Antarctica

Map of Antarctica

Discovery 1773 - Captain Cook - his wooden ship could not penetrate the ice ring. 1822 - James Weddell (Sealing) 1830 - Whalers came 1911 - Roald Amundsen reaches South Pole 1915 - Shackleton stuck in ice 1959 – Antarctic Treaty

Amundsen’s Discovery of South Pole

Roald Amundsen Race with Scott Dogs instead of horses and motorized sleds Ate dogs as supply sleds didn’t need them Reached Pole on December 16, 1911 Placed the flag of Norway

Robert Scott Entire expedition dies. Race with Amundsen Took Siberian horses Motorized sleds quickly broke down Refused to eat dogs Horses died Men had to pull Pole January 17, 1912 All men died on return

Sir Ernest Shackleton Stuck in Ice – Lost Ship

Plants 2 Flowering Plants Pearlwort Grass Only on Antarctic Peninsula There are also bacteria, molds, yeast, algae and fungi

Antarctic Birds Snow Petrels Terns Fulmars Cape Pigeons Skuas Penguins

Snow Petrel Small as a robin Dart over ocean like large mosquitoes

Skua Has hooked bill Has sharp claws Feeds only ashore Eats penguin eggs Eats weak penguin chicks

Albatross These birds roam the oceans at the bottom of the world.

Penguins 18 species of penguins 4 live in Antarctica Emperor Adelie Southern Gentoos Chinstrap

Emperor Largest of all penguins Hatch eggs during coldest winter months Female lays egg in May Male hatches egg for 2 months and loses 40% of body weight Female takes over

Adelie Most numerous Named after Captain d’Urville’s wife Very small

Southern Gentoos Live on peninsula 2-1/2 feet tall Gentle and timid White connected patches above eyes

Chinstrap Black marking under chin from ear to ear

Whales Baleen Toothed

Blue Whales - Baleen Baleen whale – strain food, mostly krill Largest animal in the world 200,00 pounds - More than 5,700 mid-sized cars! 100 feet long

Humpback - Baleen Filters food Eats mainly krill Is less streamlined Has long flippers

Sperm Whale - Toothed Uses echo sounding to find prey Can dive 3,000 feet Only males migrate to Antarctica

Orcas – Toothed Whales Resembles a dolphin Largest carnivore Eats seals and penguins Hunt in packs Will even bump icebergs to knock off penguins

Seals Crabeaters Leopard Ross Weddell Southern Elephant

Seals Live in groups called pods Six species live in Antarctica

Elephant – Crabeater - Leopard Elephant – largest Crabeaters Leopard

Southern Elephant Seals Weigh up to 8,000 lbs. Largest of the world’s seals

Southern Fur Seals Were nearly wiped out by seal hunters in the nineteenth century Live in groups - pods Have paddle like flippers or fins Have a thick layer of blubber

Southern Fur Seal