Antarctica and the Arctic Region
There are many choices of ships going to Antarctica and the Arctic,
many tour companies running programs with a wide range of itineraries,
dates and prices. The choices are overwhelming to those trying to plan a
trip. We take the time to get to know you and your travel preferences so
we can book the right trip for you.
If you're looking for an Antarctica cruise or Arctic Trip, you've come
to the right place. We specialize in Antarctica and Arctic cruises.
Differences between Antarctica and the Arctic Regions
We are asked regularly what the differences are between the Polar
Regions. The Arctic is the northern polar region and the Antarctic is
the southern polar region. The Polar Regions have extremely cold
climates and interesting adaptations of flora and fauna ("flora" means
plants, and "fauna" means animals).
A key difference is that Antarctica is a continent surrounded by an
ocean while the Arctic is an ocean almost completely surrounded by
continents and Greenland. The Arctic's ice is, at most, only a few feet
thick with water under it. While the water would be anything but warm if
you jumped into it, it is at least around 30 degrees F - it's salt water
and stays liquid at a lower temperature than fresh water. Some of this
heat makes its way through the ice to the air. Also, even in winter some
areas open up in the ice, allowing more ocean heat to escape into the
air. Most of Antarctica, on the other hand, is covered by a few thousand
feet of ice. While there is some geothermal heat at the bottom of the
ice, this doesn't make it through to help warm the air. |
