Kayaking, Camping & Skiing - South Georgia, the Falklands and the Antarctic Peninsula Draft Itinerary- Aqua-Firma


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Kayaking, Camping & Skiing - South Georgia, the Falklands and the Antarctic Peninsula Draft Itinerary

Click HERE for Kayaking, Camping & Skiing - Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula, page	This is a sample only; the final itinerary will be determined by the Expedition Team and is influenced by local conditions, like ice and weather. Day 1 Arrive in Ushuaia, locally known as, ‘the City at the end of the world’. Day 2 Embarkation is not until the late afternoon, affording us plenty of time to sample the retail and gastronomic delights of Ushuaia. The city is tucked into a sheltered bay on Isla Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. It is a hive of activity, with the sea, mountains and forests of Tierra del Fuego on its doorstep it never fails to impress. Day 3 Leaving Tierra Del Fuego the majestic albatross, petrels and dominican gulls are just a few of the seabirds that will make themselves known to us. The Beagle channel is home to plenty of wildlife, orcas, magellanic penguins’ and we even have the chance of seeing a condor or two making the most of the thermals. Heading into open sea, a lot of the flying birds will follow the ship as we move into the Atlantic. Day 4-5 Stanley is the main town in the Falkland Islands. Founded in 1843 it has about 1000 inhabitants and is settled neatly into the north facing slope of Stanley Harbour. If the conditions are right, kayakers may wet their hulls, exploring still bays where dolphins are at play. Volunteer point is home to magellanic, gentoo and of king penguins; weather permitting, there will be zodiac trips for landings and guided visits. Day 6-7 As the ship draws nearer to South Georgia and the Peninsula, a sharp drop in water and air temperature may indicate that we have crossed the Antarctic Convergence. We will have plenty of time to study the rich bird and sea life: wandering albatross, grey headed albatross, black-browed albatross, light-mantled sooty albatross, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels and antarctic petrels. Day 8-11 Our first stop in South Georgia is likely to be at Grytviken and adjacent settlement King Edward Point (KEP) in Cumberland Bay. Here there are the remains of the old whaling station, tidied up for safety reasons, though your step will still have to be watched as baby elephant seals and numerous penguins’ line pathways. The museum is certainly worth a visit, filled with human and natural history it is housed in the restored manager’s villa. We'll hike up the glaciated terrain to hilltops with magnificent views of king penguin rookeries. South Georgia has many connections to the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration. Ernest Shackleton is buried in the churchyard at Grytviken. Our polar historian will bring the past to life ashore and aboard. Sailisbury plain is home to thousands and thousands of breeding king penguin. They cover the land and although we don’t approach them closer than five meters, they have no such qualms and will often come far closer to inspect us. Prion Island can be difficult for landings because of the swell and the territorial fur seals. Away from the beaches, the seal numbers drop and the bird numbers increase. Here we find nests of wandering albatross, pipits flitting between the tussocks. These tiny birds no longer survive on the mainland, due to the introduced number of rats. Giant petrels also nest here and also seen are the pin tailed ducks who forage under clumps of snow in the tarns. Day 12-13 En route to the Peninsula we'll keep you busy identifying seabirds, listening to engaging presentations on everything from the Antarctic food web to the life cycle of the humpback whale. Day 14-17 At the peninsula we start to explore our new environment at close quarters with opportunities for kayaking, camping and other activities. The zodiacs provide access to penguin rookeries ashore and take us closer to the wildlife found scattered on the rafts of drifting pack ice, such as the almost reptilian looking leopard seals and the less ferocious, weddell seals. We could have the opportunity to visit research stations and spy bases, though every expedition is unique and visits are all ice and weather dependant. Day 18-19 In the Drake Passage again we have the potential of spotting well over fifty species of bird, both in the water and in flight. The graceful albatross, be it the wandering, sooty, black browed or royal can be seen from the ship. Penguins can also be spotted racing through the waters on their food finding missions, sometimes in large numbers and reaching surprisingly fast speeds. We will hope to have whale sightings on the crossings. Humpbacks and long-finned pilot whales are a spectacular sight, and often observed in large numbers. Day 20 After breakfast aboard the ship, we'll transfer you by bus to the passenger collection point at the end of the quay.