“What makes you aspire to take an expedition to Antarctica..?” The question I faced a lot, almost from everyone who tried to strike a conversation on my trip before it or after it. Frankly speaking I could never give an answer which entirely satisfy their inquisitive mind. When a mind thinks “why so much of effort and spending that fortune for just to see the snow and iceberg”. And when a mind thinks “oh She could have cover 5 European countries in and out with that budget. Then why Antarctica “. I failed to give any satisfied answer. And I am absolutely fine with that.
Then comes schedule, plan and budget has to be aligned. Finally last year around July considered the expedition and by around Aug finalised it. The moment it was finalised, my panic attacks triggered. All these years I was looking forward to this, and when I had signed up, from that point multiple doubts were bothering me. Did I do a correct thing..?? Well I will give this answer in the last.
With all preparations, visas, Flight ticket booking and all documents submission for the expedition, finally the day arrived when I started from home to board the flight and start a long journey to the end of the world. It was a killer three long flights from Bangalore to Ushuaia. Started from home on 29th Dec 2022 afternoon and reached Ushuaia morning 9 am local time on 31st Dec 2022, which is 5.30pm back in India on 31st Dec 2022. Planned to be in the last civilised land few days earlier to expedition to adjust with timezone and to recover jet lag.
The airport of Ushuaia, was very cozy tiny and lively. It said loudly that its the last land of human civilisation, with sandwiched between Martial Mountains and beagle channel. When the flight landed, it actually felt like the end of the land. A mixed aroma of mountain and ocean spread in the air all over.
Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego province. The native of this place were Yaghanes tribe. As per their language the place means “Bay that looks to the West.” Not sure what is west about this place.
Landed up in a place I knew the least. Due to my some other critical commitments just before this trip, I couldn’t do much research. For the same reason, I actually missed all my pre-expedition excitement and it was just got diverted into something else. We all have 24 hours in a day. Its really tough to managing home, family, work, external commitments and that to fulfilling own passion. I try to walk how much I can.
Then straight to apartment which I booked through Airbnb, with few struggle with the language. Thanks to new age tech support and google, finally could settle in that cozy and beautiful place, which would be my home for next couple of days. Then thought came in mind, its 31st evening. Let’s go for a party. With that thought I stepped out for dinner around 9.30 so that i can ring the new year bell in a good pub. To my surprise, the new year evening was taken a different mode in this city. Shops and restaurants were already closed. Let’s forget about having party, I struggled to get a decent dinner at 31st night. Luckily one cafe was open with limited options of salad and few bakes. Came back to apartment after having a basic salad. Then opened the wine bottle which i brought from the store during the day. Enjoyed the shore line of Ushuaia seating near the window of the living room. Thats how i rang the new year bell to step into 2023. Actually a peaceful one.
Next day, the new year, I went to Tierra del Fuego national park. That I will cover in a separate story.
On 2nd Jan, the day when the expedition start. I was suppose to reach the hotel from where it would begin post lunch next day. So packed up and left that cozy yet beautiful Airbnb to head towards market. There I met with other expedition members and had good introduction session over a hearty lunch, and a live performance by couple of local singers. The music of this place was very catchy. Though I didn’t understand but some how got engaged. Then head towards the hotel. Excitement and apprehension slowly building up. Along with that I was more worried, rather panicked for the drake passage. It was a mixed feeling. The view from the hotel room was stunning. I could see vividly, the port from where we would leave next day.
After a brief induction session from Intrepid travel, we headed towards the city for dinner. My interaction with the group over dinner might seemed to be normal but inside I was totally chickening out. The fear was building up more and more as time passed.
Got back to the room, tried to sleep as wanted to have a good sleep before boarding the ship next day. But as expected didn’t get much sleep. Suddenly my phone alarm rang at 6 am. Need to pack and get ready as we suppose to deposit our baggage with Intrepid representative to get into ship. After breakfast, rest of the team went out to explore the town. But I just preferred to gather my thoughts and give rest to my mind before starting the voyage.
i spent time in hotel lounge with my laptop open and scrabbling something. With my kindle open to read something but thoughts were rushing and churning like tornado in my mind. I guess, it was very evident on my face, like an open book anyone could read. While I was pre-occupied with my thoughts, I heard a soothing voice saying “ you will be just fine. Don’t worry. you are up for a great place and it will be a great experience”. Those words were so healing. Sometime complete stranger can read you so clearly even the closest of the person can’t.
