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Day 1 EMBARK USHUAIA
In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia and sail through
the Beagle Channel.
Day 2 - 3 DRAKE PASSAGE - SOUTH SHETLANDS
During these two days we will 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. If the winds are favorable 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 - 9 DECEPTION ISLAND - DETAILLE ISLAND
We may start our first day in Antarctica with a landing
at 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. At
Deception Island, we will try to land at Baily Head home
to a colony of ten thousands of Chinstrap Penguins.
Deception itself is a sub ducted crater, which 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.
Good walkers may hike from Baily Head over the ridge of
the crater into Whalers Bay, while our ship braves its
entrance into the crater through the spectacular
Neptune’s Bellow into the ring of Deception Island. On
our way further South we will sail to Orne Islands with
large colonies of Chinstrap Penguins and a beautiful
view across the Gerlache Strait or 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 and Paradise Bay
with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, we have
the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent.
We shall have the opportunity for zodiac cruising
between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords.
We sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to
Petermann Island offering Adelie Penguins and Blue-eyed
Shags. We also try to land at Pleneau Island with
Elephant Seals and fair chances to encounter Humpback,
Minke and Fin Whales.
We head south along the Argentine Islands to Crystal
Sound, south of the polar circle. The landscape is very
impressive with very high mountains and huge glaciers.
At the Fish Islands we land at one of the southernmost Adelie Penguin and Blue-eyed Shag colonies in the
Antarctic Peninsula.
A base visit will also be provided, to give you an
insight about the life of modern Antarcticans working on
the White Continent.
At Detaille Island, south of the Polar Circle, in
Crystal Sound we reach probably our farthest south.
Sailing north again through Neumayer Channel and
Gerlache Strait, 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 10 & 11 DRAKE PASSAGE
In the Drake Passage we have again
a chance of seeing many seabirds.
Day 12 DISEMBARK USHUAIA
We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark.
N.B. AMR30, AMR31 and MOL30 also offer a fascinating
scuba - diving program for experienced dry-suit divers
along sea ice and to explore the marine wildlife.
OCN
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