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Antarctic

Boarding the Corinthian, a 90 passenger ship, in Ushuaia, Argentina. Looking out from the stateroom, at the forward part of the ship, is the town of Ushuaia in the distance with its snow capped mountains. The population of Ushuaia is 57,000, We are departing in January, Summer in Argentina, yet the temperature is in the cool 50's F. .

Ushuaia is a resort town in Argentina located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the southernmost tip of South America, nicknamed the “End of the World.” The windswept town, perched on a steep hill, is surrounded by the Martial Mountains and the Beagle Channel. It's the gateway to Antarctica cruises and tours to nearby Isla Yécapasela, known as “Penguin Island” for its penguin colonies.

In addition to being a vacation destination for local and international tourists, Ushuaia is also the key access point to the Southern Ocean, including subantarctic islands such as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and Antarctic islands such as the South Orkney Islands and the South Shetland Islands. Its commercial pier is the major port of departure in the world for tourist and scientific expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Tierra del Fuego National Park, located close by, is a national park on the Argentine part of the island of Tierra del Fuego,The park has dramatic scenery, with waterfalls, forests, mountains and glaciers.

Tierra del Fuego is the southernmost national park in Argentina connecting Ensenada Bay to Lapataia Bay on Lago Roca. It is a popular hiking trail within the park.

The Ushuaia Airport in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background known for its skiing in the winter months.

Getting ready to board a Zodiac for a first time onto ice and the Antarctic. I am wearing long johns, several layers of clothing, water proof coat and pants, with gloves and a knit hat.. All this for a California guy who does not know the meaning of the words "Below Zero".

After leaving Ushuaia our Antarctic cruise began with a passage through the scenic Beagle Channel into the rough Drake Passage overnight and into the next afternoon. The Drake Passage was named after Sir Frances Drake. The point where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet is well known for having some of the most turbulent waters on the planet. Sailors call it "Drake Lake or Drake Shake" depending on the servereity of the conditions.

This first landing is in the South Shetland Islands. The penguins you will see in the photos are Gentoo Penguins.

This mother and two young chicks are Gentoo Penguins. They have the widest range of distribution of any penguin. They are distinguished by their bright red-orange bills and conspicuous white patches behind their eyes.

A Gentoo Penguin is feeding its chick by having the chick puts its mouth and beak into the back of the mothers mouth.

Here you can see the colors plainly of the Gentoo Penguin.

This is a Chinstrap Penguin. It is the second most abundant Antarctic/subarctic penguin. They are concentrated in vast colonies along the coast of the South Shetlands, South Sandwich, and South Orkneys Islands They are recognized by the narrow band of black feathers which extends from ear to ear, just below the chin and the cheeks.

Cruising by these magestic snow capped land masses it is hard to believe they are thousands of feet high in ice and snow.

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent. It contains the geographic South Pole and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. At 5,400,000 square miles, it is the fifth-largest continent. For comparison, Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages 6,200 feet in thickness, which extends to all but the northernmost reaches of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. Antarctica is a desert, with annual precipitation of only 200 mm (8 in) along the coast and far less inland. The temperature in Antarctica has reached −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) (or even −94.7 as measured from space, though the average for the third quarter (the coldest part of the year) is −63 °C (−81 °F).

Antarctica is governed by parties to the Antarctic Treaty System that have consulting status. Twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, and thirty-eight have signed it since then. The treaty prohibits military activities and mineral mining, prohibits nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal, supports scientific research, and protects the continent's eco zone. Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists from many nations.

The Antarctic Peninsula is currently dotted with numerous research stations and nations have made multiple claims of sovereignty. The peninsula is part of disputed and overlapping claims by Argentina, Chile and the United Kingdom. None of these claims have international recognition and, under the Antarctic Treaty System, the respective countries do not attempt to enforce their claims. The British claim is recognised though by Australia, France, New Zealand and Norway. Argentina has the most bases and personnel stationed on the peninsula

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