 |
 |
ANTARCTICA
NEW SEASON 2007-2008
Semi Circumnavigation of Antarctica
|
|
Departure: December 1, 2007
Rate Range: $33,500 to $45,600
This 38-day expedition sails the least-visited coastline of Antarctica. Landings are planned on South Georgia and in the remote South Sandwich Islands. Subject to local permission, visits to research stations are anticipated. Four Emperor Penguin rookeries are located on the Far Side. We plan to visit all of them. The shipboard education program includes an interactive watercolor workshop, and presentations by renowned ornithologist, Tony Soper.
Expedition Summary
Day 1 Embarkation, Stanley Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Day 2-5 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Day 6-30 From the Weddell Sea to Prydz Bay - the Far Side of Antarctica, with landings at penguin rookeries and research stations.
Day 31-37 At sea
Day 38 Disembarkation - Fremantle, Australia
Expedition Dates
This expedition was designated one of 50 Tours of a Lifetime in 2007 by National Geographic Traveler magazine.
Kapitan Khlebnikov December 1, 2007 - January 7, 2008, 38 days
December 17
Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
We arrive in the southernmost city in the world and transfer
independently to the port this afternoon. Embarkation begins later in
the afternoon and, once we have settled into our cabins, the Kapitan
Khlebnikov sets sail along the Beagle Channel – heading east towards
the Drake Passage.
December 18-20
Drake Passage & the South Shetland Islands
Our journey across the famous Drake Passage, named after the
16th-century English navigator Sir Francis Drake, is an experience in
itself. Our ship is accompanied most of the way by albatrosses –
including the magnificent Wandering, Black-browed and Sooty Albatrosses
– along with an impressive variety of other seabirds. We have a good
chance of spotting whales and dolphins and many different species have
been encountered in these rich waters over the years. We also cross the
Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar waters
sink beneath the warmer waters of the more temperate zones. Along the
way, our lecture series begins with presentations on the unique
wildlife, geology, glaciology and history of this wild and remote
corner of the Southern Ocean. We will also attend briefings on the
proper use of Zodiacs and helicopters, and will familiarize ourselves
with the guidelines of conduct for visitors to Antarctica.
When land is sighted we know we have reached the South Shetland
Islands. This impressive archipelago, lying to the north and roughly
parallel to the Antarctic Peninsula, is a haven for wildlife. We may
visit vast penguin rookeries, land on beaches ruled by Antarctic fur
seals or observe wallowing southern elephant seals. We also hope to
visit one of the many research bases in the islands and look for
Antarctica’s only two flowering plants - which thrive here during the
short southern summer.
December 21
Antarctic Peninsula
We continue south and cruise along the Antarctic Peninsula. This
awe-inspiring wilderness of snow, ice, narrow waterways and towering
mountains is the most readily accessible part of the White Continent -
and has some of the best wildlife. It also has a remarkable history and
we will learn about some of the most important and dramatic expeditions
to this spectacular corner of the world. Keeping a lookout from the
Bridge or the deck of the icebreaker as we thread our way along the
edge of the continent, it is impossible not to feel the same sense of
excitement as many of those early explorers. We navigate dramatic
Neumayer Channel towards Port Lockroy, home to a thriving colony of
Gentoo Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags and an early British meteorological
station that has recently been renovated to serve as one of the most
isolated and intriguing museums in the world. Later we will cruise
through the Lemaire Channel, a narrow geological fault between the
towering mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Booth Island; often
choked with ice, this is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful
waterways in the world. We may also visit Vernadsky Station, where
British scientists were among the first to discover the depletion of
the world’s ozone layer in 1983; today, the base is operated by the
Ukraine and we will be given a warm welcome as we are shown around.
