Antarctica



	Antarctica... The Trip of a Lifetime *from GALAPAGOS TRAVEL*


			A Special Offering from Galápagos Travel Antarctica, South Georgia Island, and the Falkland Islands January 6-25, 2009 Offering educationally-oriented, comprehensive trips to the Galápagos will always be our focus at GALAPAGOS TRAVEL. At the same time, some of our Galápagos passengers have put mild pressure on us to take them somewhere else - basically, on another great adventure. Antarctica is truly an awesome place. A vast desert of white, holding 90% of the earth's ice in a permanent ice cap, at times over 2 miles thick. In the southern winter, its area doubles in size when sea ice forms around its margin. Antarctica is then at its most formidable - dominating and unpredictable - greater than life, and seemingly devoid of life. But, during our journey, it will be absolutely teeming with life. For we will be there during the austral summer, when the sun finally emerges from the long winter night, the sea ice melts, and life returns - to breed! With a background of glittering white mountains and blue-green icebergs, we will come face to face with incredibly large colonies of penguins; in all we will see 7-8 penguin species. We will also approach colonies of albatrosses (4 species), petrels, and shags (cormorants). We will walk and cruise among 7 species of pinnipeds, including large colonies of massive Southern elephant seals and roaring Antarctic fur seals. During our cruising time, we will be rewarded with good looks at pelagic sea birds gliding nearby and several species of whales, including humpbacks, minkes, orcas, Southern right whales, several species of dolphins, and giant (100 ft) blues, the largest animal ever in the history of our Earth. The history of Antarctic exploration is legendary - names such as Cook, Scott, Amundson, and Shackleton. Each has had incredible, heroic adventures. We will go where they have gone, and we will learn what they accomplished and went through. Even in the relatively mild austral summer, we will occasionally feel the force of Antarctica, just as they did. There are times that it will be our master and control our activities. Our expedition puts us in touch with modern-day explorers as well, members of the global community of scientists working at polar research stations. GALAPAGOS TRAVEL founder Barry Boyce has given it quite a lot of thought and personal travel. Barry feels that, "as with the Galápagos, most of the trips that are offered to Antarctica miss out on the best parts. As you know, Antarctica is a fairly expensive destination.
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To attract passengers, many Tour Operators offer a 10-day trip for about $7000. The first problem is that very little time is spent in the Antarctica Peninsula (a day or so). The worst of it is missing the most essential part of a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Antarctica: South Georgia Island."

South Georgia probably has the world's highest concentration of seabirds, with 7 species of penguins and 4 species of albatrosses, including the wandering albatross, with its 13 ft wingspan. Basically, South Georgia is far enough north to escape the sea ice (providing year-round access to the ocean to the breeding seabirds and fur seals) and yet south of the Antarctic Convergence (where the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans merge into the highly productive waters of the Southern Ocean). If the Antarctica Peninsula is the heart of the voyage, South Georgia is certainly the soul.

To do it right, it must be a 19-day, or longer, cruise. Past expeditions have been in 2000, 2003, 2005 & 2007. Our next Antarctic expedion will be January 6 - 25, 2009, with the land cost beginning at $10,400. We will be again be aboard the polar oceanographic research vessel Akademik Sergey Vavilov.


	The 106 passenger, 384 ft Akademik Sergey Vavilov was built in Finland in 1988 for polar and oceanographic research. Recently refurbished, she is ideal for expedition cruising. Passenger accommodations are in triple and twin, exterior cabins, with ample storage space; they are attractively designed, and have a desk/study area. Cabins on Decks 4 and 5 have private or semi-private facilities (with an adjoining cabin), two lower berths, and windows; there area also larger "superior" cabins and suites with separate living rooms. Cabins on Deck 3 have upper/lower berths, portholes, wash basins, and convenient, shared facilities. Common areas include the bridge, a view lounge, lecture room with theater seating, library, mud room, infirmary, sauna, gymnasium, swimming pool and dining room. Viewing is excellent from the large, open decks. Superb, varied, and abundant international cuisine is prepared by European chefs; the dining room allows for a single seating at all meals.


	The Akademik Sergey Vavilov has an ice-strengthened hull; her smaller size allows us to navigate scenic waterways with ease, venturing into areas closed to larger vessels. Powerful twin engines provide the speed capabilities to maintain our full itinerary. Designed to explore remote corners of the world, she is equipped with sophisticated navigation equipment and stabilizers for smoother cruising. The ship meets all international environmental and safety standards. A western physician trained in emergency medicine is on-board. The atmosphere aboard is relaxed, more akin to a private expedition than a conventional cruise. She has a crew of 35, largely Russian, all highly experienced in polar/ice navigation.


	Our plan is to fully exploit our time in Antarctica - to maximize the viewing and photographic opportunities; there will also be time for exploration and discovery. Weather permitting, we plan to take full advantage of the long daylight hours in the austral summer. That means optional shore visits before breakfast, staying as long as you want. If you want to climb the tussock to see a wandering albatross, you will have the opportunity. A few sites will require walking moderate distances over uneven terrain to reach the "colony." There will even be a few chances to do some kayaking for those who wish. For those not as adventurous or just feeling tired, the zodiacs are shuttled back and forth between the ship and the landing site. In addition, there are frequent zodiac sightseeing excursions that provide excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Unlike the Galápagos, Antarctica gives us many modes of exploration.


