Antarctic Expedition – sustainable tourism sailing to the lonely continent

The eternal ice of the antarctic

A polar sailing trip focusing an antarctic expedition is one of the most unique way of an antarctic trip and has a deep meaning of sustainable tourism. Most of those polar sailing expeditions are leaving from Ushuaia, the most southern town of the world and is located in Tierra del Fuego – Argentina. The route is following the Beagle Canal and then heading south crossing the Drake Passage. After about 4 days the polar sailing expedition reaches the antarctic peninsula. There already, the antarctic is presenting itself in all of its unique beauty, its wild nature, the perennial snowfield, the eternal ice, its isolation and its rough reality. In that moment the actual polar sailing expedition begins.

 Usually antarctic trips follow the characteristics of traveling with a cruise nowadays. Not necessarily with so much entertainment or with thousands of package tourists. But still with a couple hundreds passengers and constraint by a tight schedule. While normally a polar expedition consumes as much carbon dioxide as a return flight from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires, such an antarctic expedition by sailing emits only a fraction of it.

Sustainable Tourism in the Antarctic

These antarctic expeditions are a very special example for sustainable tourism. Not only because we get more sensitive and learn a lot about our world, but as well because we do not harm our environment with it. The best always would be not to travel at all or to get to the place of departure (in this case the south of Argentina), as well without an airplane. Nevertheless many of us still want to go. I believe in this case, that we could and should offset our carbon dioxide emissions with the best available climate protection certificates. One of those are offered for instance by atmosfair. You may see how a polar sailing expedition, an antarctic trip would be the best within the idea of sustainable tourism.

The Polar Sailing Trip

Four weeks for an antarctic expedition by a polar sailing trip is something like the minimum. Some may perceive that period of time as something like too much. But only from the first point of view. The idea of taking that much time reveals as well the main aspect of slowtravel. If you take that amount of time to explore the antarctic, to let yourself flow and to forget about time, you may suddenly open up yourself for the unexpected discovery, encounter and deep experience in nature. There the idea of sustainable tourism, in all of its depth and consequences begins. Depending on the focus of your personal antarctic expedition, you may even have the timing flexibility to cross the antarctic circle and explore regions, which are visit by humans even more seldom. This polar expedition takes its way, when you allow yourself, your individual passion to discover the other shore of our diversified world. A sailing antarctic expedition is curiosity in action – the revelation of the inner child.

With kayaks into the smaller channels

With Kayaks or with one of the zodiacs you may get even closer to an iceberg or into one of the smaller channels. But especially those antarctic sailing expeditions are not limited by these kind of activities. Extended excursions on land, mountaineering, diving, ice-climbing or simply going for camping on shore may give you an even deeper understanding for what it means to be so far away from what we call civilization. One of the most common activity on such an sailing expedition is dedicating oneself for the topic of professional photography. On top of it you may get into the experience of sailing actively by yourself and expand your polar sailing qualifications in the antarctic. It does not any matter if you have so far no experience at all or if you are advanced already. You may let the skipper to explain you everything in detail or just relax.

Getting into the experience of sailing

The natural spectacle of the antarctic or on such a sailing polar expedition last 24 hours a day – especially in the summer of the southern hemisphere. 24 hour daylight, colors constantly changing and reflecting light. Observing whales, seals, penguins and birds is a very unique chance to absorb. The antarctic is presenting itself in its brightest brilliance – especially because of its intensive white color. The fact that it is not always sunny in an antarctic summer, does not change anything of it. To experience an antarctic trip with a sailing boat with those rough weather conditions, makes the sustainable tourism idea to explore the antarctic to something even more unique.

The antarctic expedition sailing ship

Such an antarctic expedition is determined by its entry in a sensitive Eco-system of planet earth, and a quite difficult accessibility, which needs to be handled with a lot of care. Our responsibility is high and what we may learn depends how open we are. On a sailing polar expedition within this most extreme region of our world, you may understand better the global effects of human local actions despite or especially because of the fact that this is such a remote place. We may get a new feeling for our global living space, where we live in and which we love so much. It follows an heightening of one’s awareness, a desire to treat our world more responsible and to hand it over to our offspring in the way we got it. It is an understanding, a compassion for the sensitivity of our world and being a part of it. It contains a wonderful contrast to our conventional way of living, where we feel an increasing distance to our roots. This paradigm shift is may be the most wonderful thing of this polar antarctic expedition with a sailing ship. On this polar expedition you have 8 passengers on board, the skipper and 2 crew members, who take care of all issues of the ship and passengers. Sustainable tourism depends as well on this sailing expedition ship, which is prepared and shaped especially for those antarctic expeditions, for exploring the lonely continent.

Further information you will find at www.slowtravel-experience.com