1. Early Explorers

2. When did people first explore the Antarctic ? In the 1890’s, explorers of various countries began to compete for being the first to reach both the North and the South Poles. In 1901–04 Captain Robert Falcon Scott (1868–1912) was the first person to explore Antarctica extensively by land.

3. The first explorers of the Antarctic. The first Explorers of Antarctica is Captain Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton.

4. Pick 1 explorer and find out detailed information including facts, figures and images. Captain Scott. In the 1890s however, explorers of various countries began to compete for being the first to reach both the North and the South Poles. In 1901–04 Captain Robert Falcon Scott (1868–1912) was the first person to explore Antarctica extensively by land.

6. Who was Captain Scott? Robert Falcon Scott was an officer in the Royal Navy, who had joined his first ship when he was 13. He was born in Devon and came from seafaring family, though his father ran a brewery. He married a sculptor named Kathleen Bruce in 1908, and they had one son, Peter (who became a famous naturalist, was knighted, and died in 1982).

7. How many times did Scott travel to the Antarctic? Scott led two expeditions. His first expedition, in the ship Discovery, took place between 1901–04 and was half funded by the Government. Discovery was specially built for the voyage, as a research ship to go through icy seas. In 1910, he sailed on another scientific voyage, this time in the Terra Nova, originally a whaler. This second expedition had less government support and many schools made collections for the expedition. Children were particularly interested in raising money for dogs and ponies.

8. What were the Antarctic expeditions hoping to achieve? The idea was to explore the part of Antarctica around the Ross Sea, discovered in 1841 by Sir James Clark Ross. They also wanted to find out more about the animals, weather and geology of the Antarctic. Dr Edward Wilson, the zoologist on both Scott's expeditions, collected embryos of Emperor penguins so that he could study the birds more closely.

9. How did the explorers travel about once they had set up camp in the Antarctic? On the first trip, Scott and his party anchored Discovery in McMurdo Sound, Ross Island where they built a hut. During the winter (our summer) they conducted magnetic, astronomical and meteorological observations. In June the sun cannot be seen from within the Antarctic Circle and it is dark 24 hours a day. In the spring (September), the weather improved and Scott, Dr Wilson and Ernest Shackleton set off south across the Ross Sea Ice Shelf towards the Pole. They had some sledge-dogs but did not really know how to use them, so largely pulled the sledges themselves. Scott travelled slightly further than 82 degrees south, much further than anyone before but it was a terrible journey.

10. Thanks http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/5_ diaries.phphttp://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/5_ diaries.php http://www.nmm.ac.uk/scott