When you put an ice cube in your glass do you ever wonder how old it actually is?
If you are in the United States, Europe, or a country along the equator the ice in your glass probably isn’t more than a couple of days, or even a couple of hours old.
Well in polar regions, like Antarctica, the ice is over 100 THOUSAND years old. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest continent on Earth and holds over 90% of the world’s freshwater as Ice.
The ice was frozen a long time ago and hasn’t melted for hundreds of thousands of years. In fact, the majority of the main ice sheet of Antarctica has been in existence for over 40 billion years – that is REALLY OLD!
Antarctica was once as warm as modern day California, but now less than 1% of Antarctica is ice free and the average thickness of that ice is over one mile thick!
Antarctica is home to many unique and endemic wildlife that depend on the ice to survive. Penguins, seals, and whales are some of the most common wildlife species that you will see.
Journeying to the Polar Southern Hemisphere is an incredible experience, and Antarctica is such a unique destination. All along you will see lots of wildlife (such as penguins, seals, and whales) and lots and lots of ICE!
These are things you can only see in this part of the world, and that makes this place incredible.
Antarctica has always been on our bucket list and if it isn’t yet, it should be on yours! So come join us in Antarctica or South Georgia and come try some 100 thousand year old ice yourself!
Grab your backpack there’s more to explore.
If you are wondering what it is like to travel to such a “cold” destination, check out How I Survived One Month in Antarctica and be prepared for an adventure of a lifetime!
Travel with us to Antarctica!
