SOUTH OF THE WORLD EXPEDITION

22-Day Expedition travelling around. Falkland Islands (Malvinas), South Georgia,
Antarctic Peninsula, Shetland Islands, Cape Horn and Patagonia.

“These summer voyages include visits to Antarctic wildlife sanctuaries, South Patagonia, and Sub Antarctic Islands; also to the Falkland Islands, noted for their great concentrations of wildlife; equally fascinating are the South Georgia, with their magnificent scenery and fauna. On our way back from the Antarctic Peninsula, we will sail through Drake’s Sea and have the opportunity of exploring the last headland of Chile and South America, Cape Horn, where weather permitting we will take a helicopter over flight. The expedition departs from and finishes in Punta Arenas. No two voyages are exactly the same, and the itinerary outlined here is for your guidance only. The captain and expedition leader will assess conditions daily and take full advantage of every opportunity to make landings with our zodiacs, using the nearly continuous daylight to maximize time ashore. The helicopter will be available for you all the time, permitting us to make use of it for your over flight in Cape Horn and others included in your program.”

Day 1 : Punta Arenas, Chile

You will arrive in Punta Arenas and then be transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.

Day 2 : Punta Arenas

In the morning you are free to visit Punta Arenas, the capital of the Magellan Region and Chilean Antarctica, the last geographic point of Chile’s mainland. Transfer to the Port of Punta Arenas to board the Antarctic Dream. Our departure is scheduled at 16:00 hours. Before this, our personnel will have welcomed you and given you the accommodation that you requested. In the afternoon, we will sail east through the Strait of Magellan for the Falkland Islands .

Day 3 : At Sea

Sailing these wildlife-rich waters, our expedition leaders will introduce the various species of birds and marine life that we will encounter on our voyage. Wandering black-browed and sooty albatrosses, shearwaters, giant and Cape petrels, and numerous other seabirds will escort us

Days 4 and 5 : Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

Spend these days on the Falkland Islands, renowned for their amazing wildlife. On Carcass Island, highlights include flightless steamer ducks, Magellan and Gentoo penguins and a colony of the rare black-crowned night herons. Peale's and Commerson's dolphins are often seen along the coast. Nearby New Island boasts fantastic rock hopper penguin rookeries, along with black-browed albatrosses and blue-eyed shags. You will also explore Stanley, the charming capital of the Falkland Islands.

Days 6 to 8 : Southern Ocean

Sailing on east, marine mammals and seabirds will lure us onto the decks as we cross the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar waters sink beneath the warmer waters of the more temperate zones.

Days 9 to 11 : South Georgia

Sharing many of the biological characteristics of Antarctica, South Georgia has awe-inspiring scenery with towering 7,000-foot mountains and mighty glaciers, but also low-lying, grassy areas, deep fjords and beaches. First sighted by Captain James Cook, in 1775, the island attracts an astounding concentration of wildlife and is viewed by many as one of the most inspiring places on earth. Thousands of King penguins will greet us at Salisbury Plain where rugged snow-covered mountains and glaciers provide a backdrop for this marvellous scene. Wandering albatrosses nest on Prion Island, where luxurious tussock grass provides a habitat for a variety of seabirds - and camouflage for thousands of breeding fur seals. Huge elephant seals and a substantial number of King and Gentoo penguins crowd the beaches along the coast at places such as Gold Harbour, while light-mantled and sooty albatrosses nest in the cliffs behind. Permissions, weather and sea conditions will determine specific landing sites. The island also played a significant role in the story of Shackle ton’s epic journey after the sinking of his ship, 'Endurance'. His crew was rescued by a Chilean Navy vessel commanded by Piloto Pardo at Elephant Island, where he had finally arrived after a harrowing voyage of 800 miles in a small boat across the Scotia Sea and over the never-before-climbed South Georgia mountain range. We will visit his grave at Grytviken, a once-active whaling station.

Days 12 and 13 : Scotia Sea

Two days at sea to relax as well as to review our adventures in South Georgia. The first icebergs appear on the horizon as we head south for the Antarctic Peninsula.

Days 14 to 17 : Southern Shetland Islands & Antarctic Peninsula

Approaching the rugged South Shetland Islands, your first landfall could be Elephant Island, where Shackle ton’s men found refuge during the epic "Endurance" expedition. Places such as King George Island or Livingston Island support huge numbers of nesting penguins while seabirds nest in the cliffs and elephant seals wallow along the shores. The easiest access to the White Continent is made possible by the Antarctic Peninsula, with the awesome scenery of its wild life. This itinerary allows plenty of time for you to explore this wilderness area hardly ever visited by anyone. Prior to our navigation to Deception Island, if the weather is fine, we will visit the Chilean Navy Arturo Prat Base, on Greenwich Island. Deception Island is still considered an active volcano, and sailing through the narrow passage into its huge flooded caldera is a thrilling experience. Sailing around the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, we hope to be able to navigate the Antarctic Sound, often referred to as an "iceberg alley". Here, we will stop to watch its huge tabular icebergs drifting north from the Antarctic continent. Weather and ice conditions permitting, we may land on Paulet Island. This crater island is rich in nesting Adeline penguins that surround the remains of a primitive hut that gave refuge to Captain Larsen and his men of the Nordenskjold' expedition in 1903. We will be landing at Bernardo O’Higgins base a Chilean research station on the continent. When cruising Palmer Archipelago, several thousand Gentoo penguins will be waiting for us under the tall cliffs of Cuverville and Rongé Islands. We have programmed a landing at Port Lock Roy, a place with countless remains of bleached whale bone, reminding the visitors of the time when it used to be a famous anchorage for whalers. We will sail into Paradise Harbour on the Danco Coast, which is noted for its series of huge glaciers flowing into quiet waters. Our zodiacs will take us along rugged cliffs with nesting Cape petrels, blue-eyed shags, and gulls.

Lemaire Channel is another interesting narrow passage located in the middle of towering rock faces and amazing glaciers. This channel is a must for visitors to the Antarctic Peninsula. It may be choked on occasion by icebergs and pack ice. We will also try if at all possible to land on Peterman’s Island, noted for its Adeline and Gentoo penguins, skuas and blue-eyed shags nesting at a short distance from our landing place.

Days 18 and 19 : Drake Passage, Cape Horn

We leave Antarctica and head north across Drake's Passage to Cape Horn, the place where the American continent ends. It is part of the Cape Horn National Park, where a unique monument to the albatross stands. You will take a helicopter flight over Cape Horn, the end of Chile’s mainland and the last geographic point in the South American continent. We will navigate to Puerto Williams, the capital of Navarino Island.

Days 19 to 21 : South Patagonia

We will sail through the Beagle channel and later we will enter into the Patagonian fiords and channels and will continue as far as the Straits of Magellan, docking at the Port of Punta Arenas.
Day 22 : Punta Arenas – Chile
After breakfast, we will land and transfer from the port which is centrally located in town. Disembark.
Please note: Read this itinerary as a guide only; our exact route and program varies according to ice and weather conditions and the wildlife we encounter. Flexibility is the key to success for this expedition.

Departure Date 2005 2006

March 03/2006

South of the World Expedition (22 days)
Cape Horn Piloto Pardo Shackleton Amundsen

SOUTH OF THE WORLD EXPEDITION (22 days)