30 Days
Day 1: Ushuaia (March 29) - In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia and sail through the Beagle Channel.
Days 2 & 3: at sea - In the Drake Passage we witness a multitude of Albatrosses, Petrels and Fulmars.
Day 4: Deception Island - At
Deception Island, we will try to land at Baily Head home to a colony of
ten thousands Chinstrap Penguins (please note this landing is not
always guaranteed and is only possible in good weather conditions). 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.
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, many Dominican Gulls, Brown Skuas and
Antarctic Terns. Wilson’s Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm Petrels
nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay.
Day 5: Antarctica – continental landing - If
the sea ice conditions allow we will try and reach Hope Bay or Brown
Bluff at the Northern tip of the Antarctic Continent. In this area
chances are good for encounters with Gentoo Penguins, Weddell Seals,
Leopard Seals and Orcas.
Day 6: Paulet Island - If
ice conditions allow, we will sail to Paulet Island where we will
observe the last individuals of a large Adelie Penguin colony near the
ruins of the Nordenskjöld Expedition from the beginning of the 20th
century. Depending on the sea ice we sail east or west of the Danger
Islands to the north.
Day 7: at sea - At sea, we
will sail towards the South Orkney Islands. Our exact navigational
course will be determined by the prevailing ice conditions, in terms of
both extent of sea ice and density of icebergs, which vary from year to
year.
Day 8: South Orkney Islands - We are
planning on a visit to Orcadas station, an Argentinean base located in
the South Orkney Islands. The friendly base personnel will show us their
facilities and we can enjoy the wonderful views of the surrounding
glaciers.
Day 9: at sea - At sea, on our way to South Georgia, we witness a multitude of Albatrosses, Petrels and Fulmars.
Days 10 – 12: South Georgia -
In South Georgia we begin our visit with zodiac excursions in the
magnificent Drygalski Fjord and Larsen Harbour. In Cooper Bay we will
observe Chinstrap Penguins and Macaroni Penguins and breeding
Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses.
On Salisbury
Plain we will see a huge King Penguin colony, elephant seals and fur
seals. On Prion Island in the Bay of Isles we can see breeding Wandering
Albatrosses. At the end of our time in South Georgia we will visit the
abandoned whaling settlement in Grytviken, where now the penguins walk
through the streets, and King Edwards Point where the grave of
Shackleton lies.
Days 13 – 17: at sea - In the
Westerlies we have a pleasant tailwind. On both sides of the Antarctic
Convergence, we observe many species and great numbers of Antarctic and
sub-Antarctic seabirds.
Day 18: Gough Island - Today
we plan to approach the unique Gough Island for zodiac cruising around
the island, as always weather permitting. In previous years we managed
to circumnavigate all but four miles of the 33 mile circumference of the
island in the ship, saw spectacular scenery and an unprecedented
abundance of wildlife. We felt very privileged to be among the few
visitors who have been able to experience Gough and in particular, to
see it at such close quarters and in such favorable conditions. We hope
to be lucky to repeat this unique experience with you.
Days 19 – 21: Tristan da Cunha - In
the Tristan da Cunha archipelago we plan to call on the settlement at
the west side of the main island. We will also try to make landings at
Nightingale Island and Inaccessable Island with millions of seabirds
ranging from Yellow-nosed Albatrosses to Brown Noddies. We allow one day
in reserve for bad weather. Please note that we will try and approach
for landings, however due to the weather conditions this is not always
possible.
Since we began our Atlantic Odyssey's (1998)
we failed during 30% of the voyages to make landings in the Tristan da
Cunha archipelago, due to adverse weather.
Day 22 – 25: at sea - At sea, we now enter sub-tropical waters with their own species of seabirds and dolphins.
Days 26 – 28: St. Helena - St.
Helena has a good anchorage and landing site. On this island, we will
have ample opportunities to enjoy local culture, pleasant climate, and
endemic plants and birds. We will visit the place where Napoleon lived
in exile. There will be opportunities to explore the Island on your own
and for snorkelling; in the shallow surf where we can find a lot of
fishes.
Days 29 – 30: at sea
Days 31: Ascencion Island ( April 28 ) - Ascension
Island is a dry volcanic island with a moist and richly vegetated top.
The Sooty Tern (wide-awake) colony sometimes consists of more than 1
million breeding pairs. We will try to climb the moist summit of
Ascension Island and make a zodiac-cruise around Boatswain Bird Island
offering also great opportunities for snorkelling. We may witness
egg-laying sea turtles coming ashore at night. Some of our passengers
may disembark and fly with the scheduled RAF (Royal Air Force) flight to
Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, UK. Others may proceed with a second day
on Ascension and their voyage to the Cape Verdes.





