Antarctica: photos from the bottom of the world

Photo: NOAA

In the early 1900’s, the great explorer Ernest Shackleton wrote, “From the sentimental point of view, [Antarctica] is the last great Polar journey that can be made.”

At the time, no human had stepped foot on the continent.

Nearly a century later, hundreds of people – mostly scientists and tourists – have been to Antarctica, but it’s still a place few of us will ever visit ourselves. So, below, we bring you twelve images of Earth’s southernmost continent.

The first two are from Shackleton’s Endurance expedition (1914-1917.) The rest are more recent. Check out the pounds of gear the NOAA scientist needs to stay warm in the subzero weather, and McMurdo station, through which all present-day visitors must pass.

You’ll also see some spectacular shots of wildlife which highlight the scale of the landscape, and some magnificent shots of the landscape which highlight the sculptural interaction of ice and sea.