EXTREME Antarctica 2025: Continent That Hides Earth’s Real Story || Pole To Pole Ep.10

Namaskar, salaam, sat sri akal, ram-ram ji to everyone. Welcome to another new day of my Antarctica trip. Today is day 17. You can see the condition of my ship. This is the front view, and right now we are in the Southern Antarctic Ocean. Today we will have a landing by Zodiac. We will use the Zodiac boat and explore the area.

Look at this – the sea is completely frozen. There is a thick layer of ice over the water. Nearly one foot of snowfall has already happened here. Snow is still falling. It is very difficult to walk here. Going ahead will be even tougher. Right now we are at Pentagonia Bay. This area is called Pentagonia Bay because in 1945, people from Argentina first came here for whaling and used this place. Since then, it has been called Pentagonia Bay. The place is very beautiful. The whole sea is frozen. It feels amazing. Now we will go by Zodiac and see how it feels.

The temperature is not extremely cold at the moment because there is no wind. But still, the condition is tough. Let’s go down towards the Zodiac. It was very difficult to climb down the stairs. Snow keeps getting stuck in the feet, and these rubber shoes are causing trouble. But people are enjoying themselves and having fun in the snowfall. The Zodiac area is covered in snow. It is hard to get down. It looks completely deserted. And this is the condition even though summer has started. In winter, the ice becomes 3 to 4 metres high in the sea because the temperature drops so low.

Although it is snowing here, in the mainland interior after about 88° south, there is no rainfall or snowfall. The ice there has been frozen for thousands and even millions of years. Only about 8,000 people stay here in winter, mostly scientists working in research centres. In summer, the number on the mainland increases to around 8,000 to 10,000 because scientists come during summer and leave after completing their work. In winter, only a few people stay to maintain the research stations. There are research centres from around 60 countries here. India also has three research stations. I will tell you about them later.

On the mainland, the average thickness of ice is about 2 kilometres. In some places, it is 4 to 4.5 kilometres thick. Antarctica is truly amazing. And I wonder how explorers 100–125 years ago managed to explore such a harsh place. Salute to them.

 

If you travel around the entire outer coastline of Antarctica, the total distance is about 18,000 kilometres. There are three types of winds here. I will explain them properly later – one flows in one direction, another in a different direction, and one comes down from above. It is quite interesting.

Now let’s go towards the Zodiac. They are seating eight people at a time. Today the Zodiac is moving very slowly. Normally it runs properly, but first they have to clear the snow to make seating space. Today people will have to sit on snow, so their trousers may get wet. The Zodiac moves slowly because if sharp ice hits it, it could get punctured since it is inflatable.

When we woke up in the morning, the ice layer was thin. In the last two to three hours, it has increased a lot. You can see pieces of ice melting in the water, and snowfall is happening from above. What a scene! They pushed away a large iceberg from the path so that the Zodiac would not get damaged. It could have caused serious damage. The crew cleared the area and made space for us to sit. I really salute these workers. They work like this continuously for four months during the season. The cruise will rest for a day and then continue again the next day.

Look at this – such a big iceberg has come. Waves are forming because of it. Ice dissolves slowly from underneath as water enters it. Now you can see a big wave forming. Even this is a small iceberg. When very large ones break, it can create a storm-like effect.

The ice you see here is fresh snow ice formed recently. During winter, there are Polar Nights. For four months, there is complete darkness and no one comes here. No one really knows how high the snow piles up – maybe 4 metres, maybe 6 metres. There is no proper scientific study measuring how much snow accumulates during Polar Nights.

Someone filled a bottle with Antarctic ice water, saying it is like holy water for them. Now big chunks of ice are floating around. I was thinking about penguins – where do they go during Polar Nights in such heavy ice? I asked, and they told me that penguins stay in the sea for those four months.

All the penguins and seals stay in the sea. They live inside the ocean. The Weddell seals that are seen here, especially the Antarctic seals, give birth to their babies on the ice. There is another penguin species that you do not see here. You have to go about 50 kilometres inland to see it. It is called the Emperor penguin. It stays further inside and lays its eggs on the ice there. It remains there even during winter. So there are many different varieties. The wildlife here is completely different.

