles: a ceremonial one (where everyone is photographed, there are flags of the mainland explorers and a mirror ball 40 centimeters in diameter) and a geographical one, decorated with a modest sign that is very easy to miss.

Amundsen-Scott Station is the first permanently inhabited station inland. Its inhabitants can proudly write "South Pole" in the "place of residence" column. The station is completely self-sufficient even in winter and is supplied with power. It even has its own greenhouse, where vegetables and herbs are grown using hydroponics.

Ross Ice Shelf- the visiting card of the mainland, it is often depicted on stamps dedicated to Antarctica. Largest ice shelf in Antarctica. You can see it if your cruise ship is moving from New Zealand.

Terrain: Approximately 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% waste rock, with average elevations between 2000 and 4000 meters. Mountain ranges up to almost 5000 meters. Ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, near the Antarctic Peninsula, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating icebergs make up 11% of the continent's area.

Leisure

Traveling here is the most expensive in the whole world. The coast with penguins and fur seals is visited by about five thousand tourists a year, only a little less than a hundred reach the interior of the mainland.

Travel to Antarctica by plane or cruise ship. Traveling by plane is a very convenient opportunity to see the main natural beauties of the mainland from the frost-free coast with wildlife to the South Pole. This method is not as spectacular as on a cruise ship, but it is the most comfortable, fast and makes it possible to see those places where a cruise ship simply cannot reach.

Cruises are a great opportunity to enjoy the scenery of the coast, periodically landing on the land. And, of course, watching penguins, polar birds and seals. The only downside to a cruise is that it's lengthy, usually the trip lasts at least five days.

Resources: Possibly oil and gas.

Resorts

In this section, of course, we will not talk about resorts in the generally accepted sense, but about places that are most often shown to tourists, so: a visit to the South Pole is most often combined with an excursion to the American Amundsen-Scott station, which from the inside is somehow similar to a hospital and a business center.

Tourists are also offered to visit the Antarctic Peninsula, Drake Passage, Lemeyre Passage, Mount Kirkpatrick, Queen Maud Ridge.

2. The coldest place on Earth is a high ridge in Antarctica, where the temperature was recorded at -93.2 ° C.

3. Some areas of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (an ice-free part of Antarctica) have not had rain or snow for the past 2 million years.

5. In Antarctica, there is a waterfall with water red as blood, which is explained by the presence of iron, which oxidizes when it comes into contact with air.

9. There are no polar bears in Antarctica (they are only in the Arctic), but there are a lot of penguins here.

12. Melting ice in Antarctica caused a slight change in gravity.

13. There is a Chilean town in Antarctica with a school, hospital, hotel, post office, internet, TV and mobile phone network.

14. The Antarctic ice sheet has been around for at least 40 million years.

15. There are lakes in Antarctica that never freeze because of the heat coming from the bowels of the Earth.

16. The highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was 14.5°C.

17. Since 1994, the use of sled dogs has been banned on the continent.

18. Mount Erebus in Antarctica is the southernmost active volcano on Earth.

19. Once upon a time (more than 40 million years ago) Antarctica was as hot as California.

20. There are seven Christian churches on the continent.

21. Ants, whose colonies are distributed over almost the entire land surface of the planet, are absent in Antarctica (as well as in Iceland, Greenland and several remote islands).