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The Drake Passage and other Antarctica Things to Do Tips

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Antarctica Things to Do Tips by MikeAtSea

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MikeAtSea    
Travel with your eyes wide open and experience the world!


Real Name: Michael
Lives In: Durban, ZA
Member Since: Sep 28, 2004
VT Rank: 130

 
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Antarctica Things to Do
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Things To Do: The Drake Passage
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  • Written by MikeAtSea on Jan 22, 2007
  • Antarctica Travel Guide
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    • Antarctica - The Drake Lake
  • The Drake Lake
  • by MikeAtSea , 1 more photos
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    • The area south of South America and north of Antarctica where the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean are meeting is called the Drake Passage. It is one of the stormiest and roughest sea stretches on earth. It is also called the Drake Shake... no explanation needed - or the Drake Lake... and this is how I experienced the roughest stretch on earth.... calm as a lake. Well let me hope the way back is as calm.

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    Things To Do: The First Ice!!
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  • Written by MikeAtSea on Jan 22, 2007
  • Antarctica Travel Guide
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    • Antarctica - The First Ice
  • The First Ice
  • by MikeAtSea
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    • Travelling south in the Drake Passage it was only shortly before arriving to Elephant Island that we saw our first ice berg – though the first sighting of Antarctic ice was exciting for everyone – even though it was such a tiny piece 

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    Things To Do: Elephant Island
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  • Written by MikeAtSea on Jan 22, 2007
  • Antarctica Travel Guide
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    • Antarctica - Elephant Island
  • Elephant Island
  • by MikeAtSea , 1 more photos
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    • Elephant Island is part of the South Shetland Island. This is the notorious and desolated place where 22 of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s men were stranded for 135 days after their ship the Endurance was crushed in the ice of Antarctica.

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    Things To Do: Elephant Island II
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  • Written by MikeAtSea on Jan 22, 2007
  • Antarctica Travel Guide
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    • Antarctica - Elephant Island
  • Elephant Island
  • by MikeAtSea , 1 more photos
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    • In comparison to the South Georgia Islands where I had been the previous week one thing is striking as one sees the first bit of land of the Antarctic mainland. No Green – no grass, no mosses, no bushes… it is all rock and ice!

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    Things To Do: Point Wild - Elephant Island
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  • Written by MikeAtSea on Jan 24, 2007
  • Antarctica Travel Guide
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    • Antarctica - Point Wild
  • Point Wild
  • by MikeAtSea , 1 more photos
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    • At Point Wild is where the 22 men of the crushed Endurance waited for rescue. Frank Wild was the man left in charge of the group of men whilst Shackleton took on the enduring voyage to drum up rescue on the South Georgia Islands. The voyage from here to get help was already a miracle since the voyage of 1290 kilometers to South Georgia was done in a lifeboat named James Caird. The vessel Yelcho picked up the remaining men on August 30, 1916. With binoculars one can make out a statue on the side of the beach to honour the Captain of the Yelcho.

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    Things To Do: Elephant Island Glacier
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  • Written by MikeAtSea on Jan 24, 2007
  • Antarctica Travel Guide
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    • Antarctica - Elephant Island Glacier
  • Elephant Island Glacier
  • by MikeAtSea , 1 more photos
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    • Here on can get the first glimpse of what one could expect in Antarctica. One is still 540 km away from the Antarctic Peninsula separated by the Bransfield Strait. Frequent glacier calvings and avalanches can be seen here.

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    Things To Do: Elephant Island Glacier Size
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  • Written by MikeAtSea on Jan 24, 2007
  • Antarctica Travel Guide
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    • Antarctica - Zodiac vs. Glacier
  • Zodiac vs. Glacier
  • by MikeAtSea
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    • I just had to add this picture here since it displays how massive and huge these glaciers actually are. If you look at the photograph you can see a zodiac collecting ice just below, one really has to look hard to make out the zodiac with the towering glacier above!

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    Things To Do: Elephant Island Glacier Water
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  • Written by MikeAtSea on Jan 24, 2007
  • Antarctica Travel Guide
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    • Antarctica - The Glacier Water
  • The Glacier Water
  • by MikeAtSea
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    • As huge pieces of ice tumble down from the glacier creating huge waves, the ice breaks up into smaller pieces. Ice water covers the sea right below the glaciers, though here the water temperature was a "sizzling" 1 degree hence the ice starts to melt. In between one can see penguins and seals swimming around.

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    Things To Do: Swimming Seals
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  • Written by MikeAtSea on Jan 22, 2007
  • Antarctica Travel Guide
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    • Antarctica - Swimming Seals
  • Swimming Seals
  • by MikeAtSea , 1 more photos
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    • Crystal clean blue water, just above freezing point, as we are heading towards Elephant Island the sea comes alive and seals hurry away from the bow of the ship.

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    Things To Do: Swimming Penguins
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  • Written by MikeAtSea on Jan 22, 2007
  • Antarctica Travel Guide
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    • Antarctica - Swimming Penguins
  • Swimming Penguins
  • by MikeAtSea , 2 more photos
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    • Slicing though the ice cold crystal blue water like torpedoes were hundreds of penguins. Chinstrap Penguins that are at home in large colonies on the Antarctic mainland. Returning from their hunt to feed their young or simply to rest back in their colonies. And as they swam alongside the ship it was astonishing with what speed they followed us.

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    Comments for MikeAtSea about Antarctica
    »Leave a Comment for MikeAtSea   
    abi_maha Mon Aug 10, 2009 05:21 UTC
     WOW!! This is so fantastic- tabular icebergs, penguin kindergarten, paradise bays, stations....to good! :) Am not sure I will ever get to visit antartica, but sure am glad I got to read your page!    		jusdenise93 Sun Jul 19, 2009 17:41 UTC
     Great page on Antarctica! I really want to go down there someday, and see those ice bergs mysef. :) Someday.. -Denise
    Sharrie Sat May 30, 2009 03:17 UTC
     You did it, you had the fun of your life & it's definitely most memorable of all trips... that's what counts in life! It's a place I'd go back without hesitation again, ahem, as long as someone else is picking up the bills!!! :-)    		SONG Mon Nov 10, 2008 03:42 UTC
     I had friends who took the antarctica trip and I spent HOURS devouring their albums. I am awe-struck with their and your bravery. Thanks for sharing.
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