No Polar Bears…

October 7, 2009   

To answer a few more questions..

So despite the cartoons and cards making you think otherwise penguins and polar bears are not found on the same continents!
lep
The equivalent of the polar bear in Antarctica is the leopard seal they are the top of the food chain. They have virtually no fear, except for those of orcas, or killer whales. The equivalent in the Arctic of penguins is the puffin.

The word Antarctica comes from the Greek. It means “south of the bear”. They are referring to the word Arcos, which is a constellation that can only be seen in the northern hemisphere.

More than 2000 years ago, Greek writers described a large mass of land in the south of the world. Even though they had never seen it, they believed it must exist so that it could ‘balance’ the land they knew about in the northern half of the world. They named this imagined land ‘Anti-Arkitos’, meaning the ‘opposite of the Arctic’.

There are no native people of Antarctica the only inhabitants are those living on research stations around 5000 in the summer and 1000 in the winter. The Rothera base summer compliment is 120 and winter 21. The closest base to us is the Argentines at San Martin base about 40 miles to the south however, there isn’t any popping over for dinner.

 

2 Responses to “No Polar Bears…”

  1. very interesting, too bad my brain is so poor have forgotten half of what it said already, would never be a tour guide, keep up the info Ashleyx mum

  2. All our old friends are very interested in seeing your adventures, can we send them
    over to look at it.

    XXXX DAD