You’d be surprised that the farthest southern living animal is actually a pink mite. This tiny creature is only 1/100th of an inch long. It eats algae and fungi and resembles a spider. The tiny mite was found near the South Pole, only 309 miles from it, by a Hawaiian entomologist recently. The entomologist also found lichens within 266 miles of the Pole. This is the closest any living thing has ever been found to the Pole.

Antarctica is so hostile that only insects and insect-like creatures can inhabit the continent year-round, according to published reports. You’ll need some sort of magnification to see the majority of the 56 species of arthropods that have already been classified on Antarctica. The biggest is visible. It’s about the size of a horsefly and is a wingless fly. When the temperature finally warms enough to melt water, thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, they become awakened, and no longer hibernate. You will find info on Antarctic cruises by visiting that site.

While the continent itself is barren and lifeless, there are all manner of animals traversing the Antarctic oceans, like the giant blue whale, which dwarfs every other living creature.Scientists opted to use a four by six foot capsule to look at the life under the water. Spying out into the water through the six available windows, the scientists took turns being submerged. They even utilized a hydrophone to listen into the sea life.

The scientists didn’t see many fish, except for one very spectacular jelly fish. The fish sported thirty foot-long

tentacles. The chamber did attract the attention of local seals, who surfaced at a nearby ice hole and looked at the chamber itself. Scientists could hear them chirp, beep, buzz and whistle through the hydrophone. One scientist said he’d never heard such noise before.

Without these sounds, Weddell seals may be unable to get around in the dark waters, or to communicate with each other. It’s possible that the seals can find the food that’s often rare in the Antarctic through this sonar.Scientists are analyzing recordings of the seal sounds. Seals can make some sounds that humans can’t even hear. They have much too high of a frequency. If you are in search of info don’t forget to view this resource Antarctic cruise ship.

No one knows exactly how they make the sounds. Both their nostrils and mouths are tightly closed when in the water. The deepest a mammal has ever been recorded to dive is nearly 1500 feet; this was a Weddell seal. Their lung capacity is also great, one seal waiting a half hour before needing to emerge from the water.One scientist was able to get samples of a mother seal’s milk. This milk is extremely high in fat, and allows baby seals to gain weight very rapidly. After six weeks, baby seals should weigh five times more than when they were born.

Scientists have investigated Antarctic seas wearing special frogman dive suits. They found red seaweed, as well as other seaweed, growing on the bottom. Five foot long worms, four foot sponges and big red and white starfish were also there.

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