Every summer, the region is visited
in cruisers that offer different itineraries, with short zodiac
boat trips that allow passengers to get more closely in touch with
the resource. Several deluxe and expedition cruises, handled by
different international shipping companies, set sail from the port
of Ushuaia, from December to February. The liners visit not only
the continental sector of Antarctica but also the Falkland Islands,
and other nearby islands. All of them are intensive learning experiences
since they enhance the importance of history, geology, flora and
fauna. Pursuing the best protection of the environment, all shore
and on-board activities are strictly ruled by the Antarctic Protocol
Treaty.
The Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) are located
within the territorial waters of the Argentine Sea in the Atlantic
Ocean. The Archipelago is made up of two big islands: East
Falkland (Isla Soledad) and West Falkland
(Isla Gran Malvina), separated by the Falkland Sound
(Estrecho de San Carlos), and hundreds of smaller islands. The surrounding
waters are rich in fish, crustaceans and mollusks and its coasts
possess numerous penguin colonies and a wide variety of marine fauna.
The islands name originated from the French marines of Saint-Maló,
who were the first men to settle here at the beginning of 1700.
They belonged to the Río de la Plata Viceroyalty (Spanish
Colony) and passed on to Argentine possession after independence.
Since 1833 the islands have been under British rule.
A triangular sector with vertex in the South Pole,
only 500 km from Tierra del Fuego, is occupied by the so-called
Argentine Antarctica. The triangle includes the Antarctic Peninsula
and numerous surrounding islands and archipelagos. The first explorers
of the area were the seal hunters, who almost caused the total extinction
of the species.
It is one of the most striking landscapes in the
world; an immense white desert that melts with the blue sky. The
climate in the Antarctic Peninsula is relatively mild during summer,
with an average temperature of -5º C, while the average temperature
in the South Pole is about -50º C. Argentina, as many other
nations, maintains scientific bases in the region.
The beauty of the landscape along with the close
contact with virgin nature are the main attractions for those joining
the cruises voyaging the region. However, the feeling of traveling
almost unreachable places situated close to the end of the world,
and accessible for just a few people, are not a poor attraction.
Its natural wealth and its fauna render it one of the most appealing
areas in the world.
Across the Drake Passage the Southern
Shetland Islands emerge, very close to the Antarctic Peninsula.
They are easily accessible not only from the continent but also
from the continental lands of Antarctica, which gives scientists
the opportunity to investigate an area rich in plants and animals.
Physics and observers of the geomagnetic phenomena carry out valuable
studies in this area. In the Southern Georgias, Sandwich and Orkney
Islands, an important colony of King Penguins welcome the visitors.
Mountainous lands and extended glaciers cover the islands. |
