Ice and snow along the shores of Paradise Bay, Antarctica

Antarctica is the most isolated continent on the planet and a trip to the polar south must still be earned, either through a long uncomfortable voyage by ship or an expensive airplane flight. But be warned weather and ice -not clocks and calendars - set the schedule for a journey here. No matter what the reason for your visit, you'll be at the mercy of the continent's changing moods and weather patterns. Antarctica’s diverse ecosystem is dependent on a healthy environment. Thanks to Antarctica’s remoteness and hostile climate, it has been spared the commercialism and industrial development found in most regions of the Earth.But this has quickly been changing. The past 40 years have seen a tremendous increase in human activity.