In Search of Emperor Penguins
Embark: Ushuaia Disembark: Ushuaia
Day 1
Ushuaia - Beagle Channel
In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world located at the Beagle Channel and sail through this scenic waterway for the rest of the evening.
Day 2-3
Drake Passage - Penguin Island
During these two days we will sail across the Drake Passage. When we cross the Antarctic Convergence, we arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling zone. In this area we may meet Wandering Albatrosses, Grey Headed Albatrosses, Black-browed Albatrosses, Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses, Cape Pigeons, Southern Fulmars, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Blue Petrels and Antarctic Petrels. In the late afternoon we plan our first Zodiac-landing on Penguin Island, which lies close off the south coast of King George Island. Penguin Island was sighted in 1820 by a British expedition and so named by expedition leader Bransfeld because penguins occupied the shores of the 1 mile long island.
Day 4
Weddell Sea - Antarctic Peninsula
We will sail into the Weddell Sea through the ice-clogged Antarctic Sound. Huge tabular icebergs will announce our arrival to the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. We plan to visit Paulet Island with a million pairs of Adelie Penguins. In the afternoon we visit Brown Bluff, a ice-capped, flat-topped mountain with a prominent cliff of reddish-brown volcanic rock on the north side.
Day 5-6
Antarctic Peninsula
Between Snow Hill Island and James Ross Island we will make our first attempt to observe Emperor Penguins on the ice-edge making their way to open water. In case this should fail we will tray again on day 6. Alternatively we will visit the remains of the Nordenskiöld expedition on Snow Hill Island. We might also visit Seymour Island, where many fossils can be found, the Argentinean station Esperanza on the Antarctic Continent (where we can observe Adelie Penguins, Cape Petrels, Pale-faced Sheathbills, skuas, Kelp Gulls and Antarctic Terns) and - on our way to the Nortwest Antarctic Peninsula - Astrolabe Island, discovered by the French expedition of captain Jules Dumont d’Urville during 1837-1840 and named by him after his chief expedition ship the “Astrolabe”.
Day 7
Antarctic Peninsula
In the Northwest Peninsula we plan to visit Cuverville Island with the largest colony of Gentoo Penguins in the region and furthermore bird-specie such as Southern Giant Petrels, Wilson’s Storm-petrels, Antarctic Shags, South Polar Skuas, Kelp Gull and Antarctic Terns. From there we sail through Paradise Bay with its myriad ice-bergs and deep cut fjords. We will have opportunities for Zodiac cruising between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords.
Day 8
After a morning visit on Enterprise Island, first charted by the Belgium explorer Gerlache in 1898 and well-known by whalers operating in the area in the early 20th century, we sail to Hannah Point where we can see Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins and also small numbers of Macaroni Penguins, various other bird-specie and Southern Elephant, Weddell and Antarctic Fur Seals.
Day 9-10
Drake Passage
In the Drake Passage we have again a chance of seeing many seabirds and to take advantage of the knowledge of our lecture team.
Day 11
Ushuaia
We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark.
