ANTARCTICA A HEAVEN ON EARTH
-By Ratan Purwar
Antarctica, the fifth largest and southernmost continent, is uninhabitated, unpolluted and mostly ice covered land mass. It does not belong to any country but it is goverened by a group of nations through international partnership. It is managed through Antarctica Treaty system, which means original Antarctica treaty and various agreements. The first treaty was signed in 1959 by 12 nations viz. Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and United States. The central ideas with full acceptance were the freedom of scientific research in Antarctica and the peaceful use of the continent. There was also a consensus for demilitarization and the maintenance of the status quo. The treaty prohibits nuclear testing, military operations, economic exploitation, and territorial claims in Antarctica. It is monitored through on-site inspections. The only permanent structures allowed are scientific research stations. The original signatory countries hold voting rights on Antarctic governance, with seven of them claiming portions of the continent and the remaining five being non-claimants. Other nations have joined as consultative members by conducting significant research in Antarctica. Non-consultative parties can also adhere to the treaty. In 1991-1992, the treaty was renegotiated by 33 nations, with the main change being the Madrid Protocol on Environmental Protection, which prohibited mining and oil exploration for 50 years. The whole thing can be reviewed in the year 2048.
I have been interested in visiting Antarctica for the last many years, but could not visit due to one reason or the other. Finally in December 2023, I visited Antactica alongwith visit to Argentina and Falkland. I left from Mumbai by Emirates Airlines on 13 December 2023 and reached Buenos Aires on 13 December 2023 night. Though total travel time was more than 25 hours, but due time difference between India and Argentina, I reached on the same date.
Ushuaia and Tierra Del Fuego:- After sightseeing in Buenos Aires, I reached Ushuaia, also known as southern most village on Earth, on 15 December at 11 am, and I visited Tierra Del Fuego National Park. The park is spread over 2 nations Argentina and Chile. It is known for spectacular scenic landscapes that feature coastline, forests, glaciers, lakes, mountains, and waterfalls. Tierra Del Fuego, means land of fire, a name given by Spanish explorers. I could see various variety of plants in the beautiful surroundings. For the first time I could see redfox (Pic 1).
Embarkation for Antarctica:- After visiting Tierra del Fuego, I embarked on the cruise MS Roald Amundsen with 250 passengers and 170 crew members on board at 5 pm. The cruise started moving at 6 pm, but before moving, a safety drill was conducted for all the passengers. A beautiful rainbow (Pic 2) could be seen during cruising.
Passing Drake: Passage:- It is the body of water between South America’s Cape Horn, Chile, Argentina and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean and extends into the Southern Ocean. It is considered as one of the most treacherous voyages for ships to pass through. The Currents do not meet any resistance from any land mass and waves upto 12 meter high often occur and thus causing lot of sickness to the passengers. The width of this passage between Ushuaia and South Shetland island of Antarctica is approximately 1000 Km. We started cruising in drake passage at around 7 pm on 15 December 2023, and most of the passengers were suffering from sea sickness on next morning. Though by evening, a large number of passengers were better. We could see variety of birds while cruising. Some birds can be seen in Pic 3-5. A number of icebergs could be seen for 17 December 2023 onwards (Pic 6).