	Galápagos Travel 20 Day Expedition


	Here are some of the extraordinary places we plan to visit... Ushuaia is the southermost city in the world, located on Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. Our first night, January 6, will be at a hotel in Ushuaia. The following day will be board the ship to begin our 19-day expedition cruise. Sailing through the Beagle Channel, we will begin our journey in the early evening. Falkland Islands - Called the Islas Malvinas by Argentina, and located just over 300 miles east of South America, the Falklands are home to amazingly dense populations of sea birds, including the world's largest colony of the magnificent black-browed albatross. The breathtaking cliffs are a great backdrop for watching rockhopper penguins attempt to climb the steep slopes while 20 ft waves are breaking all around and over them. During our time among these historic islands we will also see Magellanic penguins and blue-eyed shags. After visiting the Falklands, we cruise east to South Georgia Island.


	South Georgia Island - If the Antarctica Peninsula (and adjacent islands) is the heart of the voyage, South Georgia is certainly the soul. Not included on most Antarctica itineraries, South Georgia will be a key part of ours. Here we will find one of the world's highest concentrations of sea birds, with colonies in the hundreds of thousands. South Georgia will give us amazing looks at 6 or more species of penguins, including huge colonies of king penguins and the crested macaroni penguins (with 5 million breeding pairs). There are also 4 species of albatrosses, including the wandering albatross, with its 13 ft wingspan.

The magic of South Georgia is due to its location - far enough north to escape the sea ice (providing year-round ocean access to the breeding sea birds and fur seals) and yet south of the Antarctic Convergence. This is where the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans mix with cold waters from the south, merging into the nutrient-rich Southern Ocean, teeming with Antarctic krill - the lifeblood of the immense food chain.

In addition to the seabirds, half of the world's population of Southern elephant seals breed on South Georgia. Like the elephant seal, the Antarctic fur seal is restricted largely to the sub-Antarctic islands. Ninety-five percent of its world population breeds on South Georgia alone. After South Georgia, we head south, arriving at the South Orkneys.


	Moving south we travel from the mild sub-Antarctic to the permanently frozen Antarctic Peninsula. Passing the South Orkney Islands enormous grounded ice bergs herald our approach.


	South Shetland Islands - Crossing the Southern Ocean, our first sight of land will be the South Shetland Islands, about 70 miles northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula. The largest archipelago in Antarctica (extending over 300 miles), they form a chain of over 20 geologically-young, volcanic islands. Each summer the ice retreats just far enough to release the islands from the grip of winter, providing the vital ice-free terrain necessary for the breeding sea birds and pinnipeds. There is more life on the South Shetlands than anywhere else in the Antarctic peninsula. Bright orange lichens and green mosses are backdrop to large, very active rookeries of chinstrap, gentoo, and Adélie penguins. Our visits will likely include Deception Island, where we sail into the flooded caldera of this still-active volcano.


	Antarctic Peninsula - While most of Antarctica is frozen throughout the year, an exception is the long panhandle of the Antarctic Peninsula which stretches far enough north to be largely ice-free in the summer. At the northeast tip of the peninsula, we enter the beautiful Hope Bay, where many impressively large tabular bergs can be seen. Not far away, and just outside the Antarctic Sound in the Northern Weddell Sea, is Paulet Island, a small volcanic cone - home to enormous numbers of Adélie penguins, as well as large colonies of blue-eyed shags, and Wilson's storm petrels. Sailing south, we reach the Lemaire Channel, often described as the most beautiful site in the area. The photography here is nothing short of awesome!


	Seals are often seen on ice floes, and minke whales may be encountered within the channel itself. We might sail into Paradise Bay, where glaciers flow from the 10,000 ft Foster Plateau. The zodiacs will take us along the dramatic glaciatic cliffs. Zodiac cruising will also get us extremely close to crabeater seals on ice floes. Close to menacing leopard seals too; sometimes one is seen with a fresh penguin kill in its mouth, or occasionally hunting for its next meal! The skilled zodiac drivers are always on the lookout for minke and humpback whales in this area, and it is sometimes possible to get a close encounter. Snow petrels, to many the most beautiful bird in the Antarctic, are seen here in abundance. As we head back north (towards the southern tip of South America) our naturalist team will recap the trip highlights. We will also keep an active lookout for whales while continuing to monitor the pelagic sea birds.

Drake Passage - Black-browed albatrosses, prions, and storm petrels roam this historic passage named after the 16th century English navigator. As we approach the mainland, we will sail near the notorious Cape Horn and later cruise the waters of the Beagle Channel at Tierra del Fuego.

We disembark in Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city. Standing on the southern shore of the Beagle Channel in Argentine Tierra Del Fuego, Ushuaia is beautifully set amongst rugged mountains and spectacular glaciers.


	*NOTE:* Again this year the ship will be offering kayaking opportunities, for just 10 passengers. Please inquire about this unusual expedition option - it truly adds a new dimension of adventure to an already action-filled expedition.


	About Our: Trips \| Yachts \| Itineraries \| Departure Dates and Prices \| Guidebook About: Natural History of the Galápagos \| Conservation in the Galápagos \| Visiting Mainland Ecuador Special Stuff: Photo Gallery \| Digital Photography? \| Frequently Asked Questions Special Trips: Polar Destinations \| Antarctica \| Arctic \| Iceland


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Photo credits: Debbie Brown (db), Mike Tossy (mt), and Mark Grantham (mg, plus all uncredited images), Peregrine Adventures (pa),