Everyone Who's Been to Antarctica Can't Wait to Return

Imagine 140,000 penguins across a full square mile of Antarctic land: an entire world of birds that reach your thigh, perfectly dressed in feathery formal wear, busily shuffling across the rocks and mud.

They clean themselves constantly, and actively defend themselves, their territory and their chicks from skuas and seals that come too close. The little penguin chicks are always demanding food. These little brown fluff balls chatter incessantly and hit their heads on their parents? gullets to ask for food. The parents always have a ready supply of food for their chicks. Once the now-full mother returns from feeding, she and the father perform a ritualistic dance of bows and pecks. Then the father takes a turn in the ocean.

Believe it or not, there is nothing cute about penguins. They're loud and smell bad, as well as aggressive little things. Nevertheless, people still travel to Antarctica just for the chance to be close to these flightless birds.

There's more to Antarctica than just penguins, though. There is a slew of wildlife to witness, such as seals, whales, dolphins, and tons of other sea birds, and the landscape and seascape are breathtaking. You may see glacier spires that put some of the cathedrals in Europe to shame. If you are one of the brave, then you can always take a trip to see a remote setting where hardly anyone has gone before. Antarctica is the world's final hinterland.

Finding your way to Antarctica is a huge part of the fun. The actual voyage, though expensive, will thrill you to the core, and isn't one often taken. If leaving from the United States, the air travel just to get to a southern port alone, like Ushuaia, Argentina, is going to take at least 20 hours. There are other places you can travel to in order to get to an embarkation point, like Punta Arenas, Chile, Christchurch, New Zealand, or Cape Town, South Africa. The only way to reach Antarctica is by water, so you'll have to travel through a few days of difficult oceans before reaching your destination.

It's bigger than the entirety of the United States And Mexico combined, the continent weighs so much that the earth indents in that spot. It holds 70 percent of our planet's fresh water reserves, and when combined with all the ice shelves that surround it, is larger than Europe, Greenland and North America combined. Cruises last from ten to twenty-eight days. You can also choose from ships that host between 75 and 200 passengers. Prepare for a different type of ship than those that cruise the Caribbean or Mediterranean. For instance, instead of casinos you can go to, you will be able to attend lectures about Antarctica.

You may wish to visit a penguin rookery, seal colony, or science research center on Antarctica. The ship will transport passengers to the continent on smaller rafts to do so.

These research facilities are manned by peoples from five different countries, all of whom have signed an agreement which keeps Antarctica free from commercial interests, borders, and nuclear weapons, keeping it safe for science.

Some say tourism is Antarctica is a huge mistake. One option of tourism was stopped in 1979 with the crash of a DC-10. All 257 people on board lost their lives, and no more flyovers were allowed. Environmentalists remain concerned that there will someday be a jumbo jet which will bring countless tourists to this pristine land for luxury vacations, and destroy the delicate balance of nature. One of the most active debates between politicians, scientists, and environmentalists is whether or not tourism to Antarctica should be a limited thing. There are two sides to the debate, and the first is the fight to protect Antarctica. The second argument states that most tourists who have seen Antarctica first hand come out with a new attitude on protecting the environment.

Currently, Antarctic tourists are not regulated. Those who do choose to visit Antarctica should follow the basic rules of ecotourism, however. You can only take pictures, leave only footprints, and stay away from the natives. Clothing that allows for layering is the best choice for this trip. Pack you own waffle-soled, waterproof boots and plenty of extra socks. Most ships will supply you with a down-filled parka. Make sure you have your camera. Also make sure you've packed your sunglasses and strong sunscreen. You can't run to the corner convenience store in Antarctica.