Trip
Information
Dates:
November 21 - December 10, 2010
Optional
Argentina Pre-tour November 17 - 21, 2010 (4 days)
Leaders: Onboard resource staff
Our Vessel: M/V Polar Star
Price: From
$9,920 - $18,320 Click for more information
Tour starts and ends in Ushuaia
Highlights
•
Among the most amazing and spectacular scenery on the planet!
Breathtaking vistas of icy waterways, glaciers, icebergs
and rugged mountains
•
The exhilarating and incomparable experience of being amidst
penguin colonies and tame wildlife; a photographer’s
dream!
•
Fabulous wildlife – penguins, albatrosses, petrels,
whales, seals, dolphins, and much more
•
Fascinating and awe-inspiring human history
Featured Birds and Mammals
•
King Penguin
•
Adelie Penguin
•
Chinstrap Penguin
•
Magellanic Penguin
•
Macaroni Penguin
•
Gentoo Penguin
•
Wandering Albatross
•
Gray-headed Albatross
•
Snow Petrel
•
Blue Petrel
•
Magellanic Diving-petrel
•
Black-bellied Storm-petrel
•
Southern Elephant Seal
•
Humpback Whale
•
Leopard Seal
Trip Summary
•
18 nights onboard the Polar Star, one night in Ushuaia prior
to embarkation
•
Cabins and suites at different rates
•
All meals included
•
Varied international menu
•
Maximum 100 passengers
•
Stunningly beautiful, awe-inspiring scenery
•
Exact route and activities variable according to ice and
weather conditions
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Truly
a cruise of a lifetime, our 20-day Antarctic Voyage focuses on the Falkland
Islands, South Georgia, South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula,
home to some of the continent’s most impressive wildlife and dramatic
landscapes. We start in Ushuaia, with one night in this very southern
city.  We then board our ship and travel through the sheltered waters of the
Beagle
Channel and into the south Atlantic to the Falklands, onto South Georgia,
and then following Shackleton’s route to Elephant Island and the
South Shetlands. The oceans here are renowned for the diversity of seabirds,
from petrels, shearwaters and prions to diving-petrels and albatrosses,
including the superb Wandering Albatross. Whales and dolphins ply these
waters, feeding on the abundance of krill caused by the convergence of
cold waters from Antarctica and warmer waters from the Pacific and Atlantic.
Wildlife on the Falklands and South Georgia is abundant, with wonderful
colonies of albatrosses and penguins, and several interesting endemics.
Weather and ice permitting, we set foot on the South Shetland Islands,
Paradise Bay and other localities on the Antarctic Peninsula, and along
shorelines in the incomparably photogenic Lemaire Channel, making two
landings per day. The scenery here is breathtaking, ice formations are
fantastic, and wildlife astonishing. During our voyage, we encounter
colonies of King, Adelie, Magellanic, Chinstrap, Gentoo and Rockhopper
Penguins, possibly also Macaroni Penguins, three species of skuas, the
immaculately-white Snow Petrel, Snowy Sheathbill, the handsome Imperial
Shag, and Weddell, Crabeater and the sinister-looking Leopard Seals loafing
on the ice-flows or along the shorelines. Our return journey back across
the famous Drake Passage will turn up new sightings – no two crossings
are the same – and then back to Ushuaia.
See detailed itinerary
below.
Click
here to see our
five-day pre-tour extension to Buenos Aires and surroundings
Previous
Antarctica bird and mammal tour checklists:
November
2008 Antarctica Voyage (148 kb pdf)
February
2005 Antarctica Voyage (pdf)
Click
here to download a registration form for the Antarctic tour. |
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival
in Ushuaia
We start on our Antarctic Voyage trip this afternoon by flying to
Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city. After settling into
your hotel, you will have time to walk along the shores of the legendary
Beagle
Channel on the Ushuaia waterfront. Both Kelp and Dolphin Gulls and
South American Terns will be in the harbour, possibly being harassed
by Chilean Skuas. Kelp Geese may be foraging along the shoreline, and
perhaps a flock of White-rumped Sandpipers will be busily feeding on
the exposed beach, with a Rufous-chested Dotterel among them, and Crested
Ducks and Flightless Steamer-Ducks in the shallows. The superb Imperial
Shag and Rock Shag are quite common in the harbour, and Dark-bellied
Cinclodes dart around the rocks and boats along the waterfront. Night
in Ushuaia.
Day 2 - Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel
In the morning, there is an optional excursion to picturesque Tierra
del Fuego National Park, a land of stunted Nothofagus beech forests and
rocky coastlines. In the afternoon, we embark upon the Polar Star, our
home for the next 19 days. We set off on our voyage down the Beagle Channel,
so named after the ship that carried Charles Darwin on his groundbreaking
voyage. We will have our first introduction to seabirds – Black-browed
Albatross, shearwaters, diving-petrels, and our first introduction to
penguins – Magellanic Penguin.
