Striped Iceberg

Admire this beautifully coloured striped iceberg pictures taken taken several hundred miles north of the Antarctic.

 

Not all icebergs are white. Most icebergs appear white as a result of the tiny bubbles trapped within them which reflect light in every direction.

 

Icebergs in the Antarctic area sometimes lined with stripes. The striped iceberg photos below were taken by Norwegian sailor Oyvind Tangen from aboard a research vessel:

striped iceberg

  • around 1,700miles south of Cape Town and
  • 660miles north of the Antarctic.

 

Amazing striped icebergs

 

amazing striped icebergs

 

How do the green, blue, brown colors get into these amazing striped icebergs in Antarctica?

 

  • green stripes are created by the freezing of algae-rich Antarctic sea water. When icebergs falls into the sea, a layer of salty seawater can freeze to the underside of the iceberg. If this sea water is rich in algae, the new frozen layer will form a green stripe.
     
  • icebergs with stripes
    blue layers in icebergs with stripes are formed when iceberg layers melt and refreeze quickly. Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet fills up with meltwater and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form.

     

  • black, brown and yellow are created by sediment collected by the ice when it moves down a hillside towards the sea.

 

mint humbugThe first striped iceberg Oyvind Tangen spotted is about 150ft long and 30ft high and reminded him of a striped candy -a humbug- he bought as a child. Hence the name "humbug iceberg" was born.

Aurora borealis and Aurora Australis

Aurora borealis and aurora australis are the northern lights and southern lights. Admire the above picture showing the aurora australis above Antarctica, seen from a Japanese ship.

Aurora Australis

Aurora australis is also known as the southern lights from Antarctica. It’s an atmospheric phenomenon displaying a diffuse glow in the sky in the southern hemisphere. It’s caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with the magnetic field of the earth.

Aurora Australis is also the first book ever written, printed, illustrated and bound in the Antarctic.

The book was written during the British Imperial Antarctic Expedition or the Nimrod Expedition (1908–09) led by Ernest Shackleton when their Antarctica expedition over-wintered at Cape Royds on Ross Island.

aurora australis icebreaker

 The Aurora Australis is also an icebreaker.

It’s not an Antarctica cruise ship. The Aurora Australis is a multi-purpose research and re-supply ship, built by P&O Polar. It has a hangar and helideck to carry three Squirrels or two Sikorsky S-76 helicopters.

Aurora Borealis

Aurora borealis and aurora australis

Similar to the aurora australis but seen in the northern hemisphere. These are the more famous greenish "northern lights" you can witness in the night sky.

Every time there is an aurora in the north there is also an aurora in the south.

Antarctica – some things that you should be prepared for

Visiting the frozen continent of Antarctica is a privilege only a few in the entire world could afford but if you do get a chance to go there, it would be a trip of a lifetime.

Antarctica Weather

antarctica clothesHowever, there are a few things you should know about Antarctica . It is cold and again, it can get very cold at times!

You have to make sure that you have good winter clothes to protect yourself or half the time you will be feeling miserable (which I found out the hard way while we were out on an excursion in a tender).

walrusWell, one minute the sun was out, the next there was snow raining down on you so be always prepared for the worse form of weather regardless.

Don’t worry about looking good and all that stuff! Looking like a walrus is better than having yourself half frozen to death.

Quark Expedition showers

antarctica shower cramped like penguinsOk, I know some of you don’t really shower much in winter but for people like me who comes from the tropics, that would be a big no no..So, we have to shower daily regardless of the weather.

While we were in Antarctica on an Russian icebreaker from Quark Expeditions, the shower room was the size of a cubicle.

There was a good reason for that I found out as you can sandwich yourself between the walls while you try to maintain a reasonable balance and tried to “catch” the water while the vessel rocked from side to side!

It was hilarious…

Quark Expedition Cabins

quark expedition kapitan dranitsyn standard cabinWhile the vessel is rocking away while you are trying to sleep, that could get a little tricky as well..Just make sure that you put away all your stuff away in the cupboards or else you will find them rolling from one corner to another making a huge din and at the same time you will be trying to anchor yourself on to your bed to prevent yourself from tumbling out of it.

Getting up to get all your stuff is not an option truly unless you want to find yourself rolling around on the floor!

Other than that, it is a truly magical and wonderful experience to visit Antarctica and if you do have an opportunity to go, don’t pass on it!

Capitan Dranitsyn Antarctica cruise ship: Quark Expedition
Kapitan Dranitsyn Antarctica cruise ship: Quark Expedition