Feb 14th, 2012 at 10:00AM: Palmer Station -- When we sail into the narrow channel fronting the U.S. science base here at the tip of Anvers Island it is clear of ice, but for one sizable iceberg which we wait out, watching it drift slowly out to sea.
Once anchored and tied to the rocks at four corners -- a necessity in Antarctica given the unpredictable winds and constantly moving ice, which are the twin constant threats ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
antarctica posts
Bowermaster's Adventures: Palmer Station, Antarctica
Feb 14th, 2012 at 10:00AM: Palmer Station -- When we sail into the narrow channel fronting the U.S. science base here at the tip of Anvers Island it is clear of ice, but for one sizable iceberg which we wait out, watching it drift slowly out to sea.
Once anchored and tied to the rocks at four corners -- a necessity in Antarctica given the unpredictable winds and constantly moving ice, which are the twin constant threats ...Bowermaster's Adventures: Finding civilization in Antarctica
Jan 25th, 2012 at 10:00AM: Port Lockroy -- If there is a human population center along the Antarctic Peninsula, this is it. While there may be hundreds of thousands of penguins, tens of thousands of seals, whales and sea birds that call this remote stretch home, few people do.
But at the height of the austral summer season -- December-February -- more people congregate in the protected harbor here at the former 'Camp A' ...Bowermaster's Adventures: Paradise Harbor, Antarctica
Jan 23rd, 2012 at 11:00AM: Paradise Harbor -- Its common knowledge among Antarctic veterans that no two days here look or feel alike. Ever.
The reality is that no quarter hour looks alike. Or can be predicted, no matter how many months or years you've spent here.
We spent the night in a small, protected bay about 400 miles down the coastline of the Antarctic Peninsula. The tricky thing about sailing a small yacht here ...Bowermaster's Adventures: Iceberg spotting in the rain
Jan 20th, 2012 at 9:00AM: Enterprise Island-- Rain, rain go away.
We woke tied-off to the rusted hulk of a half-sunken Norwegian whaling ship. Its story is legend along the Peninsula for having caught fire a century ago during a sail-away party, its stores of whale oil afire lighting up the sky for several days. Now it is just another ruined reminder of those boom days when Antarctica's whales were one of the world's ...Bowermaster's Adventures: Deception Island, Antarctica
Jan 18th, 2012 at 9:00AM: Deception Island, Antarctica -- The black volcanic sand beach carries a heavy history, of an efficient if somewhat desperate past, in evidence from the cemetery where British whalers are buried to the abandoned and rusted pumps and storage tanks that line the shore, once filled with the oil of thousands of whales killed here each during a 25 year run.
From 1904 to 1931 this bay was home to one ...Bowermaster's Adventures: Departure for Antarctica
Jan 17th, 2012 at 9:00AM:
Drake Passage -- Ever since sailing men first proved the world was not flat they have been cursing the weather conditions at Cape Horn and the Drake Passage that lies below, separating South America from Antarctica.
Everyone from Sir Francis Drake, for whom the windy passage is named, to Captain Bligh, who fought into the winds for 100 days before giving in, turning around and sailing to ...Travel photo value way more than 1000 words
Jan 11th, 2012 at 4:30PM: Surely, a picture is worth a lot and a good travel photo can tell a story of our travels. Gadling's Photo of the Day alone takes us around the world often. Now, a new photo contest promises winners what could be an amazing adventure, just for sharing their shots.
In Abercrombie & Kent's Facebook photo contest, travelers are encouraged to submit their most inspiring and powerful travel ...Adventure Vacation Guide 2012: Ushuaia, Argentina
Jan 9th, 2012 at 9:30AM:
Just a few miles out of Ushuaia you can stand at the end of the Panamerican Highway and imagine the long line that connects you to Alaska. Wild nature surrounds you, face one direction and you'll see sharp granite peaks. Turn the other direction and you'll see the Beagle Channel, that relatively placid waterway that leads to the Drake Passage, and then, Antarctica.
