Exploring the Globe's Icy Underbelly

Trips to Antarctica aren't cheap, but they come with plenty of amenities -- and a chance to see a unique, otherworldly landscape

For those in the Northern Hemisphere who are just now beginning to feel the first hints of winter's bite, a trip to the ice-capped continent of Antarctica may seem like the wrong place at the wrong time. However, if you've ever dreamed of being one of the privileged few to visit this awesome, otherwordly environment, the time to go is now.

For most of the year, inhospitably frigid temperatures, 24-hour-a-day darkness, and hundreds of miles of ice pack make visitor travel to the bottom of the earth a near impossibility. But from November to mid-February -- summer in the Southern Hemisphere -- Antarctica opens up to tourists with an exotic range of sights and experiences unavailable anywhere else.

While average temperatures in the high season barely bob over freezing, abundant wildlife, a majestic landscape dotted with several active volcanoes, and the type of brilliant "golden hour" light prized by photographers make Antarctica a unique destination for the serious traveler. Seven species of penguins, as well as numerous varieties of other seabirds, plus whales and seals, live together in the vibrant, crisp, and phytoplankton-rich waters of the Antarctic coasts, where massive icebergs begin their ominous drift out to sea from the geologically active rumbles of the Antarctic mainland.

SPECIAL ATTENTION. An excursion here will definitely require the services of seasoned travel outfits. You'll most likely have to arrive by ship, departing from near the tip of South America, and cruise over the choppy 500-mile stretch of Drake's Passage to the continent's closest point in the Antarctic Peninsula. And it won't be cheap: packages to West Antarctica can easily top $20,000, not counting airfare to the launch spot.

Fortunately, that money also guarantees a certain level of luxury comfort. Thanks to the difficulties inherent in travel to such a forbidding location, small tourist groups with large support staffs are the norm for Antarctic cruises. Most boats are quite modern, with specialized reinforcement to handle extreme cold and ice, and carry no more than 200 passengers.

A crew of about one-third that number, consisting of sailors, nature specialists, chefs, and massage therapists, will accompany you, assuring relatively safe navigation as well as delicious dining, personal attention, and opportunities for onboard education and relaxation.

UNSPOILED TERRITORY. Although some operators offer expeditions that feature multiday polar trekking, visitors usually make their contact with Antarctica-proper in the form of brief day trips, exploring penguin rookeries amid floating crags of piercing blue ice in small kayaks and rugged inflatable rafts called Zodiacs. Higher-end tours may also include aerial sightseeing with helicopters or small planes.

This ship-based living arrangement is not only practical -- there are no hotels in Antarctica -- but probably the most environmentally sound. The unspoiled, pristine condition of the world's fifth-largest and least-inhabited continent is perhaps Antarctica's greatest treasure and charm.

READER COMMENTS

By Justin McLean

BW MALL SPONSORED LINKS

Mutual Funds at Fidelity Benefit from years of mutual fund management experience.
High interest checking only online! 2.02 APY, FDIC insured, mobile banking and no fee bill pay. Incredible!
OppenheimerFunds. Products and Services For A Range Of Financial Goals. Learn More.
Master HR Compentencies Online w/ Villanova U. Earn a HR Master Certificate & Gain the Skills to Execute Effective Employee Relations - Enroll Now!
Email Marketing with iContact New Businesses are shifting their marketing spend to email marketing: Are you?

Buy a link now!

Get BusinessWeek directly on your desktop with our RSS feeds. XML

Add BusinessWeek news to your Web site with our headline feed.

Click to buy an e-print or reprint of a BusinessWeek or BusinessWeek Online story or video.

To subscribe online to BusinessWeek magazine, please click here.

Learn more, go to the BusinessWeekOnline home page