The southernmost animal that has ever been known to live is the tiny pink mite native to Antarctica/It eats algae and fungi and resembles a spider. An entomologist from a Hawaiian Museum recently discovered the pink mite a mere 309 miles from the South Pole. Amazingly, this same scientist found lichens only 266 miles from the South Pole. This is as far south as any living organism has been found.

One popular magazine states that only insects and relatives of insects live permanently in Antarctica. If you’d like to see most of the fifty-six species of arthropods from Antarctica, you’ll need some sort of magnification. They’re too small to see with your naked eye. At about the same size as a horsefly, a wingless fly is the biggest. Lying dormant until the air reaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit, they then become active. You will find info on Antarctic cruises by visiting that site.

The great blue whale and many diverse creatures make the waters around Antarctica their home. This is the opposite of life on land. Wanting to learn more about life in the ocean, scientist submerged a six by four foot capsule. Six windows gave the professionals a chance to look into the cold water. The sounds made by ocean life could be recorded because of the hydrophone the scientists built into the pod.

Pulling its thirty foot tentacles behind it, a jelly fish passed the windows. The scientists didn’t see many other fish. The waters were often graced by seals, who used the hole scientist had cut into the ice to surface for air, and inspected the capsule. Scientists could hear them chirp, beep, buzz and whistle through the hydrophone. The sounds they were recording were unlike any the scientists had heard in the past.

Perhaps they make the noises to communicate with each other and find their way in the cold, dark waters. The navigation theory could help scientists understand how the seals can find holes to surface for air and food in the dark, cold Antarctic waters. Scientists are analyzing recordings of the seal sounds. Human ears can’t even hear all the sounds the seals make due to their rapid beat and high frequency. If you are in search of info don’t forget to view this resource best Antarctic cruise.

Scientists aren’t even sure how the seals make these sounds. To remain airtight underwater, they shut their mouths and nostrils. The deepest a mammal has ever been recorded to dive is nearly 1500 feet; this was a Weddell seal. Another seal stayed underwater for over 28 minutes before it needed to breathe. A zoologist was able to collect a sample of mother’s milk from a Weddell seal. Seal milk has a much higher fat ratio than human milk does. This is one of the reasons that baby seals can gain weight more quickly than any other mammal. In fact, a baby seal only takes a month and a half to quintuple its own weight.

Using specially-equipped dive suits, scientists have looked at the oceans surrounding Antarctica. Multicolored seaweeds, including red ones, blanketed the bottom of the ocean. Five-foot long worms, four-foot diameter sponges and big red and white starfish were down there, too.

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