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The Antarctic Peninsula offers you the
most dramatic scenery and biggest variety of
wildlife in Antarctica. In the southern summer
large ice-free areas provide breeding grounds
for very large numbers of seabirds and seals.
From King George Island and Penguin Island we
will sail down to the beautiful Paradise Bay,
where you can go ashore on the Antarctic
mainland. The narrow and spectacular
Lemaire Channel is surrounded by mountains and
glaciers and a popular passage for several
species of whales journeying up and down the
sheltered Antarctic Peninsula waterways. In
the Antarctic Peninsula Minke Whales, the
smallest of the rorqual whales, and
ferocious-looking Leopard Seals are common.
Day 1: In the afternoon, we embark
in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the
picturesque southernmost city in the world
located at the Beagle Channel and sail through
the Beagle Channel.
Day 2 & 3: During these two days we
sail across the Drake Passage. When we cross
the Antarctic Convergence, we arrive in the
circum-Antarctic up welling zone. In this area
we may meet Wandering Albatrosses, Grey Headed
Albatrosses, Black-browed Albatrosses,
Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses, Cape Pigeons,
Southern Fulmars, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Blue
Petrels and Antarctic Petrels. Near the South
Shetland Islands, we glimpse at the first
icebergs.
Day 4: At Deception Island, we will try
to land at Baily Head with a colony of ten
thousands of Chinstrap Penguins. Deception
Island is a huge volcano of which the crater
opens into the sea, creating a natural harbour
for the ship. Here we find hot springs, an
abandoned whaling station, thousands of Cape
Pigeons and many Dominican Gulls, Brown and
South Polar Skuas and Antarctic Terns.
Wilson’s Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm
Petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling
station in Whalers Bay.
Day 5: We will sail to Orne Islands
with large colonies of Chinstrap Penguins and
a beautiful view across the Gerlache Strait.
Later we continue to Cuverville Island, a
small precipitous island, nestled between the
mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Danco
Island. It contains a large colony of Gentoo
Penguins and breeding pairs of Brown Skuas.
From there we sail through Paradise Bay with
its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, while
having chances of seeing large whales. We will
have opportunities for zodiac cruising between
the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords.
Day 6: We sail through the spectacular
Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island where we
can find Adelie Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags.
We also try to land at Pleneau Island home to
Elephant Seals. In this area there are good
chances to encounter Humpback Whales, Minke
Whales and Fin Whales.
Day 7: Sailing north through Neumayer
Channel and Gerlache Strait we arrive at
Charlotte Bay with a very beautiful landscape
and again possibilities for zodiac cruising
among the icebergs, where we may encounter
Leopard Seals, Crabeater Seals and Minke
Whales.
Day 8: Half Moon Island is a beautiful
volcanic island with Chinstrap Penguins,
Gentoo Penguins, Blue-eyed Shags, sheathbills
and Brown Skuas. Weddell Seals and Elephant
Seals may also be spotted. The crew of the
Argentine station is very hospitable. We may
also choose to land at Hannah Point, which has
a very rich wildlife featuring Elephant Seals,
Cape Pigeons, Southern Giant Petrels, Macaroni
Penguins and Gentoo Penguins.
Day 9 & 10: In the Drake Passage we
have again a chance of seeing many seabirds.
Day 11: We arrive in the morning in
Ushuaia and disembark. |
