Ports and harbors McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica
note: few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most of them to short periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private vessels; vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subject to inspection by Antarctic Treaty observers (see Article 7)

Transportation - note Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal

NOTE: The information regarding Southern Ocean on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Southern Ocean Transportation 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Southern Ocean Transportation 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.