December 22-23
Crystal Sound & Marguerite Bay
We continue across the Antarctic Circle and enter the rarely-visited
region of the far south. Only a fully-classed icebreaker can safely
negotiate the ice-bound waters of this distant corner of the world and
we experience firsthand how the powerful Kapitan Khlebnikov navigates
and breaks its way through thick ice. This is a good area for whale
watching and we hope to see Minke whales and orcas, which are
particularly common here. We also keep watch for Weddell, crabeater and
leopard seals on the ice floes. Depending on conditions, we continue to
the British Rothera Station in the most beautiful northern part of
Marguerite Bay.
December 24-25 – Bellingshausen Sea & Peter I Island
We are now heading towards the pack ice of the Amundsen Sea and hope
for sufficiently good conditions to land at Peter I Island. This remote
outpost of striking mountains and glaciers was discovered by
Bellingshausen in 1821, although it has always been so remote and
inaccessible that no-one actually landed here until more than a century
later. It is home to Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins, Storm
Petrels and Southern Fulmars.
December 26-30
Amundsen Sea
We have several thrilling and adventurous days breaking through the
pack ice of the Amundsen Sea. Flexibility is paramount on a genuine
polar expedition such as this and our exact day-by-day itinerary will
be ruled by local conditions. If we are making reasonable progress, and
the weather is good, we will board the helicopter for views of the
Kapitan Khlebnikov forcing its way through this remote fairlyland of
ice.
December 31 – January 1
Ross Ice Shelf
Excitement builds as we approach the immense Ross Ice Shelf, which is
roughly the same size as France and the world’s largest body of
floating ice. It was discovered in 1841 by James Clark Ross, who
described it as ‘a mighty and wonderful object far beyond anything we
could have thought or conceived’. The daunting spectacle of its
300-foot face prevented many early Antarctic explorers from venturing
any farther south. We hope to land on top of the ice shelf by
helicopter and plan to navigate along mile-long tabular icebergs that
have calved from this remarkable frozen barrier. Continuing west, we
cross the International Dateline and lose a day.
January 2-4
Ross Island & McMurdo Sound
Pushing still farther south we anchor along the ice fronting McMurdo
Station, the sprawling United States facility that is home to more than
1,000 people during summer and forms the largest base in Antarctica.
Depending on conditions and final permission we are invited to tour the
station – which lies in the shadow of Mount Erebus – to learn about its
function as a logistics center and the continent’s premier scientific
base. The base surrounds Scott’s remarkably preserved 1901-04 Discovery
Hut – a stark contrast to the modern industrial-looking site today. We
may also have the opportunity to visit New Zealand’s Scott Base, which
is a few miles away on the other side of the bay, and to look for pods
of Orcas, as well as Minke whales and Weddell seals, along the ice edge.
Then we plan to visit the site of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s hut at Cape
Royds, which was built during his Nimrod polar attempt in 1907-09. Our
onboard lecturers discuss Shackleton’s amazing expeditions - he was
possibly one of the greatest, and certainly one of the most heroic, of
all the Antarctic explorers. Shackleton and his fellow adventurers are
long gone, of course, but their hut is far from deserted. It has been
reclaimed by the original inhabitants of the area – thousands of
Adélie Penguins – in the world’s southernmost penguin rookery.
At nearby Cape Evans we have the opportunity to visit the historic site
of Scott’s hut, which has been beautifully preserved by the staff of
the Antarctic Heritage Trust and still stands as testimony to the
rigors faced by pioneer explorers. Under the supervision of New Zealand
staff, we will be able to see inside and witness the living conditions
almost exactly as they were when Scott, Wilson and Ponting occupied
these quarters nearly a century ago.
Weather and ice conditions permitting, we also hope to offer helicopter
flights to one of the most spectacular and seldom-visited areas of
Antarctica – the Dry Valleys. This magnificent area offers a huge,
desolate, beautiful and other-worldly landscape of wind-eroded rocks
and desert scenery, where rain has not fallen for millions of years,
unlike anywhere else on Earth.
