POLAR CIRCLE - ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
11 nights Departures: March 2010 Ships: Professor Molchanov & Professor Multanovskiy
Itinerary
Day 1   In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia and sail through the Beagle Channel. Days 2 & 3   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. Near the South Shetland Islands, we glimpse at the first icebergs. Days 4 to 9   We may start our first day in Antarctica with a landing at Hannah Point, where we will find a nice variety of Gentoo penguins, Chinstraps and southern giant petrels, as well as Elephant seals hauling out on the beach.   At Deception Island, we will try to land at Baily Head home to a colony of ten thousands of Chinstrap Penguins.  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, thousands of Cape pigeons and many Dominican gulls, Brown and South Polar Skuas and Antarctic Terns.  Wilson's Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm Petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay.  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.   On our way further South we will sail to Orne Islands with large colonies of Chinstrap Penguins and a beautiful view across the Gerlache Strait or to Cuverville Island, a small precipitous island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Danco Island.  It contains a large colony of Gentoo Penguins and breeding pairs of Brown Skuas.   In Neko Harbour and Paradise Bay with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, we have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent.  We shall have the opportunity for zodiac cruising between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords.  We sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island offering Adelie Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags.  We also try to land at Pleneau Island with Elephant Seals and fair chances to encounter Humpback, Minke and Fin Whales.  We head south along the Argentine Islands to Crystal Sound, south of the polar circle.  The landscape is very impressive with very high mountains and huge glaciers.   At the Fish Islands we land at one of the southernmost Adelie Penguin and Blue-eyed Shag colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula.  A base visit will also be provided, to give you an insight about the life of modern Antarcticans working on the White Continent. At Detaille Island, south of the Polar Circle, in Crystal Sound we reach probably our farthest south.  Sailing north again through Neumayer Channel and Gerlache Strait, we arrive at the Melchior Islands with a very beautiful landscape and again possibilities for zodiac cruising among the icebergs, where we may encounter Leopard Seals, Crabeater Seals and whales. Days 10 & 11   In the Drake Passage we have again a chance of seeing many seabirds. Day 12   We arrive in the morning and disembark in Ushuaia.
Important reminder: All itineraries are for guidance only.  Programmes may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife.  Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.
Departure Dates and Prices
Prices are per person for 11 nights and do not include international flights.
Departure date Ship Prices  12 March 10  Professor Molchanov £4875  6, 17 March 10  Professor Multanovskiy £4875
Price Includes: Voyage aboard indicated vessel, all meals throughout voyage including snacks, coffee and tea, all shore excursions operated by Zodiac, activities  throughout the voyage, service taxes and port charges. Price Excludes: Pre-post land arrangements, any airfares, government arrival/departure taxes, meals ashore, personal insurance, items of a personal nature and gratuities.