He was a professor from Tasmania university and he came along with his colleague for the same expedition to Antarctica on a research on tourism impact. We three had a hearty conversation on various aspect, including our backgrounds and what is the purpose of this expedition, then coming upto conservation issues. With all these its already 3 pm and its time to board the bus.
Thoughts are started rushing again. They say butterfly in the stomach. Literally I was feeling tornado in my stomach. In no time after all formalities, finally boarded the ship. The home for next 10 days.
With lot of emotions running around and excitement of exploring the ship, the ship was slowly leaving the main land and started the voyage in Beagle Channel. I could see the end of the world slowly vanishing into the horizon.
There was introduction and welcome sessions, where it was told by mid night we would be leaving Beagle Channel and will enter the open sea in Drake Passage. At that point whenever I hear Drake Passage, my heart use to skip a beat. This time the sea was calmest and I knew it’s the calm before the storm. Post dinner we went to our respective cabin to catch up some sleep. This was last dark night we would see in next 10 days. Next day onwards it would be daylight throughout 24 hours.
At around 3 am, my sleep got disrupted with a blow. I could feel the heavy shake and that told me we were already in drake passage. So it was Drake shake. I was totally panicked and lying on the bed with no movement, clutching the blanket with fear. After couple of hours, i felt bit discomfort inside the cabin and gather my courage to come out of the bed. Then slide the curtain of the window and saw my first albatross flying across bit far away. That gave me comfort to a great extend. I got up and put my multi-layers on and picked up my camera to head out straight to back deck of the ship by wobbling , rolling, walking in all directions and obviously holding into something all the time. I was feeling much better outside and it was like a bit fun of a roller coaster ride.
I was told if its drake shake then there would be lot of birds including Albatross, would be following the ship. And it turned out to be true.
From the back deck of the ship I could see a lot of birds flying and hovering around. This is my first image of Albatross. A wandering Albatross. The image quality is not that great but it holds a huge significance for me. Still trying to balance myself with the drake shake, with manoeuvring that heavy 150-600 mm lens, when the ship is going up and down and bouncing as a rollercoaster ride. Same-time, I was trying to match up their flight speed. That caused a definite shake in my images.
One of the wish for this trip was just fulfilled. Watching the Albatross fly.
Here is the 2nd day rough sea companion. A black-browed-Albatross. By now I have my hands set while taking the images in that shaky ship. The sea had calm down a bit as well. Resulting good images due to stability and sunlight. It was a sunny day which was very rare.
Since we started the drake passage I hardly went inside the cabin. Spent my maximum time in the back deck watching Albatross, Petrels, Antarctic terns and so many others. It gave a deep sense of serenity to watch them, flying and gliding over the rough ocean.
Albatrosses are among the most spectacular gliders of all birds, able to stay aloft in windy weather for hours without ever flapping their extremely long, narrow wings. Part of the secret is locking wing joints, which enable the bird to keep its wings extended for long periods at no energy cost from its muscles. Very rarely they rest on the water surface to feed, but with a threat of predators like shark or leopard seals. It’s widely believed that albatrosses must be able to sleep while flying. Like other oceanic birds, albatrosses drink seawater. Although they normally live on squid, they also are seen to accompany ships to feed on garbage. Albatrosses come ashore only to breed in colonies that are usually established on remote oceanic islands, where pairs exhibit mating behaviour that includes wing-stretching and bill-fencing displays accompanied by loud groaning sounds. The growth of the young albatross is very slow, especially in the larger species; it attains flight plumage in 3 to 10 months, then spends the next 5 to 10 years at sea, passing through several pre-adult plumages before coming to land to mate. Albatrosses live long sometime beyond 60 to 70 years. Its recorded, they can even breed in their 60s as well. And its believed that they mate for life but there are exceptions. For this reason, it’s been posited that albatrosses are the “most romantic” bird. But that human characterisation ignores some key facts about albatrosses. An albatross mating pair only sees each other a few days a year, when they meet at their breeding grounds. After few days of catching up, the pair takes turns incubating the egg; one stays behind while the other forages for food. After about 90 days, and when the chick is big enough, the mating pair go their separate ways for the rest of the year. (source – Various Websites in internet)
I set the alarm at 3 am in the morning. During previous day it was announced that we would be reaching the tip of the continent by 3am after crossing the drake passage.
The alarm rang and I slid the curtain of my cabin window. In that very moment I jumped out of the bed and landed in outer deck with the cotton pajama I was sleeping on, and a flip flop, to see the most spectacular land.
