Why You Can't Visit Antarctica | Unveiled

Why You Can’t Visit Antarctica

Welcome to Antarctica. It’s remote, mysterious, and unique. And so, it’s long been a place for researchers and explorers, venturing out into the frozen wasteland in search of adventure and scientific knowledge. But for the average person, it’s a largely unknown landmass, glimpsed second-hand only through images and video. The apparently restricted access surrounding Antarctica has led many to believe that the continent is off-limits… which has inspired more than a few conspiracy theories. But is the icy south truly a forbidden zone? And, if so, are there good reasons for that?

This is Unveiled, and today we’re exploring the extraordinary claim that you can’t visit Antarctica.

With a name that literally means “opposite of the Arctic”, Antarctica is the world’s southernmost continent and the fifth largest, at around 5.5 million square miles. Roughly ninety-eight percent of it is covered by ice. And it’s certainly a land of extremes, having been measured as the highest, driest, iciest, coldest, and windiest place on Earth.

While Antarctica is a relatively recent discovery on the world map, tales of a frozen southern land actually stretch back to around 650 AD. Stories originating from the Pacific Island of Rarotonga, tell of an explorer named Ui-te-Rangiora who sailed south and discovered a large and frozen land all that time ago. European explorers came close to discovering Antarctica several times in the following centuries, with the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan sailing close by in 1520 and Britain’s James Cook traversing nearby waters in the eighteenth century. Neither spotted the elusive continent, however, despite theories at the time about Terra Australis Incognita, a mythical southern land.

Who actually spotted Antarctica first is still a somewhat contentious issue. Three sailors, all in 1820, may have glimpsed it. Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, an officer in the Imperial Russian Navy, sighted a large icy landmass on January 27th of that year. There are some claims, though, that one Edward Bransfield, an officer in the Royal Navy, may have truly seen it first, three days later, on January 30th. And then, months after that, in November 1820, an American named Nathaniel Palmer also spotted the mainland. It’s perhaps partly because it took so long to find such a large place that mystery still surrounds Antarctica. Especially as, in the years and decades after 1820, so many explorers risked life and limb to study it and lay claim to its possible riches.

To cut an exceptionally long story incredibly short, by 1943, seven nations - France, the UK, New Zealand, Norway, Australia, Chile, and Argentina - had officially claimed slices of Antarctica for their own, while many others explored without any legitimate territorial rights. Even Nazi Germany tried to get into Antarctica, in 1939. The world knew that this spectacular continent held a lot of scientific promise. It was studied in depth as part of the International Geophysical Year (or IGY) between 1957 and 1958, and then became subject to the now-crucial Antarctic Treaty - which was signed in ‘59 and came into effect in 1961. The overriding messages of the treaty, still in effect today, are that Antarctica should be used for peaceful purposes only, that there should be free and co-operative scientific study in Antarctica, and that all scientific observations from Antarctica should be made freely available. It was decided, then, that the continent should be for everyone, equally.

Since the late-‘50s and early-‘60s, the agreement has expanded to include many more environmental protections, making the Antarctic Treaty a landmark in international cooperation. No place on Earth operates quite like Antarctica does… dedicated solely to peaceful, scientific purposes, with the environment fully protected. Today, however, the Treaty has led some to believe that travelling to Antarctica is forbidden for secretive reasons. But really, tourism isn’t banned. It’s just very regulated, and with good reason.

Environmental concerns are perhaps the most prominent reason. The continent is home to a lot of biodiversity and rare species, and as such, its environment is fragile. Mining, for example, is banned on Antarctica in a bid to protect it, and there are strict regulations on anything that could disrupt native species. Environmental impact assessments are required for almost anything that happens here. But, while these measures are necessary, they make casual tourism a near impossibility.

It’s generally quite difficult to make it to Antarctica in the first place, too. Commercial flights to the continent do not happen. In aviation, what’s known as the Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards (or ETOPS) limits how far a plane can ever fly in relation to other airports. When flying over land there’s hardly ever an issue because airports are everywhere. But, over Antarctica, the lack of airports is a problem. Still, it’s not as though all flights are impossible, with chartered planes flying in researchers from time to time. By far the most common way of getting to Antarctica, though, is via boat. And most of the tourism that does take place is via cruise ship. Travellers must obtain various permits, however, and are often only allowed to explore certain designated areas.

Another reason for historically restricted tourism is safety. Antarctica is just a brutally harsh place, and history proves that it’s quite easy to be injured or even die while exploring it. For starters, it’s easily the coldest place on the planet, with Vostok Station (a Russian Antarctic base) recording the coldest ever temperature on Earth’s surface, of minus-128.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The average temperature ranges from about 14 degrees on the coast to about minus-70 at the highest points inland. And at those temperatures, the risk of frostbite is very real.

On top of being the coldest place on Earth, Antarctica is also the windiest due to some unique atmospheric circumstances which generate what are known as katabatic winds. These accelerate to incredible speeds - sometimes peaking at around 125 miles per hour - and can blow for days across large, open areas, which Antarctica has a lot of. They kick up snow, too, triggering chaotic blizzards that can also last for days, and can easily disorientate anyone caught wandering the ice. With the elements so strongly against you it’s easy to get lost here… and, ultimately, to perish.

But say you’ve weighed up the risks, got your permits, and you do end up visiting… there are still many rules to follow. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (or the IAATO) was founded in 1991 in order to organize responsible tourism. Most Antarctic tours that travel today are part of the IAATO which, among other things, ensures that the Antarctic Treaty is always respected. The number one concern is, again, for the environment. Rules therefore include: keeping a distance from and never feeding any wildlife, never bringing any non-native species to the continent, and always keeping noise to a minimum. You must even watch where you walk, as Antarctic moss and lichen are also protected. There are strict transportation rules, too, and yes, some restricted areas, for a variety of reasons. For example, areas of specific scientific study, which cannot be interfered with by passing tourists. Finally, you’re not allowed to take any souvenirs such as rocks with you. And, of course, there’s no littering.

While the management of Antarctica has mostly been a shining example of international cooperation to this point, however, it’s not without its strains and problems. For example, there are estimates that far beneath the icy surface, there could be more than 200 billion barrels of oil… prompting fears of a sub-zero oil rush, one day in the future. There are various, currently low-level but potentially problematic territory disputes, as well, with some nations staking claims over the same plot of land, for example. And there are some discrepancies over various Antarctic stations - including ones built by Britain, America, and China - with reported suspicions of ulterior motives less to do with scientific research and more to do with surveillance or militaristic research. While the self-regulation of Antarctica has worked for decades, then, the concern is that old agreements could soon be undermined.

We can see, then, that the situation in Antarctica is far from straightforward. But the fact is that tourism is rapidly increasing, regardless. During the 2018/19 season, there were reportedly more than 55,000 visitors. In 2019/20, it was almost 75,000, according to the IAATO. And it’s expected that those numbers will continue to rise. With more visitors, though, comes the risk of more problems. A higher chance of contamination with non-native species. More instances of pollution, or of wildlife interference. For example, there have already been two reported incidents of elephant seals being driven over cliffs, linked to tourist behaviour - according to the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty.

As such, many are pushing to impose even stricter measures on anyone visiting Antarctica, going forwards. And conferences are being held across the world to work out how best to manage increasing tourism. We can perhaps, then, expect more limitations and barriers soon. But the overriding goal is always to keep this place as pristine as possible. For preservation reasons, and not for the various reasons that some conspiracy theories claim. It’s a beautiful part of Earth, and it's important we keep it that way. And that’s why, to a certain degree, you can’t visit Antarctica. Or at least why a trip there would take a lot of prior planning.