|
|
| |
LAND
AND SEA ITINERARY
For
more information, contact antarctica-enquiry@vincenthyland.com
|
|
20th
January 2007
– 15th
February 2007
Day
(at sea)/Date
Day 1 January 20th Day
Day 3 January 22nd
Day 4 (1) January 23rd
Day 5 (2) January 24th
Day 6-10 (2-7)
January 25th–29th
Day 11 (8) January 30th
Day 12 (9) January 31st
Day 13 (10) February 1st
Day 14-21 (11-18)
February 2nd-9th
Day 22-23 (19-20)
February 10th-11th
Day 24-26
February 12th – 14th
Day 27 February 15th
|
Total Duration 27 days including getting
to and from Ireland,
19 nights / 20 days cruising around South Georgia, Elephant
Island and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Location
Depart
Dublin
Buenos Aires
Puerto Madryn/ or Ushuaia
Depart for the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean, Antarctic Convergence
South Georgia, Elsehul, Right Whale Bay, Gold Harbour,
Cooper Bay, Fortuna Bay, Stromness Bay, Grytviken,
Whaling History
Musuem, Shakletons Grave site, Prion Island
Weddel sea
Elephant
Island
Antarctic Pennisula
Deception, Orne, Cuverville, Neko,
Paradise Bay, Andorv,
Lemarie Channel, Pleneau, Petermann, Neumayer Channel,
Melchior Islands
Drake Passage, Cape Horn, Ushuaia
Buenos Aires
Arrive Dublin |
|
|
|
|
EXPEDITION CRUISE ITINERARY
|
|
|
Day
1 – Leaving Port
Day
2 – At
Sea heading
for South Georgia, including Antarctic Convergence
Day 3 to 7 – SOUTH GEORGIA - Elsehul Bay, Right Whale
Bay, Salisbury Plain, Gold Harbour, Cooper Bay, Fortuna Bay,
Stromess Bay, Grytviken, Prion Island.
Day
8 - at Sea on the way towards Elephant Island.
Day
9 – ELEPHANT
ISLAND and
the Weddel Sea
Day 10 to 11 – SOUTH SHETLAND ISLAND GROUP - Deception
Island
Day 12 to 13 – ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
-
Orne Island, Gerlache Straight, Cuverville, Neko Harbour,
Andvord Bay, Paradise Bay.
Day 14 to 15 – ANTARCTIC
PENINSULA
- Paradise Bay, Lemarie Channel, Pleneau and
Petermann Islands, Antarctic
Continent.
Day 16 to 18 – ANTARCTIC PENINSULA – Neumayer
Channel, Melchior Island.
Day 19 to 20
– DRAKE
PASSAGE
Drake Passage, Cape Horn, Ushuaia.
Back
to top |
In the afternoon, we embark in Puerto Madryn/
or Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, located in the shadow of the
Andes. We sail through, heading east for South Georgia
At sea in the westerlies, the ship is followed by several species
of Albatross, storm Petrels, Shearwaters and diving Petrels.
At Sea, on our way to South Georgia we will cross the Antarctic
Convergence. Entering Antarctic waters, the temperature will
drop as much as 10 degrees C in the time span of only a few
hours. Near the Convergence we will see a multitude of southern
seabirds near the ship; several species of Albatross, Shearwaters,
Petrels, Prions and Skuas.
In South Georgia we shall visit the bay of Elsehul, with its
very active Fur Seal breeding beach, and then take course to
Right Whale Bay, Salisbury Plain, Gold Harbour and Cooper Bay
to give you a good opportunity to see a wide spectrum of landscapes
and wildlife, like the introduced Reindeer, Elephant Seals,
King and Macaroni Penguins.
At Fortuna Bay there may be a possibility to try to follow
in the footsteps of Ernst Shakleton and Tom Crean and hike
over to Stromness Bay and at Grytviken we will have a chance
to see an abandoned whaling village, where King Penguins now
walk the streets and Seals have taken over the buildings. At
Grytviken we will also offer a visit to the Whaling History
Museum as well as to Shakleton’s grave nearby. We may
also visit Prion Island and witness the breeding efforts of
the huge Wandering Albatross and enjoy watching their displays.
At Sea, where the ship is again followed by a multitude of
seabirds. At some point we might encounter Sea Ice, and it
is at the Ice Edge where we might have a chance to see some
of the high Antarctic Species like MacCormick Skua, Snow Petrel
and the elusive Emperor Penguin. We may also have a chance
to encounter Killer Whales and Humpback Whales crossing our
path.
We will attempt a landing at the famous Elephant Island, where
Shakleton, Crean and others had been castaway after having
spent months on Ice Floes in the Weddel Sea.
In the South Shetland Island group we visit Decpetion Island.
The ring shaped 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. The plan is to have an extended hike
on the 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 Straight or to Cuverville Island, a small precipitous
island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Penninsula
and Danco Island. It contains a large colony of Gentoo Penguins
and breeding pairs of Brown Skuas. From there we sail to Neko
harbour in Andvord Bay and through Paradise Bay with its myriad
Icebergs and deep cut fjords, while having chances of seeing
large sea mammals such as Minke and Humpback Whales.
Opportunites for cruising between the Icebergs in the inner
part of Paradise Bay abound. Close encounters with Humpback
Whales may be observed during these cruises. We sail through
the spectacular Lemarie Channel to Pleneau and Petermann Islands
where we can find Adelie Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags. In this
area there a good chances to encounter Humpback, Minke and
Fin Whales. A base visit will also be provided, to give you
an insight into the life of modern Antarcticans working on
the Antarctic continent.
Sailing North through Neumayer Channel we arrive at Melchior
Islands with a very beautiful landscape and again possibilities
for cruising among the icebergs, where we may encounter Leopard
and Crabeater Seals and Whales.
On our way North we are again followed by a great selection
of seabirds while crossing the Drake Passage. We hope to sail
past the notorious Cape Horn before entering the Beagle Channel
and on to Ushuaia where we will disembark.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