In no time realised, I was immovable due to freezing temperature. Then got some sense back to get inside the cabin and take some warm cloths. A sense of euphoria had caught me very intensely. With that I was running frantically from back deck to front deck, again to bridge, then to upper decks. Then keep repeating the same circle, just to grasp every possible view of the white continent and every possible sight of the iceberg around. Just around 5.30/ 6.00 am the ship anchored in Paradise harbour.
Paradise Harbours was so correctly named due to the stunning view of the Petzval Glacier in Skontorp Cove with its ice floes and calm water. Moreover the water felt calmer after two days of the drake shake and which made me appreciate the calmness more.
That day post breakfast, would be my first zodiac cruise and to put my first step into Antarctic land. According to zodiac briefing I got prepared. The whole group was divided into four named groups. With the group name called out, they suppose to report in mudroom to prepare for landing. It was a first experience of the zodiac preparation and I got a minor panic attack on managing the claustrophobic environment and excitement. It was bit intimidating, the way we need to wear the parka, the life jacket, dry pants and the boots, along with all our warm layers. There I saw another angel, Geetha Johri Maam. Who was part of our group and I met her hardly few days ago. She was a saviour for me and handled my emotional outburst so well.
The mind shifted to excitement and happiness the moment I came out in the open and sat in the zodiac. We headed towards Base Brown to put my very first step in the southern most continent.
Base Brown is the site of Argentinian station, Almirante Brown or as we all call it Base Brown. Its was a year around station till 1983 and until a crazy lover who was a doctor in the station, decided to burn down the whole place as the departing ship didn’t accompany him to his home. There he was suppose to be with the love of his life. Later he was imprisoned for some years in Argentina.
It was indeed an emotional moment for me which I have been dreaming for so long. Finally I stepped into the southern most, mysterious and white continent. While I use to see the map of Antarctica in my atlas book way back in school, I never thought someday I would be able to explore it. But someone above was smiling that time, as he had already planned this for me. The journey was not easy. It was long and full of struggle, but at last he made me reach here. Gratitude…..!!
Here I saw my first penguins so close, with huge numbers. Same time I was struggling to adjust with my heavy camera bag at the back, 5 layers of clothing, tightly tied life jacket on top of it, and holding that 150-600 mm lens with camera body. It was instructed, not to fall in the ice as no one wants any contamination either way. So giving you a backdrop, as per IAAOTA guidelines no external elements should touch the Antarctic land due to the delicateness of its eco system. Before getting into Zodiac we all were bio secured and after coming back we need to be again bio secured to get inside the ship. If at all you fall down then you need to inform the crew member before getting in. They need to bio secure you completely. Like spray a kind of sanitiser from head to toe. In nut shell you need to take a bath in sanitiser before entering into ship.
In afternoon we suppose to go to Orne harbour but the weather condition made them change the plan. We headed to Wilhelmina Bay to check on the whales instead. As the name denotes While-mina, it is one of the best places in Antarctica to spot these large marine mammals. The waters of Wilhelmina Bay are filled with krills, the staple food of many whale species. Sadly, however, it also explains why Wilhelmina Bay was once a top whaling location.
But we were not so lucky to see a whale here. But no regrets. The bay’s sheer beauty ensures a true Antarctic experience with it ice sculptures and floating icebergs. I encounter the largest iceberg here.
Have you ever listen the voice of iceberg ? They speak in their own language, when in summer they break from ice shelf and dance in the ocean waves. While dancing they hug each other. I mean when they crash with each other.
Imagine your existence in front of this massiveness. You are almost non-exist, please have your ego and pride accordingly.
Dreams are made of this, and looks like this. All these memories and experiences were definitely having a deep impact on me. I could feel deep inside that I was transforming. The vibe was that strong of this place.
The Game of clouds, rays, the white continent and ocean. What more drama one need. The spectacular sight is beyond carving in words.
Day 2 plan was port Lockroy in the morning , and the exciting part of this zodiac trip is the penguin post office. you can send cards to your friends and relatives from here.
Port Lockroy situated in north-western shore of Wiencke Island, within the Palmer Archipelago.
As usual it named after someone who funded for someone’s Antarctica expedition who apparently discover the place. The bay was discovered in 1904 and named after Edouard Lockroy, a French politician who assisted Jean-Baptiste Charcot in obtaining government funding for his French Antarctic Expedition. It was a whaling station between 1911 to 1931. And till date you could see the rusted whaling instruments and the whale bones in the port. The United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust took over management and conservation of the site in 2006 and operates a museum and post office staffed in the Antarctic summer.
