They are (as am I) surrounded by a layer of protective blubber in order to be able to exist in Antarctica’s weather conditions. There are 17 breeds of penguins in the world but those 4 breeds exist only on Antarctica. How do you think he feels being called a jackass? (If he’s married maybe it just seems normal.)īut in Antarctica the penguins undoubtedly have better self-esteem because they’re called Chinstraps, Gentoos, the Adelie, and the Emperor. For years I will be able to one-up people who mention how much they travel. People who don’t live and breathe travel may not think going to all 7 continents is a life goal but it is to me. Those two things alone currently use about 68% of the average U.S. Why is that important? They can’t be running election ads! People can’t be complaining about the government. Antarctica does not belong to any country (but I sure hope they have some sort of phony baloney passport stamp) and it is a continent. Reason #1 – Antarctica is unlike anywhere else in the worldĪdmittedly that reason applies to other places too – maybe the Galapagos Islands for example.
This post is to address the group that doesn’t understand my many excellent reasons for wanting to go to Antarctica. When I tell people they are either envious and say “that’s on my Bucket List” or they say “why would you want to do that?”. I am thrilled to be going to Antarctica with Quark Expeditions® (in 23 days but who’s counting?).
This is Blonde giving you the scoop in this post. I have my reasons – more than 6 of them, actually My hurried Plan B was a trip to Patagonia with the help of the wonderful people at Swoop Patagonia. That’s how blondes save money! Update: The cruise was cancelled! About 36 hours before we were scheduled to depart I received an email saying the ship had hit an iceberg and the cruise had to be cancelled. By going there I’ll get my own “free” pictures. The expedition is funded by a generous grant from the Swedish Postcode Foundation.A picture someone else took of Antarctica and I had to buy it. The information collected will be used to catalyse the advancement of a transboundary marine protected area (MPA), shared between Finland and Sweden, to help safeguard this remarkable area. This work will focus on a combination of areas, to highlight the Quark’s importance for aquatic life, and to provide data from areas where less information is available, such as offshore reefs and banks.
Quark expeditions professional#
During an 18-day, at-sea research expedition, surveys will be carried out across the archipelago, using a team of professional divers, a remote underwater camera system, grab sampling of the seabed, and a drone. Now, Oceana is returning to study the Quark in greater detail.
Oceana carried out research surveys in the Quark during previous Baltic Sea expeditions in 20, which drew attention to the biodiversity value of the area. Although some marine protected areas have been designated in the Quark, these areas vary in their aims, and in the levels of protection they provide to marine life. The Quark provides feeding and breeding grounds for several types of seabirds, is a natural migration route for salmon, and is home to the critically endangered sea-spawning grayling.Ĭurrently, the Quark is primarily recognised for its geological value, with a UNESCO World Heritage site was designated in 2000, and which mainly offers protection to geological features. Land uplift has also created a steady succession of shallow marine bays that are biodiversity and productivity hotspots for marine life. These geological processes have also helped to shape unusual underwater communities in the Quark, characterised by a mix of marine, brackish, and freshwater species, many of which are at the limits of their distribution. The area is one of the few places in the world where land literally “springs up from the sea” due to a process known as land uplift: land, at one time compressed by the weight of thousands of metres of ice during the last Ice Age, has been rising back up at a rate of nearly one centimetre per year. The Quark (also called Kvarken in English and Swedish, and Merenkurkku in Finnish) is a narrow strait in the Gulf of Bothnia that separates Finland and Sweden. End of Oceana's Quark Expedition 2018 from Oceana on Vimeo.