【思琪闯南极】登陆准备 Be Ready to Land！

Since we made very good progress across the Drake Passage with really nice weather, we are arriving early to Antarctica. So instead of having a full day at sea today which was the original plan, we were taken to shore in the Southshetland islands. It’s our first landing in Antarctica. But before we were allowed to begin our landing, we were given a mandatory briefing about dos and don’ts according to IAATO which is International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. Antarctica is a unique place, the wildlife, the history, the politics, the entire continent doesn’t belong to any country. So it’s governed by the Antarctica Treaty, which was signed in 1959. Since then, there are 50 countries that have signed the Antarctica Treaty and they have designated the entire continent as a reserve dedicated to peace and science. So it’s quite a unique situation. IAATO is a member organization. The tour companies themselves got together in 1991 and created IAATO. IAATO has come up with quite a few guidelines. These have been accepted by the Antarctica treaty. And as a result, now we do need to follow these guidelines. Let’s take a listen to what guidelines we have to follow from our expedition leader Kara. (Kara) Besides these rules, every passenger is asked to take the biosafety check before they leave the ship and begin the landing. Here is our expedition leader Kara. (Kara) Antarctica is the largest wilderness area on earth. We definitely should keep it that way. And after this morning’s briefing, I strongly advocate that the eco-tourism mode in Antarctica should be learned.