ANTARCTICA
As the world's seventh continent, Antarctica is the truly the last frontier on earth. Soaring mountains, ice floes, rugged coastlines and more, itis the driest continent on the planet. Darkened for six months of the year during the depths of winter, no transport links exist as temperatures plunge; the continent is cut off completely from the outside world.
The short summer season opens up Antarctica to a lucky few travelers, who can witness feeding seals, penguins, whales, and other large creatures; those heading beneath the ice will see an amazing variety of sealife, nourished by a rich plantkon soup.
THE DIVING:
Antarctic Peninsula
Much of the diving in Antarctica takes place here, where visits by zodiacs to icebergs, and other offshore islands, will be complemented by shore dives that visit reefs and dropoffs.
What to expect:
Dry suit experience is needed to dive in Antarctica, where water temperatures are just slightly above freezing. Costs are high too, with such a limited volume of ships visiting Antarctica, reservations are made up to several years in advance.
Getting there:
No commercial flights serve Antarctica, as there is no permanent airfield able to accept wide body, longhaul aircraft. Visiting is always done by boat (though scenic flights do exist from Australia and New Zealand) often from South America.
