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Solitudes - The Antarctic Peninsula
offered by supplier M17028 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 1
- 11
day(s)
Group Size: 12
- 24
people
Destination(s):
Antarctica
Specialty Categories:
Glacier Tours
Season: January - February
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 500 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 5000 US Dollar (USD)
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The Antarctic Continent is perhaps the very last wilderness left in the world. Surrounded by the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, Antarctica is far away from every other continent and has such an extreme climate that its wildlife and scenery stand out for their uniqueness. The extension of this land is not precisely known, since most of it is fully covered with ice and snow throughout the year. Still there are at least 14,000,000 square kilometers (5,400,000 sq. Mi.) of solid land with the Antarctic Peninsula stretching northwards, getting as close as 1,000 Km. (620 Mi.) of Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of South America. No trip to the Antarctic can possibly be complete without crossing the Drake Passage by ship, the way the early explorers did.
For those who really enjoy watching wildlife, the crossing of the Drake Passage is perhaps one of the most rewarding parts of the tour, since myriads of Petrels, Albatrosses, Prions, Storm Petrels, Shearwaters and several cetaceans are always spotted from the deck of our vessel in this area. Nothing compares to the experience of watching the first icebergs as one gets close to the northernmost part of the Antarctic. Your first-time look at icebergs studded with Penguins is a memory that will stay with you forever. Here you will be treated with views of the most smartly - dressed and unique welcoming committee of them all! During our journey to Antarctica we will have the chance to do many landings in the most diverse places, visiting this exotic land of solitude, where groups of Wedell and Crab-eating Seals and enormous nesting colonies of different species of Penguins and other seabirds await for the nature enthusiast. We will also have the opportunity to visit some stations belonging to various countries that do conduct research on this continent and enjoy lectures on various Antarctic topics that will be presented on board the ship throughout the tour.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1:
Our tour starts in Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the world. On arrival to the airport you’ll be received by our leader who will escort you to our vessel. After leaving the port of Ushuaia in the evening, will navigate eastwards on the Beagle Channel for two hours, framed by green Southern Beech forests. Several species of seabirds can be easily seen during this part of the trip, including the first species of penguin of the journey: the Magellanic. Early at night we’ll reach the waters of the mighty Drake Passage and set our course due south for the Antarctic Peninsula.
Day 2 & 3:
The Drake Passage, with its rough waters, used to be one of the greatest challenges for any sailor until not so many years ago. Nowadays, technology and safety procedures make it much easier and safer to navigate. During the crossing, lectures on the most diverse Antarctic topics will be offered on board. In the morning of day 3 we’ll see the first tabular icebergs, showing up in the horizon. These huge flat masses of blue ice indicate that we have arrived to Antarctica. In the afternoon we will pass very close to Elephant Island, one of the landmarks of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914–1917 expedition, where we will see the first Antarctic colonies of penguins.
Day 4:
Penguin Island will be our first landing in Antarctica. Walking along the beach, we will see the first seals of the trip, as well as Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins and a colony of Southern Giant Petrels. A hike to the top of Deacon’s Peak will allow us to get one of the most spectacular sightings of King George Island and the surrounding sea. In the afternoon we will visit the Argentine research station Jubany, where researchers are working on UV radiation, bird breeding biology and other subjects. We will have time to walk along the beach, and around the buildings, and also to mail some postcards and purchase Antarctic souvenirs.
Day 5:
Today we will explore some islands in the northwestern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. In the morning we will go visiting Hannah Point, on Livingston Island. This is one of the best places in the South Shetlands to watch wildlife, and it is here where we’ll have some of the closest views of penguins. Chinstraps and Gentoos are really abundant and we will see them on their nests, sitting on eggs or feeding their chicks. The scarce Macaroni Penguin is also found in this place, as well as Snowy Sheathbills and Southern Giant Petrels. Before leaving, we will also see the huge Southern Elephant Seals lying on the beach. In the afternoon we will visit one of the most spectacular places in Antarctica: Deception Island. This horseshoe shaped island is the collapsed crater of an active volcano. On the steam covered shores of Deception, we will visit the remains of an old Norwegian whaling station, which was active between 1911 and 1931, and some abandoned buildings of the British Antarctic Survey, partially destroyed by the last volcanic eruption in 1969. A thin layer of black volcanic ashes cover one glacier behind the buildings, adding to the mysterious atmosphere of this site. Volcanic activity heats the coastal waters here, so those who dare will have the opportunity to take a bath in these “Antarctic thermal waters”.
Day 6:
In the morning we will take a Zodiac cruise in Foyn Harbor. The Governoren, a whaling factory ship that caught fire and wrecked here in 1915, is now home to a noisy colony of Antarctic Terns. We will also visit Cuverville Island, which is situated in the Errera Channel, between the Arctowski Peninsula and the northern part of Rongé Island. This is an excellent nesting site for nine species of birds. Great opportunities for nature photographers here! The day will end sailing through the beautiful Errera Channel, among blue ice floes, and framed by tall, white peaks in the perfect calm of a windless weather, getting ready for tomorrow: our first continental landing.
Day 7:
A morning visit to Danco, a small one-mile-long island on the Errera Channel, will give us chances to take great pictures of the resident Gentoo Penguins. There are great views of the surroundings from top of the hill at this island. A smooth and relaxing morning before heading for the continental shore at Andvord Bay. Neko Harbor is where we will first set foot on the continental shore of the Antarctic Peninsula. A walk along the beach here will give us the chance to see Antarctic Fur Seals, as well as a huge glacier and a small nesting colony of Gentoo Penguins surrounding an Argentine hut.
Day 8:
This morning starts in one of the most spectacular places of the Antarctic Continent: Paradise Bay. We will land once again on the continental shore, in the abandoned Argentine station Almirante Brown. A hike up-slope will take us to a spectacular lookout. The sole sight of the rocky, snow-covered geography from up here is breathtaking and so is the “sound of silence”. A moment for reflection, which will help us to understand the importance to keep this vast wilderness as pristine as possible. Another Zodiac cruise will allow us to see a colony of Antarctic Shags. This is also a great spot to look for Leopard Seals. After visiting this true paradise, we will navigate the Neumayer Channel towards Damoy Point, on Wiencke Island. Another landing here will allow us to see Port Lockroy Harbor. During World War II, the British established a monitoring station here to follow German operations in Antarctica.
Day 9 & 10:
Time to go back. The Drake Passage waits for us once again. As we cross it northwards, our Antarctic adventure is enhanced by more lectures and slide shows on the now well-known creatures and places we enjoyed for the last few days. In the evening of day 10 we will be arriving to the mouth of the Beagle Channel. A good dinner precedes the farewell party on board.
Day 11: Arrival to Ushuaia in the morning. Transfer to the airport to take the flight to your next destination.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Prices upon request.
Also see tour packages in:
Antarctica
Antarctica
Glacier Tours
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