Day 3 - At Sea
During the crossing towards the Falkland Islands, we have the opportunity
to meet our guides, ship’s crew and lecturers. We’ll also
begin the lecture and information sessions to learn about the extraordinary
human and natural history of the Antarctic region. On deck we will be
looking for pelagic birds such as Royal Albatross (Northern and Southern),
Greater and Sooty Shearwaters, White-chinned Petrel, perhaps a Soft-plumaged
Petrel or a Slender-billed Prion, and marine mammals – Dusky Dolphins,
South American Sea-lions, maybe our first whales.
Days 4 - 5 - Falkland Islands
Remote islands lying about 500 kms off the South American coast, the
Falklands have a surprising history of colonization and conflicts. The
capital, Port Stanley, situated on East Falkland, one of two large islands
in this archipelago, is a colourful little town with architecture reminiscent
of a bygone age. These windswept islands enjoy a relatively mild climate
and provide rugged, wind-swept vistas, expansive grasslands and dramatic
seascapes. During our stay we make several landings to take in the abundant
wildlife here as penguins, elephant seals and sea lions are numerous
here.
The Falkland Islands have a remarkable diversity of birdlife. Over fifty
species breed in the islands, from Rockhopper Penguins to Ruddy-headed
Geese, Rufous-chested Dotterels to Correndera Pipits. Raptors include
Variable Hawks, Southern Crested Caracaras and Striated Caracaras, or “Johnny
Rooks”, scavengers at penguin colonies. We visit colonies of comical
Rockhopper Penguins and superb Black-browed Albatrosses, as well as Gentoo
and Magellanic penguins, often remarkably inquisitive. The increasingly
rare Ruddy-headed Goose occurs here in fair numbers, and we have a good
chance of finding the endemic Falkland Steamer Duck. Landbirds are often
endearingly tame; Blackish Cinclodes (Tussock Birds) will likely approach
us to inspect our footwear and Austral Thrushes, White-bridled Finches
and Black-chinned Siskins can be quite confiding.
Days 6 - 7 - At Sea
Leaving these attractive islands we make the long sea crossing to South
Georgia, and admire a long procession of wildlife from the decks - sealions
and dolphins, albatrosses and prions, storm-petrels and skuas; there
should be plenty to watch and photograph. We pass the Antarctic Convergence
where cold polar water flowing north and warmer equatorial water moving
in the opposite direction mix, creating nutrient rich upwellings that
attract a diverse array of seabirds and marine mammals, including several
species of albatrosses – Light-mantled Sooty, Black-browed, Grey-headed,
Royal and the splendid Wandering. Both Northern and Southern Giant Petrels
and several species of petrels and storm-petrels will cross the path
of the ship, or decide to follow looking for scraps. Pelagic birding
can be challenging, and we will need to be alert to perhaps find a Fairy
Prion among the Antarctic Prions or an Antarctic Petrel among the very
attractive Cape Petrels. Marine mammals should be well represented. Whales
could include Fin, Minke and Humpback, and dolphins Hourglass, Peale’s
and the stunning Commerson’s.
Days 8 - 11 - South Georgia
South Georgia appears like snow-capped mountains rising out of the ocean.
The island sits on the northeast corner of the Scotia Ridge, an underwater
geologic formation linking the Andes of South America with the mountains
of Antarctica, and the islands are the tips of underwater mountains.
The coastline is a series of deep fiords and huge glaciers with a backdrop
of jagged, virtually inaccessible snow-capped peaks. South Georgia is
steeped in history, of the whaling industry and early explorers, the
site of the simple grave of Ernest Shackleton, a hero of Antarctic exploration.
We make several landings, including the abandoned settlement at Grytviken,
which in its heyday was the centre for the massive whaling industry in
these southern oceans. On land, we may walk amongst wildlife spectacles
such as enormous colonies of the incomparable King Penguin, admire huge
elephant seals and view superb Wandering Albatrosses, keep a watchful
eye on Antarctic Fur Seals now making a remarkable recovery, as well
as watch Southern Giant-Petrels, graceful Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses,
and comical-looking Macaroni Penguins. We will also look for the endemic
South Georgia Pipit which ekes out an existence on these quite inhospitable
islands, and the endemic race of the Yellow-billed Pintail, sometimes
treated as a full species (South Georgia Pintail). In the inshore waters
we could find both Common and Georgian Diving-Petrels, auk-like seabirds
that the ship might disturb on the water.
