Viking Cruises

70 | Viking Explorer Society News The most intriguing discoveries of our polar regions. YOU CAN IDENTIFY WHALES BY THEIR SPOUT SPRAY Whale watching is one of the great thrills of a journey to Antarctica. Blue whales, humpbacks, orcas, sperm whales and minke whales are some of the ones to look out for. When a whale breaches the ocean's surface for air, it exhales through its blowhole and creates a spout spray. You can identify the type of whale by the size and shape of the spray —from the tall, column-like spray of a humpback to the more rounded spray of an orca. IN ANTARCTICA, THERE ARE MOUNTAINS BURIED UNDER ICE, AND A BLOOD-RED WATERFALL Antarctica is full of mysterious, often hidden wonders. Buried deep beneath the ice, the Gamburtsev Mountains stretch more than 750 miles across the continent. These "ghost" mountains are comparable in size to the European Alps. Also hidden below the ice is a subglacial lake that is high in salt and iron. When the water comes into contact with the air, the iron oxidizes, giving the waterfall its deep red colour—and its name, Blood Falls. THE ARCTIC IS HOME TO THE WORLD'S LARGEST SEED STORAGE FACILITY More than 800 miles inside the Arctic Circle lies the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a storage facility run by the Norwegian government. Built into the permafrost, the building holds seeds for more than 4,000 plant species, including life- sustaining food crops. The seed vault has been created to keep the seeds safe in the event of a natural or manmade disaster. THE COLDEST, DRIEST AND WINDIEST CONTINENT HOLDS MOST OF THE WORLD'S FRESH WATER The coldest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was -89.2° Celsius (-128.6° Fahrenheit). The continent also holds the record as the windiest. In some places, winds have reached 200 mph. Around 70% of the world's fresh water is held in Antarctica's enormous ice sheet. If all the ice melted, world sea levels would rise by about 200 feet. But despite all that water, Antarctica is a desert. Over the last 39 years, the average annual rainfall at the South Pole has been less than half an inch. 1 2 3 4 5 ANTARCTICA IS A NATURAL RESERVE DEDICATED TO PEACE AND SCIENCE The Antarctic Treaty states that the continent is "a natural reserve dedicated to peace and science." The treaty promises international scientific cooperation, including the exchange of research plans and personnel. This research contributes significantly to our knowledge and understanding of our planet, and the protection of the global environment. Top 10 Arctic & ANTARCTICA FACTS

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