We can make scientific and photographic helicopter expeditions from King George Island (Frei Base) to Marimbio, Esperanza and as far south as the Barrera de Hierro Larcen B See Map
King George Island (MAP) Argentina: Isla 25 de Mayo, Chile: Isla Rey Jorge, Russian historical name - Vaterlo (Waterloo)) is the largest of the South Shetland Islands, situated at 62°23′S, 58°27′W, 120 kilometers off the coast of Antarctica in the Southern Ocean. The Island was named after King George III.
The island was first claimed for Britain on 16 October 1819, formally annexed by Britain and claimed as part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies in 1908, and now as part of the separate British Antarctic Territory. The Island was claimed by Chile in 1940, now as part of the Chilean Antarctic Territory. It was claimed also by Argentina in 1943, now as part of Argentine Antarctica, called by the Argentines Isla Veinticinco de Mayo in honour of their National day. The USA and Russia do not recognize these claims, and have formally reserved their right to claim Antarctic territories.
The island was discovered by the British explorer William Smith in 1819. It is approximately 95 kilometres long and 25 kilometres wide with a land area of 1150 square kilometres. Over 90% of the island's surface is permanently glaciated. In 1821, 11 men of the sailing vessel Lord Melville survived the winter on the island, the first men to do so in Antarctica.
The coastal areas of the island are home to a comparatively diverse selection of vegetation and animal life, including Elephant Seals, Weddell and Leopard seals, and Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins.
Human habitation of King George Island is limited to research stations belonging to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, South Korea, Peru, Poland, Russia, and Uruguay. Most of these stations are permanently manned, carrying out research into areas as diverse as Biology, Ecology, Geology, and Palaeontology.
In 2004, a Russian Orthodox church, Trinity Church, was opened on the island near Russia's Bellingshausen Station. The church, one of the southernmost in the world and one of the few permanent structures in Antarctica, is permanently manned by a priest.
Visit Villa Las Estrellas, its facilities and meteorological .
Visit the Sea Lion colony in the Drake Sea in a hike across the runway towards the beach.
Lunch and/or snack depending on the place and time of arrival.
A walk to the Chinese Station to observe marine birds, penguins and Weddell Seals. Try to coordinate this visit with the low tide which will allow the isthmus to be revealed and therefore be able to cross over to Ardley Island, where Papua Penguin colonies live.
On the following day we will visit the many Antarctic Research Stations and we will be able to speak to the investigators.
During the day some time is left to see places of special attraction and
prepare our return.
As members of an expedition, during our visit to the Antarctic Peninsula we shall make it our duty not to step on the vegetation and protect the fauna.
Our homage to nature will be our legacy to future generations.
Note: You will need to be in Punta Arenas the night before the voyage and be able to stay for a total of 5 nights in case of one day expeditions and 6 nights in case of 2 day expeditions. This is to insure you get to Antarctica in case that inclement weather there prevents landing on the scheduled day.
There is no other place in the world as amazing as he Antarctic. This is a continent almost completely submerged by ice, which not only conceals its topography, but has also influenced its evolution.
Covering an area of around 7.000.000 sq. km the Antarctica is the second smallest continent after Australia. However, its mountains cover such a significant area that it makes it the highest, in average, of the seven continents. It is also the windiest, coldest and less populated of the planet.
The ice sheet covering almost the entire Antarctica represents the largest fresh water reserve in the world, containing around 90% of the world´s ice and 68% of its water. But precipitations in the Antarctic are very low. The annual rainfall is only 5 cm average; if we considered this fact this would be the world's largest desert.
Geographically, Antarctic includes the continent itself and its adjacent islands. According to the Antarctic Treaty signed in 1959, the Antarctica jurisdiction applies to the region between the parallel of latitude 60 and the South Pole.
The search for the Antarctic was one of the last great adventures during exploration times. It is an epic story dating from centuries ago, since the Terra Incognita (Unknown Earth) of the old explorers, all the way to the first sightings of the continent in 1820.
This continent was first discovered by whale hunters, in search of wealth; and later by the great explorers of the glorious and heroic era: Ernest Shackleton, Douglas Mawson, Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott amongst others.
CLOTHING This Charter flight does not include clothing.
RESPONSIBILITIES As the place to visit is considered to be a Reserve for Humanity, it is strictly forbidden to waste or drop any kind of rubbish, for this reason our company has prepared some special containers . It is also forbidden for passengers to visit protected areas and during the entire trip you must follow the tour guide instructions and those given by the Villa´s authorities.
Note: The programmed departures can be delayed or cancelled according to weather conditions, with no responsibility of VICTORY ADVENTURE EXPEDITIONS.
The Services provided by VICTORY ADVENTURE EXPEDITIONS start at the moment when the flight takes off; and they end when we arrive at the airport in Punta Arenas. (The Presidente Ibañez airport)
Passengers should have valid insurances with a broad coverage.
Please read our Conditions about Purchases via Internet, Charter Services and the Antarctic Program Conditions, by making a click on: General Conditions.
Victory Adventure Expeditions works with air carriers with more than 20 years of experience operating in the southernmost region of the world, joining by air the Chilean / Argentinean Patagonia. All flights are done under strict safety rules, the pilots as well as the maintenance staff are subjected to rigorous exams certified by the Dirección de Aeronáutica Civil de Chile.
Our pilots have an expertise of more than 10.000 flying hours average. These pilots are the world’s most experienced in Antarctic civilian flights. Meanwhile, our Helicopter Department has completed more than 40.000 Off – Shore flying hours. All this expertise plus our maintenance staff specialized in 402-C Cessna, Twin Otter, Dash –7, Beech craft, Twin Star helicopters and Bolcow helicopters have been our greatest guarantee for more than 20 years of uninterrupted flights.