Look at this iceberg. What happened is that its upper part broke off. When the top portion broke and drifted away, the lower part came up. That is why it looks so bright blue. This is glacier ice, and that is why it looks so beautiful. Truly stunning. Our guide told us we cannot go near it because glaciers can flip at any time. They keep melting from underneath, and if they rotate suddenly, it can be dangerous. So we must stay away. The Zodiac is moving very slowly, at about 2–3 kilometres per hour, to avoid touching anything. It even looks like a crocodile. Look at its shape!

We are waving to friends from Pentagonia Bay. What an incredible place nature has created. God makes such amazing things, and we humans just keep fighting over small matters.

So here I am, enjoying winter in summer. This is summer, and look at the condition. You cannot even imagine what winter would be like. I asked them how cold it gets in winter. They said no one really knows. I also spoke to the owner sitting behind me on the deck. I asked him what would happen if someone accidentally fell into the water. He said you would have serious trouble within one minute. Within a minute, you could die. He explained that in Antarctica, people who dive into cold water are mentally prepared. Here, if you fall unexpectedly, your brain’s neurons freeze so quickly that they cannot even send signals properly. Within one or two minutes, you could lose your life. In simple words, you would freeze to death very quickly.

As we stepped down, the ice made cracking sounds under our feet. We started playing and throwing snowballs at each other. “Well shot! Well shot!” Pavlo prepared snowballs and planned to attack when we got closer. I made six snowballs, like bowling a full over in cricket. We attacked our neighbours – it was a strong attack! These fun activities happen sometimes. Then we quietly moved ahead while they kept fighting. Pavlo was very clever. He left them behind and went around from the side, so we did not have to wait 10–15 minutes in the sea.

It was very cold; speaking itself felt difficult. Finally, after spending a long time in the sea – first in the big cruise and then in the small Zodiac (today we called it our little cruise ride) – we returned. They even removed our caps, and we were completely wet from behind. But it was a very enjoyable ride. We talked with people from our cruise for quite a long time. Even here, a “war” was going on – snowball fights everywhere! Because of the snow, people were slipping and getting slightly hurt, but it was all in fun. “Ready for back attack!” someone shouted. Snowballs were flying everywhere. It was a great game. One more day is left on this trip. Someone said they were wearing waterproof clothes; others were not. The last snowball… and then an attack from behind again! We truly enjoyed the snow today.

But it was very cold, so we decided not to take too many risks. The snow had made things difficult. Finally, we returned to the ship. We went inside to warm up our room and recover from the cold. Half the day was completed.

Later, we went again by Zodiac. This time we reached Damoy Point. Behind me, you can see what looks like a penguin colony and a small dot in the distance. Damoy Point is a very beautiful place. In 1975, people from the UK built a small facility here and started landing flights. They worked very hard and even built a small waiting room. Flights came depending on the weather. Sometimes people had to wait 15 to 20 days. They placed beds inside so that scientists could stay while waiting, especially in emergencies.

There were two research stations nearby – one British station built in 1975 and one Argentine station. Both of them are now closed. The old research station has now been turned into a historical site. From far away you cannot see clearly; it looks like a small pink dot. Let me zoom in – somewhere there is the research station. We will land there, and there is also a small tower behind it. From there we will visit the penguin colony and then return.

The research station was closed around 1993 or 1995. The slope you see there was used as a landing strip for aircraft on the snow. Since there is no bare land, they levelled the glacier surface to create a runway. Later it was shut down.

Now we are heading there. All around this place there are glaciers everywhere. The snow has started melting a little. And now, after all this adventure, we both came back and had a deep sleep.

Today, after many days, guess what we finally ate? We had biryani!

Let me tell you the full story. For the past several days, we were struggling with food. We do not eat non-vegetarian food, and the cruise was not giving many good vegetarian options. So we were just managing somehow. When we arrived the day before yesterday, there was a barbecue going on. People were enjoying meat freely, and nothing was kept for us. If you are serving so much food, at least keep some proper options for vegetarians as well. There was hardly any choice for us.

So we complained, and finally they arranged a personal chef for us for the remaining days. They told us we could order whatever we wanted. That was a big relief.

