Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 02/27/2012 - 15:22
Forums
Seafloor Organisms and Changing Ocean Conditions in Antarctic

Hi Ms. Herrmann! We miss you loads, but don't really want you to come back because then you wouldn't be in Antarctica anymore and you're having a lot of fun.

I'm wondering.

Say sometime in the far future, I really really want to go visit Antarctica, but have no legitimate reason (i. e. research or something sciencey). Would I need a visa specifically for Antarctica, since it's kind of "world territory?" Would my Chile visa count?

Do they let people just come and hang out?

Of course, in this imaginary situation, I'm also finacially able to get to Antarctica and do stuff like that.

-Cathryn DeLong

Mon, 02/27/2012 - 16:17

Nell Herrmann

Hi Cathryn,This message is so very "Cathrynish" that it makes me smile from ear to ear.
You can't really come to Antarctica to "hang out," but there are cruise ships that come here. Tourists are allowed to briefly stop (for a few hours) at the USAP Stations (Palmer, McMurdo, South Pole), but can't stay here for any significant amount of time. You could come here to stay as a scientist, graduate student (if your advisor does research here) or as support personnel. For a little while longer the support personnel will be employees of Raytheon Polar Services, but that contract is about to change. In a month or so, Lockheed Martin will have the contract for logistical support in Antarctica. Support personnel do any number of jobs from working in the galley as cooks to being "Fuelies" (did you read that journal?) to helping with IT support, to doing waste management. Since you may end up at the Naval Academy, you'd probably be able to get a job as a Marine Technician or Marine Science Technician on a research vessel like the Laurence M. Gould some day. I think you'd really enjoy this place- it strikes me as very "Cathrynish."
Cheers,
-Ms. Herrmann