This was the first airline in performing regular commercial flights to the Antarctic in 1987 and also the first airline in restarting commercial flights to the Falkland/Malvinas Islands after the war in 1990. We offer some of the most exotic and interesting routes in the world.
One of the features of the air-cruise is that you all will be able to arrive and depart quickly from the frozen continent without having to sail through, the sometimes stormy, Drake Passage.
The Drake Passage is the body of water from Cape Horn to the Antarctic Peninsula. It is known as one of the roughest oceans in the world. Satellite images show strong cyclonic lows which travel through the Drake Passage on the average of once every three weeks.
Ready to do something unique, different, daring, adventurous? Something only an adventurer would do? Are you one of those Adventurers? If you are...
What you need to do to join us on a unique adventure.
Simple, just contact us with a rough outline of your requirements and let me, Captain Ben, and my Crew to do the rest for you.
Finally there isn't much we cannot cope with. Individuals or larger parties. Just let us know. "Navigating the Beagle Channel since 1991."
Ring us direct by Telephone at 5661-621010
Or, for further information on expeditions or flights Patagonia, Antarctica, South Georgia, Cape Horn, and Tierra Del Fuego, pleaseCONTACT US
Note: You will need to be in Punta Arenas the night before the voyage and be able to stay for a total of 4 nights in case of one day expeditions and 5 nights in case of 2 day expeditions. This is to insure you get to Antarctica in case that inclement weather there prevents landing on the scheduled day.
SUGGESTED LIST OF EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING FOR THE ANTARCTIC
Trekking shoes suitable for walking in snow
Two pairs of thin socks
Two pairs of thick socks
Two long underwear made of cotton, wool or Polypropylene
A pair of warm wool or pile pants or jeans
A windproof Gore Tex pants (not really necessary)
Two undershirts made of cotton, wool or Polypropylene
One long winter parka with hood , Gore Tex good, but not necessary
A pair of thin gloves made of warm wool
One pair of thick ski type gloves or mittens
A scarf or a wool ski mask
Sunglasses
Ski glasses
ACCESSORIES
First-Aid kit, including prescribed medicine
Sun block lotion
Lip balm
Toiletry kits
Camera or video camera
Batteries
Films
Binoculars
Journal
Optional: ski poles
Note: suggested list is for a night. You may take less clothing for one day. (one each instead of 2)
Long underwear, pants and gloves. etc. may be purchased in Punta Arenas.
This low cost includes food, drinks, bilingual guide and sleeping quarters in a nice Air force base Antarctic shelter in case of 2 day expeditions ( you will see these in the page above) from Punta Arenas round trip.
You may pay your booking by credit card or interbank deposit.
Looking forward to your reply as to whether you want the reservation.
We may obtain reservations for you in a 3 star of 4 star hotel in Punta Arenas.
Do not hesitate to ask any questions.
Best Regards,
Victory Adventure Expeditions
Chile is one of seven countries worldwide, from both the northern and southern
hemispheres, to claim a portion of Antarctica as national territory. Nonetheless, a
treaty signed in 1959 protects the continent and its outlying islands from mineral
exploitation and arms testing, and indefinitely suspends all formal discussion of ownership.
The Antarctic Peninsula, which stretches north like a finger towards Cape Horn, is the northernmost
and consequently warmest portion of the continent. Nine countries have research stations on the
Antarctic Peninsula and its outlying islands, and most tours focus upon this area.
Geologically and biotically, the Antarctic Peninsula is closely linked with southernmost
continental Chile. South America and Antarctica were neighbors on the ancient continent of Gondwanaland
until some 27 million years ago, when the formation of the Drake Passage definitively separated the
two continents. Antarctic plant fossils from the Pliocene indicate the presence of a temperate
ecosystem similar to that of southern Patagonia.
Today, some 91% of the world's freshwater reserves are contained in Antarctic ice, which averages
6500 feet deep and in places reaches over 13,000 feet. Flowing from the center of the continent to
its edges, the ice forms huge shelves which extend for miles into the surrounding ocean. Cruise
ships pass along the leading edge of these shelves and treat visitors to the spectacle of huge
chunks of ice 'calving' off these 150-foot high walls of ice.
Though Antarctic terrestrial flora is limited to numerous species of lichens, mosses, and fungi,
this lack of floral diversity is contrasted by the hugely productive and entirely unique Antarctic
marine ecosystem. Annual production of krill in these waters averages 200-600 million tons, and
upon this vast resource depends nearly every higher species of marine fauna. Blue whales - one of
a dozen migratory whales to visit Antarctica -- scoop up krill in unfathomable quantities, while
six species of seals, some 100 million individual penguins belonging to seven separate species,
and 30 species of migratory birds all feed on fish which, in turn, feed on krill. Research indicates
that krill production has declined in recent years, and in 1991 it was reported that the hole in the
ozone layer above Antarctica had reached some 13 million square kilometers. Though protected by
international treaty, the southern continent is proving to be the most fragile of all.
Today, a growing variety of Antarctic tourist services allow modern adventurers to follow in the
footsteps of great explorers such as Cook and Shackleton, Amundson and Scott. Maritime cruises and expeditions by yacht:
Scenic flights departing from Punta Arenas continue to be the most common means of visiting
Antarctica, though mountaineering trips and overnight visits to Chile's research bases and the
civilian settlement at Villa las Estrellas, King George Island are increasingly available by
airplane:
(victory-cruises)
