Seven Antarctic facts that will fill you with fear

There’s something inherently eerie about the Antarctic – an largely unknown realm shrouded in silence and unsympathetic cold, with the lowest temperatures on planet Earth and no permanent human population. No wonder it’s been used as the backdrop for many horror movies, including The Thing and Alien vs. Predator. 

This stark landscape harbours many rarities that spotlight its other-worldliness. These seven marvels might be frightening, but they will still inspire you to champion the Antarctic’s protection.

1. The Antarctic Blood Falls

White snow seeping with blood-red meltwater sounds horrific, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at the Taylor Glacier. Since its discovery in 1911, the colour of the falls has puzzled scientists. Researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks finally solved the mystery in 2017. The brine salt water flowing from the glacier contains iron and, when it comes into contact with oxygen, the iron oxidises, giving the water its deep crimson colour. It’s basically the same process that turns iron dark red when it rusts. 

2. Ocean arachnids

If you suffer from arachnophobia you might want to skip this part. It’s hard to believe, but skittering around in the dark on the Antarctic ocean floor, are sea spiders. They’re actually marine arthropods. In the Antarctic these creepy crawlies can grow up to 50 cm across. If they’re not yet strange enough, they also breathe through holes in their legs. 

3. The ‘Pyramid’ of the Antarctic

In 2016, a pyramid-shaped mountain located in the southern part of the Ellsworth mountains nearly broke the Internet. Some speculated that it was the remnants of an ancient civilization. Others believed it was constructed by aliens. The truth was much simpler: experts concluded that the architect was Mother Nature. Hundreds of millions of years of erosion created this beautiful monolith.  

© Public domain / NASA