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Amazon
Adventures
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Best of Patagonia
/ Hiking the Patagonia Classics / More
Patagonia Treks / More
Patagonia / Firecrowns & Penguins
/ Hidden Argentina
Best
of Northwest / Buenos
Aires / Calafate / Iguazu
Falls / Bariloche / Ushuaia
/ Salta / Mendoza / Ibera
Wetlands / Valdes
Peninsula
Antarctic Cruises /
Expedition
Cruises / Iruya Trek
/ Kayaking / Wine
Tours / Uruguay Escapes / Tango,
Candombe & Samba
Day 1 In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world located in the shadow of the Andes and right at the Beagle Channel shore. We'll sail through this scenic waterway during the afternoon.
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 see 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. If the winds are favourable we might do our first landing
in Antarctic waters in the evening of the third day at Aitcho Island or
Penguin Island at the South Shetlands. These volcanic islands are windswept
and often shrouded in mist and fog, but do offer subtle pleasures. There
is a nice variety of flora (mosses, lichens and flowering grasses) and
fauna, such as Gentoo Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins and southern Giant
Petrels.
Day 4- 8 (Day 4 - 9 on voyages MOL25) A typical itinerary in the South Shetlands and Antarctic Peninsula could be as follows. This is a sample only, the final itinerary will be determined by the Expedition Leader on board. We may start our first day in Antarctica with a landing at either Half Moon Island or Hannah Point, where we will find a nice variety of Gentoo Penguins, Chinstraps and southern Giant Petrels, as well as Elephant Seals hauling out on the beach.
Later
we will try to land at Baily Head on the outer rim of Deception Island
with a colony of ten thousands of Chinstrap Penguins, and we will attempt
to make the exciting hike to Whalers Bay. 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.
On our way further South we will sail 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. In Neko Harbour we will have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent in a magnificent landscape of huge glaciers. When sailing to Paradise Bay, with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, we will have the opportunity for zodiac cruising between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords. In this area we have good chances to see Humpback Whales and Minke Whales.
We
sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Pleneau and Petermann
Island where we can find Adelie Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags. In this
area there are good chances to encounter Humpback Whales, Minke Whales
and Fin Whales. A visit to one of the scientific stations in Antarctica
will give you an insight about the life of modern Antarcticans working
on the White Continent.
Sailing north through Neumayer Channel we arrive at the Melchior Islands with a very beautiful landscape and again possibilities for zodiac cruising among the icebergs, where we may encounter Leopard Seals, Crabeater Seals and whales.
Day 9 - 10 (Day 10 - 11 on voyage MOL25)
In the Drake Passage we have again a chance of seeing many seabirds and
to take advantage of the knowledge of our lecture team.
Day 11 (Day 12 on voyage MOL25)
We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark.
N.B.:
GMK30 and AMR32 also offers a fascinating scuba - diving program for experienced
dry- suit divers along sea ice and to explore the marine wildlife.
N.B.: MOL22 and MOL23 offers kayaking
for a maximum of 15 kayakers.