Antarctica exploration ...Travel the world through the photography of Kyle Marquardt
Dec 24th, 2011 at 3:00PM: While there are a lot of beautiful travel photos out there, the images of Kyle Marquardt have a way of capturing those quick, often missed moments while helping people to discover places not often seen by tourists, like a penguin the first second he goes to jump out of the water, a cheetah in hot pursuit of a gazelle, or an iceberg half underwater and half above. So how does he capture such moving ...Photo of the day - On the rocks
Dec 15th, 2011 at 6:00PM:
Not many of us will have the chance to visit Antarctica, especially with the new heavy-fuels ban introduced this year to protect the environment around the Southern Ocean. Next season only about 25,000 tourists are expected, about the same who visit Walt Disney World every DAY. Unless you are joining an adventure travel group like Quark Expeditions or happen to be an explorer like our own Jon ...Antarctic skier evacuated from the ice
Dec 1st, 2011 at 8:00AM: An Antarctic skier on an expedition to the South Pole became seriously ill last weekend, prompting an emergency evacuation from the ice. The story underscores some of the potential dangers with adventure travel and the issues that can arise when visiting a remote destination.
Kathy Braegger traveled to Antarctica to join a group of four other adventurers who are making their way from the Ronne ...British woman attempting solo crossing of Antarctica
Nov 23rd, 2011 at 8:00AM: 33-year old British adventurer Felicity Aston is preparing to set out on an epic journey that is guaranteed to push her to both her physical and mental limits. In just a few days, she'll set out to do what no other woman has ever done – complete a solo and unsupported crossing of Antarctica on foot.
Felicity's adventure will begin on the Ross Ice Shelf, where she'll start a 248 mile trek ...Video of the day: How to achieve your one travel dream
Oct 7th, 2011 at 6:30PM:
"What is your one travel dream above all other travel dreams?"
This is the opening question from Gadling friend Andrew Evans, who was recently invited to the TEDxDanubia conference in Budapest to present a talk on pursuing your travel dreams. Andrew's one travel dream was to see Antarctica and he details how he managed to get there by planning less, trusting more, and always traveling ...
Partial solar eclipse highlights the 2011 Antarctic travel season
Sep 23rd, 2011 at 8:00AM: A visit to Antarctica is high on the list of "must see" places for travelers looking to get off the beaten path. It is the highest, coldest, driest continent on the planet, and yet it still holds an undeniable allure for many adventure seekers. They come to kayak amongst the massive ice flows, visit penguin colonies, and to step foot in a place that few people ever get to see. This year, a few ...Antarctica updates, July 2011
Jul 30th, 2011 at 1:00PM: The fact that today's high was -67 degrees at the South Pole is not news. Especially for the 49 hardy souls overwintering; they knew what they signed on for. Nor is it a shock that it was -97 at Vostok one day last week, since the Russian base holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded (-128).
But there are some surprises being reported from the deep-deep south during the ...Chasing leopard seals in Antarctica
Jul 24th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
Though everyone would agree that ice is king in Antarctica, the most powerful of natural elements, when it comes to the animal world the Leopard seal – 1,000 pounds of lightning fast muscle armed with a mouthful of sharp incisors – is the top of the food chain. While confident due to their size and position, they have been known to drag the occasional diver to the bottom of the ocean ...Southern ocean police report
Mar 27th, 2011 at 1:00PM: As Sea Shepherd predicted, when two of its boats made port in Hobart, Tasmania, over the weekend – on the heels of a just-completed and successful campaign against Japanese whalers – Australian police greeted them.
Armed with search warrants both the "Bob Barker" and "Steve Irwin" were scoured by the police with Sea Shepherd boss Paul Watson observing. No charges were made, nothing ...Black Tomato launches Epic Tomato, an ambitious new adventure offshoot
Feb 26th, 2011 at 12:30PM:
For years Black Tomato has delighted old travel hands with its inventive, bespoke itineraries to various corners of the globe. The company is especially good at showcasing beautiful destinations not yet well-known to most travelers beyond the surrounding region. Among others, Belgrade, the Carpathian foothills, the Kuronian Spit, and Bhutan have all been embraced by the company.
This morning, ...Missing Antarctic yacht update: life raft found, ship still missing
Feb 25th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Search and rescue teams discovered a life raft adrift in the Southern Ocean yesterday that they say is from the Berserk, a Norwegian-flagged yacht that went missing earlier in the week. The raft was spotted by a helicopter that had been combing the area the past few days, searching for clues as to the fate of the ship.
On Tuesday of this week, the Berserk was sailing just off the coast of ...Norwegian yacht goes missing off Antarctica
Feb 23rd, 2011 at 11:30AM: A Norwegian-flagged yacht known as the Berserk has gone missing off the coast of Antarctica after activating its emergency rescue beacon yesterday. The 14-meter, steel hulled ship was last known to be sailing rough seas in the Southern Ocean approximately 18 nautical miles north of the Scott Research Base and was believed to have been carrying as many as five passengers at the time.
Rescues ...