Gentoo Penguins make their nest with pebbles. And it has been observed that others try to steal them from one’s nest. The obvious reaction of the house owner when you try to steal from its home.
The afternoon Zodiac landing was in Damoy point. It is the northern entrance point to the harbour of Port Lockroy, on the western side of Wiencke Island in the Palmer Archipelago.
One can’t ignore the romance of cloud with the mountain. They just embrace and melted in each other so perfectly.
There is well preserved hut containing science instruments and other artifacts. It was last occupied in 1993 and now designated a Historic Site or Monument.
The blue eyed shags, the only cormorant species found in Antarctica. Its called Antarctica Shags as well. They are also know as imperial cormorant, king cormorant, imperial shag or Antarctic cormorant.
This is one of the bird, i was not aware exists before visiting this land. The magic of the place is so intense that even cormorants are so beautiful. No offence to cormorants.
This is one of my favourite images of Penguin from the trip. The dreamy Penguin. Its so amazing to watch them walking along the path and slowly emerging from the snow walls around those highway and again vanish into it. I could watch them days together.
Penguins built their nest in stone gaps among the ice. Hence most of the time it would be bit higher in the hills. They keep coming to water for the food and go back to colony for feeding the incubating partner or the chicks after they hatch. In any day they have to do multiple trips to the sea and back. In the process a path is carved, which is called penguin highway.
As I mentioned just before Penguins make their colonies in a stone gaps in Ice. As their eggs will spoiled if it touches the ice. They prefer a home with a nice view always.
Coming back to Penguin highway, a highway jam with criss-crossing upwards and downwards traffic. The moving dots in a white sheet.
This single mountain among the cluster is quite relatable. it doesn’t really fit in. With lot of proud it shows that it’s not a weakness rather its a strength to stand alone and stand out.
Day 3 was the most significant and beautiful of all. As per the plan the ship entered the Lemaire Channel. The aura of the place is unbelievable. Till date it seems a beautiful dream. The snowcapped and rugged peaks soar into the sky over a pristine water. The water is covered with scattered ice pieces from the iceberg, and floating icebergs all around.
This channel lies between the Kiev Peninsula in Graham Land and Booth Island with 6.8 miles long and just 600 mt wide in its narrowest point. Due to this sometime it get packed with ice and opens up late in the season.
Again the naming has to be done after someone. This time someone who never set foot in Antarctica, neither attempted. All his life he was done his incredible work in topical forests, majorly in Congo. The channel was named after a Belgian explorer Charles Lemaire by Adrien de Gerlache who lead a Belgian Antarctic expedition and traverse through the channel for first time in December 1898.
While I was devouring the beauty of the Lemaire Channel, got the announcement of the polar plunge which was planned to happen in this ice infested water.
That was most coldest place ever in our whole expedition. Seeing the ice infestation I gave a second thought. what happens if I get hyperthermia? What happens if my heart stops beating ? What happens if my lungs and blood in the body get frozen? What if I die? But nobody dies of polar plunge. Moreover Ocean Endeavour and intrepid has all the precautionary majors in place, including a rope tied in waist and one person controls it. If at all you are frozen and can’t swim then you can be pulled out of the water. There were zodiacs with crew members surrounded all over the place with cleaned up ices pieces so that you don’t get hurt while jumping into it. If incase anything goes off they can rescue. And best part there were vodkas waiting for you after the plunge. Even if I die in this process then it would be such a glorious death.
Then I saw people started taking the plunge and no-one is dying..
If they can, I can too. If I don’t do this now, then I will regretting it for rest of my life. So I rushed to the cabin, changed and directly went to the plunge point. There was full party on. All the crew members were dressed up like penguins with high volume music, adding to the excitement. Then my turn came. I was waiting in the deck to jump but i was told to wait more, as someone lost the cabin key card while diving and they were searching for it. In sub-zero frozen temperature I had to wait there in a swim costume . That was actually a torture. Then the time came and i was called out 3…2…1. But I took a moment not sure what to do.. Do i have a choice now..JUMP… That moment when I was getting inside the ocean with -2 degree water temperature, for a change I was in unbelievable peace and not at all scared or doing any attempt to come up for the moment. As if in that second your body, mind, heart and soul, all elements were healing in a rhythm. May be near death feels like that when you are getting slowly detached from life.
