Knowing Antarctica is the dream of many. The immense “white forest” offers the opportunity to live an exceptional experience, in a unique natural environment. And it is during the summer that many tourists make the decision to embark on this exciting adventure.
The city of Ushuaia is the gateway to the white continent. From November to March, dozens of boats gather on its coast preparing to explore the stormy waters of the south.
As you walk along the pier, you can hear the conversations of adventurers from all over the world, who share their desire to cross the famous Cape Horn to reach Antarctica.
From Argentina you can access the white continent through cruises and sailboats. But more and more people prefer to travel in small boats, which offer a personalized experience to learn or practice sailing. The company Alegría Marineros (www.alegriamarineros.com), for example, makes voyages during the summer on the sailboat “El Doblón” and Rusarc (www.rusarc.com), makes a similar journey on its sailboat “Amazone”. Both parts from the city of Ushuaia.
Other additional benefits of sailing trips are the reduction of the carbon footprint and the incorporation of passengers to daily tasks. The crew has an expedition leader and crew trained to teach everything from biology to survival skills.
Although most of the expedition is done without getting off the boat, in some places it is possible to get off. The regulations of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) establish that you can visit the landing sites only one vessel at a time. Therefore, coordination is established with other boats to go ashore.
Live Antarctica
The initiation ritual begins in the Beagle Channel when observing on the coasts
Argentine and Chilean, an abundant flora and fauna. The routine changes when entering the Drake Passage, where the power of the ocean begins to be felt throughout the boat. In the four days that the crossing lasts, it is impossible to keep any object stable. Performing daily tasks is a feat.
Dressing in layers is one of the routines that must be adopted to live with the rigors of the weather.
Inside the boats, the heating allows you to wear light clothing, but to be able to go outside it is necessary to use rubber boots, waterproof suits and the inevitable life jacket.
The first encounter with the mainland is the volcanic Deception Island, which last erupted in 1970 and is now a protected natural harbor with hot springs. The island was a natural harbor from 1903, used by whalers until 1931 when they left the area as the price of whale oil fell.
The island is walked with the necessary care not to step on the small green spaces that begin to emerge and there it is possible to find objects that were used by the workers of the whalers. Kitchen utensils, lamps and even glass bottles can still be seen in the place.
There is also a small improvised cemetery outlined with stones, where you can see wooden crosses carved with centuries-old dates.
Trinidad Island, part of the Palmer Archipelago, is the next point on the tour. To the south is D’Hainaut Island, covered in snow cliffs and reef-filled waters, where crabeater seals breed, as do kelp gulls and penguins.
With calm seas, it is possible to go out on the deck of the sailboat to watch the golden sunsets over the snow-capped mountains. The search for whales and killer whales in the sea becomes the favorite pastime of those who sit outside the boat.
Argentine bases
Due to its proximity, the next planned stop is the Argentine scientific station,
Base Primavera, which was inaugurated in 1977. It is not a fixed station. It is only activated in the summer campaigns for scientific programs. The area has an enormous wealth of fauna and the Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA) carries out studies on leopard seals there.
The way to the base is usually difficult. In it, ice detachments constantly collide with the boat. On top of a “zodiac”, a rigid inflatable boat, it is possible to reach land. The penguins, on the rocks, look curiously at those who visit them. A wooden sign marks the 3,200 kilometers that separate the place from Buenos Aires. The Antarctic snow in the penguin colony area, due to the algae fertilized by the excrement, is pink.
Portal Point, five hours from Primavera Base, was a British refuge from 1956 to 1958. Species such as Antarctic fur seals, Weddell seals, gentoo penguins and blue-eyed cormorants can be seen here. Navigating the area, it is possible to meet seals and other wildlife that come out to sunbathe on the icebergs.
Another of the main points to visit on the trip is the Brown Base, located in Paradise Bay on the Antarctic Peninsula, considered one of the most beautiful places on the white continent. This is a permanent Argentine scientific base where oceanographic, chemical, physical and biological data are collected.
During the tour, the weather usually changes completely from one moment to another. The days can have sunshine, wind storms, rain and snow. In addition, the twenty hours of light a day are another of the surprises that the continent has. An advantage to admire the landscape of Antarctica without interruptions.
