|
We
wanted to begin this section with a little clarification.
Most people believe that the same animals that live in the
Arctic live in Antarctica. This is NOT the case. While both
regions support similar marine wildlife, Polar
bears do not live in Antarctica, and penguins
cannot be found in the Arctic. An interesting fact to note
about Antarctica is that animals live only along the coast
of the continent. The interior of the continent is devoid
of life except for a tiny insect called a midge which measures
less than 1/2 inch in length (12mm).
During
the summer months, warmer water surrounding Antarctica allows
plant life to grow, thus attracting a wide variety of marine
life. However, on both our previous trips to Antarctica (Ann
in 1993-94 and Liv in 1994-95 link to bio,) neither one of
us saw any animal life because we did not start our expeditions
from areas that had a food source. We are hoping on this expedition
that we will be able to see some wildlife.
Just
for fun, why not compare the animals in
Antarctica with the animals
in the Arctic.
|