Afternoon landing was in petermann island. The island is 1.8 km long and 1.2 km width, was discovered by a German expedition in 1873–74, who named it after geographer August Petermann. The island has volcanic origin and permanent ice with full of crevasses.
This ice wall might have century old ice. They have seen how earth has been changed over the time. The silence spectator with enormous story of natural history beneath it.
The pink shadow in the ice raised curiosity in me. On enquiry, came to know from the crew members, those are kind of algae. Else my thought was going towards the activity of leopard seals. It couldn’t have so wide spread and that to on land. Not possible for them to match up penguin speed out of water.
Due to the risk of crevasses, we couldn’t explore the Adelie Penguin colony high up in the island. Though got couple of them in the shoreline. The most fun part is until I process this image in laptop didn’t realise I had captured the colony of Adelie penguin. And that stone colour is not pink. Its turned pink with obvious thing. The penguin droppings.
Another attraction in petermann island is this wobbly guy, a Weddell seal enjoying its nap on the ice sheet. The naming ceremony of it as well done after the person who discover it in 1820, a British sealing captain James Weddell. Even the sea is named as Weddell sea where he explored within souther sea to find this fluffier and relatively larger seal.
It’s considered that seals are poppies of the ocean and it’s so true. They r so cuddly.. Fact is that you can’t just go and cuddle them.
Well, lets get back to penguin. This lone Adelie was down near the shore. Definitely came from the colony in the high up. It came bit closer to check on us. Then totally lost its direction to highway and was trying to get into water. Walked for a longer time and then started sliding. Penguins usually do it to conserve the energy and when they are bit exhausted.
Day 4 – the last day of the zodiac landing. Already the sense of getting over slowly drowning the heart a bit. The Morning landing was in Danko island. As usual after breakfast we headed to mudroom for getting ready for the zodiac. By this time I was so proficient in putting on those layers and it takes less than 10 min to wait for you turn in Zodiac cruise site. And it was snowing insanely. Usually it snows with snowflakes but that day it was snowing with snow balls. After getting into zodiac it was really tricky to get the equipments out without adequate protection. Thats the reason I have very few images of this place as my lens got fog and it couldn’t take any clear image.
A thin line and a vanishing mountain. The extreme weather in white continent seems to give a extreme uplift to its beauty and serenity. The way it seems smooth in image, in contrary it was roughest in actual. The Penguins still brave this weather and continuing their march for life along with the penguin highway to get into ocean for food.
Danko Island is 2 km long and as well named after Emile Danco a Belgian geophysicist and member of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition, who died on board in the Antarctic.
This sight made me awestruck and I couldn’t find an emotion relatable with it. Images are not at all doing justice to the sight I have seen and engraved in my memories. Wish I could find words to describe it. This image has no filter. The pink hues in the sky is for real.
After the zodiac landing we came back to ship. My lens was still foggy. Suddenly it was announced, there were lot of humped back whales around the ship. The announcement we were eagerly waiting to hear. And in no time I took my camera and got out in back deck of the ship. And totally forgot to bring the back up camera. Remember my lens was still foggy.
From the back deck I saw two whales so close that my 150 mm is also going out of frame. More over they are foggy and useless. So there is no point taking images. But the fog is reducing slowly and I was praying the whales should hang around still it goes completely.
It was very interesting that the whales are just souraounding the ship and appearing in the back deck in regular intervals. Not sure what could be the reason. Might be they are curious about the ship. On the last round, somehow my lens got clear a bit and I could take few better images.
One point of time I thought to myself, good my lens is not working and left the camera and started observe the whole experience without the distraction of the camera. One particular moment is so clear in my memory. I was looking for them in one side of the back deck and I heard a loud whooping sound from the behind, that is other side of the deck. Immediately ran towards that. That point I saw both of them the closest. That sound and that sight will remain with me forever.
Once the whales left we came for lunch and from dining area as well we saw few more of them. That day was dedicated to whales.
My whale photography was totally jinxed in this trip. One time my camera card got filled and then my lens got totally fogged out in heavy snowfall.
Now the time has come for the last zodiac landing in Neko Harbour. For a change it has been named after a whaling boat “Neko” not any explorers or politician or scientist. There was a mild shadow of disappointment in heart and quite a bit of emotional out breaks while gearing up for the zodiac.It all about to finish which I have waited and looked forward all these years. And that moment I realised when you fulfil your dream, it creates a vacuum within you. Bigger the dream, wider the vacuum once fulfilled. I was bit shaken to handle that vacuumness .