January 5-7
Ross Sea & Cape Adare
Located between Cape Washington and the Drygalski Ice Tongue, Terra
Nova Bay was discovered by Scott’s Discovery Expedition 1901-04. The
Bay is the site of an Italian summer research station. Dense pack ice
often challenges vessels near Cape Hallett, where the United States and
New Zealand established a now-abandoned base during the 1957-58
International Geophysical Year. We hope to land near the former base,
which is now surrounded by Adélie Penguins. Views of the
12,000-foot Admiralty Range herald our arrival at Cape Adare. Behind
the broad open beach, we see the 1899 hut where Carsten Borchgrevink
was the first to overwinter on the Antarctic Continent. Cape Adare is
home to 260,000 pairs of Adélie Penguins - the largest colony of
this species anywhere in the world and an absolutely staggering sight.
January 8-10
Pack Ice & Southern Ocean
As we continue north, whales, dolphins and seabirds continually lure us
to the decks. Meanwhile, our lecture program continues and, in
particular, we are introduced to the wildlife-rich sub-Antarctic
islands of New Zealand.
January 11
Campbell Island
We sail into Perseverance Harbour, a drowned volcanic caldera that cuts
across the island. A boardwalk leads us from a small meteorological
station over the tussock grass to the hilltop observatories of the
Royal Albatross. Each austral summer, 15,000 of these impressively huge
birds nest among clusters of brightly-coloured plants.
January 12
Enderby Island (Auckland Islands)
Today we arrive at Enderby Island, an enchanting site renowned for its
southern rata forest, richly covered with lichens, mosses and ferns. We
hope to encounter nesting Royal Albatrosses, endangered Yellow-eyed
Penguins, Red-crowned Parakeets and a host of other endemic and
indigenous wildlife. Enderby is the epicentre of the world’s Hooker’s
Sea Lion population and these rare animals joust and spar on the wide,
sandy beaches.
January 13
At Sea
Today is our last full day and, between watching whales, dolphins and
seabirds, we join our lecturers to re-live some of the highlights of
our 5,000-mile adventure to the Southern Ocean, Antarctica and New
Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands.
January 14
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Today we bid farewell to the Kapitan Khlebnikov and transfer by coach to nearby Christchurch Airport.
All prices are per person
Rates:
| Date | Days | Triple | Twin | Suite | Corner Suite | Fuel Surcharge |
| Dec 01,07-Jan 07,08 | 38 | $33,500 | $38,400 | $42,600 | 45,600 | $592 |
Rates Include
Shipboard accommodation from the day of embarkation to disembarkation
All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on board throughout your voyage.
All helicopter transfers and aerial sightseeing according to each day’s program on the icebreaker
Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader, including shore landings and other activities
Zodiac transfers and sightseeing while aboard
In-depth education program, including the Polar Arts program, featuring an artist-in-residence
Group transfer between hotel and vessel for embarkation
Group transfer between vessel and airport following disembarkation
Rubber boots loan service
Complimentary parka
A glass of house wine with every dinner on board
All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program
To simplify your arrival in Stanley, we suggest you reserve our optional package that includes overnight hotel accommodation in Santiago, Chile, transfers from the hotel to the airport in Santiago and a one-way flight from Santiago to the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and a transfer from the airport to the ship in Stanley. Price per person is US $940, based on twin occupancy, and US $1080 for single occupancy.
Since 1991 Exploring The "Uttermost Parts Of The Earth": 
The Arctic, Antarctica and Cape Horn
Your Cruise Specialists at the "ends of the earth"
Phone/Fax 5661-621092, Phone 5661-621010,Box 70, Teniente Munoz 118, Puerto Williams,
Tierra Del Fuego, Chile 'The Gateway To Antarctica'
All rights reserved, Copyright © Victory Yacht Cruises, Victory Adventure Expeditions, Ltd. TM 1996-2007
Home Site Map About us Rates FAQ Services Maintenance Links News Testimonials Copyright
 |
 |
