MLT 22 19 November - 07 December, 2008 (19 days)
MOL 26 22 January - 09 February, 2009 (19 days)
AMR 28 30 January - 17 February, 2009 (19 days)
GMK 29 10 February - 28 February, 2009 (19 days)
aboard the Grigoriy Mikheev, Aleksey Maryshev and Professor Molchanov.
Please note that the itinerary is provisional at this stage and must be used as a guide only.
A wonderful introduction to the amazing scenery and wildlife of Antarctica and the beautiful sub-Antarctic islands and oceans.
Antarctica and the Sub-Antarctic Islands are some of the last truly unspoilt regions of the world. The mysterious White Continent, with its multi-coloured ice caps, glistening glaciers and towering snow-capped mountains, offers unparalleled scenery and photographic opportunities. Enormous numbers of penguins, whales, seals and seabirds congregate in the food-rich waters along the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic shores. The future of Antarctica is crucial to the climate and ecology of the world and on most of our cruises we have an opportunity to visit one of the many scientific bases.
Our small, specially designed expedition ship journeys south, taking full advantage of the 24 hours of daylight during the austral summer. Ice-strengthened hulls and state-of-the-art equipment allow us to navigate safely through the pack ice and narrow waterways. Our zodiac excursions, guided by foremost Antarctic experts, offer the freedom to explore remote locations and observe Antarctica's abundant wildlife.
The Falklands were discovered in 1592. Port Stanley has a few shops, hotels and pubs. Island stamps can be purchased and there is an excellent small museum. On New Island you can visit a unique colony with Black-browed Albatrosses, Rockhopper Penguins and Blue-eyed Cormorants all nesting together, and you may see many of the other 60 breeding species of birds, which abound.
We will cross to South Georgia, 1,300 kms (800 miles) east-south-east, first sighted in 1675 and later visited by Captain James Cook in 1775. South Georgia has more than 160 glaciers coming down to the sea and is home to millions of seabirds including the beautiful King Penguins and the enormous Wandering Albatrosses. Abandoned whaling stations bear testimony to a less environmentally conscious era, but now Elephant Seals and Fur Seals can be seen on many beaches. Sir Ernest Shackleton was buried at Grytviken in 1922.
In the Antarctic Peninsula, you can land on Paulet Island where tens of thousands of Adelie Penguins nest. At Hope Bay or Brown Bluff you can set foot on the Antarctic mainland and, depending on ice and weather, as always, we will sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel, where large numbers of whales seek the shelter of the protected waterways. In the South Shetlands, we will land at some of the many famous sites including Deception Island and Hannah Point, which have wonderful wildlife.
Note: Please note that this itinerary is for guidance only. The exact program may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.
Itinerary
Day 1
In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the picturesque southernmost city in the world, and sail through the Beagle Channel
Day 2
We head east towards the Falklands, watching for an excellent variety of seabirds, including albatrosses and petrels.
Day 3
In the Falkland Islands we plan to spend the whole day on New Island offering among others large colonies of Black-browed Albatrosses, Rockhopper Penguins, Blue-eyed Shags, and Sea Lions.
Day 4
We visit Port Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, where we can experience our first taste of Falkland hospitality and culture. We should see our first Upland Geese and endemic Falklands Flightless Steamer Duck along the shore, together with looking for Magellanic and Blackish Oystercatchers, Rufous-chested Dotterel, Kelp and Ruddy-headed Geese and our first Magellanic Penguins. On the land we will start to familiarise ourselves with Falkland Thrushes, Black-chinned Siskins, Long-tailed Meadowlarks and Dark-faced Ground-tyrants.
Days 5 - 6
At sea, on our way to South Georgia we will cross the Antarctic Convergence. Entering Antarctic waters, the temperature will drop by as much as 10oC in only a few hours. Near the Convergence we will see a multitude of southern seabirds near the ship, including several species of albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, prions and skuas.
Days 7 - 10
In South Georgia we shall visit Grytviken with the abandoned whaling village, where King Penguins now walk in the streets, and King Edwards Point with a British garrison and the grave of Shackleton. Fortuna Bay and Bay of Isles with breeding Wandering Albatrosses on Albatross Island, and Salisbury Plain with a large colony of King Penguins are other highlights of the South Georgia visit. We may also visit Elsehul, Right Whale Bay, Possession Bay, Gold Harbour and Drygalski Fjord to give you a good opportunity to see a wide spectrum of landscapes and wildlife, like the introduced Reindeer, Fur Seals, Elephant Seals, Gentoo Penguins, Macaroni Penguins, Grey-headed Albatrosses, Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses, Northern and Southern Giant Petrels, White-chinned Petrels, several species of prions and storm petrels, Brown Skuas, Dominican Gulls, Antarctic Terns, sheathbills and the endemic South Georgia Pintail.
Day 11
We sail south, to the Antarctic, where the ship is again followed by a multitude of seabirds.
Day 12
In the South Orkneys we plan to call at Laurie Island and may visit the friendly Argentine base, in which vicinity we can see breeding Southern Giant Petrels. With permission of the base personnel we may also visit Punta Cormoran, which has an Adelie Penguin colony.
Day 13
At sea when we approach the sea-ice, we may have a chance to see some high-Antarctic species like Maccormick's Skua, the fabulous all-white Snow Petrel and the elusive juvenile Emperor Penguin. Chances to encounter Minke Whales are also increasing when we approach the ice.
Days 14 - 16
Our landings in the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula may include Paulet Island featuring the remains of polar expeditions from the beginning of the 20th century, and a colony of hundreds of thousands of Adelie Penguins. Here at the tip of the Weddell Sea we see the magnificent table icebergs. At Brown Bluff we may set foot on the Antarctic Continent in a beautiful volcanic area. At Mikkelsen Harbour at the south end of Trinity Island we can observe a Gentoo Penguin colony and Weddell and Fur Seals hauled out on the beach. In the beautiful Charlotte Bay we may again set foot on the Antarctic Continent at Portal Point, where Crabeater Seals have often been seen. Here in the Gerlache Strait we often see Humpback and Minke Whales. We try to land at Baily Head (Deception Island), watched by an audience of 100,000 Chinstrap Penguins. From here the more energetic can walk to Whalers Bay. In Whalers Bay, we can observe the remains of the Hektor whaling station from the beginning of the 20th century. We hope to visit Hannah Point, one of the best wildlife spots in the South Shetlands, with Giant Petrels, Cape Pigeons, Blue-eyed Shag, Gentoo Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins, a few Macaroni Penguins and Elephant Seals.
Days 18 - 19
We head north across the Drake Passage, for a final chance to watch the amazing variety of South Atlantic seabirds.
Day 20
We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark.
N.B. This voyage may also operate in reverse order.
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