On reaching Neko Harbour, I realise, It was an incline trek with the fresh snow around. Though the path was marked, still we don’t know where the feet would land. Climbing up was better but getting down was bit tricky. I was tempted to climb in hope of seeing some chinstrap penguin which I saw just one in the morning landing when my lens was foggy. But the view I got from the above was totally worth the trek.
The breaking ice Shelf and a lone soul thriving within.
Until experienced Penguins, I use to think they are so adorable and cute. But once I saw them in their colony, they are rather messy and noisy creatures. Though adorable and cute are still hold good but with a voice very sharp and screech.
Last but not the least, this image is one of my favourite from the trip. The front face and the snow flakes make this image way different prospect of Penguin.
Next morning I got up with an empty mind. When you get up, how you get up? I usually get up with the todo list, short term as well as long term. But that day it was nothing, like I have nothing left to do. Its a huge vacuum and I was struggling to handle that. For me the look forward is the most exciting. But I am glad that I was carrying a huge pile of memories for lifetime.
The ship had already in drake passage on it return journey to Ushuaia This time I have no fear at all, rather looking forward to see some more albatross.
In return journey, its drake shake as well. But time well spent with all the birds following the ship during the shake.
While ship was going to enter slowly into Beagle Chanel and I could see the Cape Horn, the northern boundary of drake passage and where Atlantic and pacific ocean meets. We continue our voyage with one side Tierra del Fuego in Argentina and Puerto Williams, Navarino Island in Chile, in other side. Where both of them claims as the end of the world.
In initial section I asked a question if I did a correct thing. I suppose If anything I have done so correct in my life, is to sign up for this expedition. This expedition taught me many things and made me a better person. It taught me how to let go things which is not in my control. It taught me to be more patience and be acceptable to the adverse of life and people. I started to accept people as they are.
If one tries to find a reasoning for these then there was never a connection with the trip. In the introduction session the lead crew member had mentioned once, “you will be a different soul at the end of this expedition.” And he was unquestionably correct. I could never find a reason why this whole experience has changed me this way. But it did.. There is definitely some unexplainable connections.
You may see a lot of emotions flowing in this blog. Being a sensitive and impassioned person, It was quite evident. Its always consider, showing emotion is sign of weakness but I believe expressing emotion is the toughest thing one can do. It takes a lot to be sensitive and intense. Moreover it takes further strength to express it to the world.
To enrich your understanding of this land : (Source – Various sites in internet)
- The tallest mountain in Antarctica is Vinson Massif rising 4,892 meters (16,050 feet) above sea level.
- The lowest point in Antarctica is within the Denman Glacier, which reaches 3.5 kilometers (11,500 feet) below sea level.This is also the lowest place on Earth not covered by ocean (although it is covered by ice).
- The lowest accessible point in Antarctica is the shore of Deep Lake, Vestfold Hills, which is 50.4 m[2] beneath sea level.
- The southernmost volcano on the planet—Mount Erebus—is in Antarctica on the world’s southernmost island reachable from the sea. Ross Island.
- The southernmost island is said to be Berkner Island. It is embedded in the ice shelf, fully covered by ice and fully below sea level, and therefore not an island, but an ice rise. The southernmost true island is probably Black Island (Ross Archipelago).
- The Ross Sea is the southernmost sea in the world, with its southernmost extremity (Amundsen Coast) at the foot of the Horlick Mountains approximately 300 km (200 mi) from the Geographic South Pole. However, this area is covered by the Ross Ice Shelf. The southernmost open sea is also part of Ross Sea, namely Bay of Whales at 78°30’S, at the edge of Ross Ice Shelf.
- Highest temperature so far recorded in Antarctica: 19.8 °C (67.6 °F) at Vanda Station (New Zealand administered station) on 5 January 1974.
- Lowest temperature so far recorded in Antarctica: −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) in the interior of the Antarctica in August 2010. The record temperature was found by scientists sifting through decades of climate data taken by Earth-orbiting satellites. However, the previous record was −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) at Vostok (Russian administered station) on 21 July 1983 and it is to this day more widely known.
- Antarctica has the world’s lowest rainfall average (zero at the Geographic South Pole) and thus is the world’s driest continent.
- Despite its low rainfall average, Antarctica has approximately 70% of the world’s fresh water (as well as 90% of the world’s ice).