Days 12 - 14 - At Sea and Elephant Island
We turn south and sail for two days, retracing Shackleton's route backwards
as we head towards Elephant Island and the Antarctic Peninsula - a stretch
of ocean renowned for the diversity of seabirds, from petrels and prions
to diving-petrels and albatrosses. We will have more opportunities to
watch Wandering Albatrosses gliding effortlessly over the ocean, using
air currents to cover vast distances with little expenditure of energy.
Icebergs start to become more prominent, and we have our first exposure
to the intense blue colour and the astonishing shapes of some of the
older bergs. Occasionally the splendid Snow Petrel can be found perched
on a berg, a classic Antarctic portrait. We pass Elephant Island, a harsh
and dramatic rocky island where Shackleton's men survived for more than
four months before Captain Pardo, master of the Chilean ship Yelcho,
finally succeeded in reaching them.
Days 15 - 17 – South Shetlands and the Antarctic Peninsula
A chance to step foot on Antarctica! We spend the next several days exploring
the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, an area of breathtaking
scenery of icy waterways, glaciers, icebergs and rugged mountains. Conditions
permitting we'll attempt two excursions per day. We attempt shore landings
at Paradise Harbour, Neko Harbour or Wilhelmina Bay on the Antarctic
Peninsula. We’ll navigate the astounding Lemaire Channel, and perhaps
traverse Errera Channel or Neumayer Channel as ice and wind conditions
allow. Scientific research stations and abandoned whaling stations will
also be of interest. Birding will be exceptional – colonies of
Gentoo, Adelie and Chinstrap Penguins, with perhaps a few Macaroni Penguins
nesting in the colonies; Snowy Sheathbills, Southern Giant-petrels and
Brown and South Polar Skuas looking for quick meals around the colonies;
Black-bellied and Wilson’s Storm-petrels and Antarctic Terns crossing
the wake of the boat; Antarctic Shags nesting on rocky slopes; and prizes
such as Snow Petrel and Southern Fulmar along the stunning Gerlache Strait.
We’ll also concentrate on marine mammals which can abound in these
rich waters – Humpback Whales, fur seals, and Crabeater, Weddell
and Leopard Seals.
Days 18 - 19 – Drake Passage
We begin our northward journey back to our home port of Ushuaia across
the 400 miles of the Drake Passage, named after the sixteenth century
English explorer Sir Francis Drake. No two crossing are alike, and maybe
we will find prions, petrels and albatrosses that we have not encountered
so far. Our crossing gives us time to reflect on our memorable adventure
and review the highlights of our Antarctic experience.
Day 20 - Departure
Today we should see the rocky headland of Cape Horn looming ahead of
us. This southernmost point of South America was named by the Dutch navigator
Schouten after Hoorn, after his birth place in the Netherlands. We enter
the Beagle Channel once more, perhaps finding Magellanic Diving-petrels
or a shearwater not seen earlier, and then on to Ushuaia for a morning
disembarkation and final goodbyes.
The onboard resource team will include expedition staff and naturalists
with a great deal of knowledge about the birds and wildlife, and experience
in the southern oceans. Onboard, we will enjoy the comfortable facilities
and camaraderie of our modern ship, great food, daily lectures and discussion
sessions. We’ll hear heroic tales of Antarctic adventure in the
Age of Exploration. Explorers like Cook, Wilkes, Ross, de Gerlache, Scott,
Amundsen, and Shackleton braved fierce winds, crushing seas and tremendous
adversity to find and map the “fabled southern continent.”
What To Expect
A cruise to Antarctica
requires a fairly good level of fitness and health. Most activities
assume a relatively low level of exertion.
Climbing into and out of zodiacs for excursions to land requires a
moderate level of ability, although staff and crew members will be
at hand to assist. Ashore, walks of moderate distances occur over rocky,
uneven terrain and sometimes ice and snow on the Antarctic Peninsula
and South Georgia. All zodiac landings depend upon sea and landing
conditions, and landing spots vary from year to year. If one spot is
inaccessible one year, the ship goes to another similar spot.
Sea conditions
across the Drake Passage can be rough with high swells, causing
our vessel to pitch and roll. The Beagle Channel should be
fairly calm.
Food is good and
plentiful and accommodations are very comfortable.
Daily maid service is provided. All passengers
have full
access to facilities onboard regardless of room price.
Temperatures
generally range from 5º - 15º C (45º –55º F) in
the sub-Antarctic region, and 0º - 5º C (30º – 40º F) on
the Antarctic Peninsula. Sunshine and low humidity creates a
temperate atmosphere. Be prepared for cold conditions on the
deck of the
moving
ship when watching birds and marine mammals. Good hiking boots
are adequate on deck, although there are times when running shoes
will
suffice. Warm hats and gloves are necessary on deck. Parkas or
another warm jacket are highly recommended. On shore and especially
on the
zodiacs, water resistant pants and waterproof footwear are required
(rubber boots are provided onboard).
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