It was around 5 pm. There was a viewpoint in between, but most of the public had already gone. We are always the last ones to reach anywhere. Maybe it has become our habit now. My friend says I talk less in my videos. I speak in very limited words. Maybe that is why I have not grown to a very high level yet. Being a good storyteller is very important, and perhaps I am not that good at it. Still, I try.

We reached the ritual point. There was a crowd. Today I arrived a little early; otherwise, my friend usually comes last. We even have a competition about who will be last!

Today the landing point is far, about 2 kilometres away. Landing is difficult because melted ice water is flowing like a river. The boats have to move carefully around the floating ice. If a glacier breaks nearby, it can create serious problems. The Zodiac has to take a full round before reaching the landing point.

Ten people will go in one Zodiac. As soon as we got down, seabirds welcomed us. I call them Antarctica’s pigeons because they look like sea pigeons. The glacier water here is considered very pure. In some countries, Antarctic glacier water is sold at very high prices.

It suddenly started hailing. The temperature today is –5°C, but it feels like –25°C. It is extremely cold. Our guide is walking ahead, and we must follow him in a line; otherwise, we might face trouble.

Look, this is an Antarctic fur seal sleeping peacefully. Our guide told us to stay quiet because if it wakes up, it could create a problem.

Ahead, there is a penguin colony, and somewhere nearby a large glacier has broken. We suddenly heard a loud “boom” sound. When glaciers break, waves form and mist rises.

We are walking step by step behind our guide. Let me show you the houses here. You can see the Antarctic flag, and beside it was probably the British one. Our guide said it is not active now, but emergency supplies are kept inside.

You can see a triangular structure. It is built in that shape so that snow slides off and does not bury it.

Yesterday, they explained how scientists use snowshoes while walking on glaciers. Today we are also wearing snowshoes like them. These shoes are about two feet long. They prevent your feet from sinking into the snow. With these, you can walk comfortably. Our two guides helped us wear them, and we used sticks for support while walking.

We finally reached the hut. The larger building belongs to the British. On the other side is the Argentine one, which is smaller. The British one is properly built to block the cold. The Argentine hut looks simpler, made of tin, and some windows are broken. It seems less maintained.

This place is called Damoy Point. It has now been declared a heritage site. It was made a historical site around 2002. Earlier, there used to be a glacier landing strip here for aircraft. Planes would land on the snow. Since there is no bare land, they flattened the glacier to create a runway. Later it was closed.

It feels special to stand on Antarctic land and see these historic huts. Normally, visitors do not get such close access. The journey is tough but enjoyable. I would say it is worth the money.

Now, since we are talking about research centres, let me tell you about India’s research stations in Antarctica.

India first stepped onto Antarctica in 1981. In 1983, India opened its first research station called Dakshin Gangotri. However, that station was later buried under ice. I was told that the Indian tricolour still flies there.

The second station, Maitri, was opened in 1989 and is still operational. The third station, Bharati, was opened in 2012. It is very well equipped, and more than 200 scientists have worked there so far. Around 20–25 people stay there at a time. It has satellite communication, water facilities, and modern equipment. It is built using large containers and is well designed for extreme conditions.

Out of the three Indian research stations, one is no longer active, but two are still functioning. Indian scientists work here throughout the year, especially on environmental studies. Some research is also useful for projects like space missions because certain weather conditions here are similar to Mars. Scientists stay here for all 12 months along with support staff.

It feels good to see that India has proudly established its presence here.

Now we are walking back. The snow makes it difficult to move. Climbing uphill with snowshoes is harder, but downhill is easier. Everyone has already gone ahead; we are again among the last ones. My nose is freezing because of the cold.

We kept our equipment back. Look at these birds again – just like pigeons. They come very close to humans, which is rare for wildlife. Even though humans do not regularly visit here, they seem quite friendly.

Our Zodiac has started moving. Goodbye to Damoy Point. This may be the last cruise ride here. The crew will collect all the equipment and return.

Perhaps I have not been able to fully define this entire journey. But I tried to share some knowledge along with entertainment and to receive your love and support, because for the journey from Antarctica to Alaska, I will need a lot of your love.

My hands have turned completely red – almost white and numb because of the cold.

So now I am going inside, and I will end today’s video here.
Stay happy, stay busy, stay cheerful, stay healthy.
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat. Om.