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Be captivated by the
magic of Antarctica, the Falklands/Malvinas and South Georgia!
On this tour you can become better acquainted with the far off
Falklands/Malvinas and South Georgia – both vital breeding grounds
for seal, penguins and albatross. MS Fram has been specially
designed to give you a safe and comfortable voyage in polar
regions, without taking away any of the excitement. With our
sturdy Polar Circle boats we can also get ashore almost anywhere.
During the voyage you can hear presentations by experts in the
region’s rich history, so that you can get even more out of the
experiences which await us.
You will be travelling in close contact with the elements all the
way to the white continent. The sight of mighty glaciers calving
into the sea, flocks of thousands of excited penguins, humpback
whales and killer whales in the icy ocean – all these can be part
of your richest experiences.
Day and ports of call
Day 1:Buenos Aires/Ushuaia
Day 2:Drake Passage
Day 3-6: Antarctica
Day 7: At Sea
Day 8: South Orkneys
Day 9: At Sea
Day 10–11:South Georgia
Day 12–13:At Sea
Day 14–15:Falklands/Malvinas
Day 16–18:at Sea
Day 19:Buenos Aires
Day 1: Buenos Aires/Ushuaia
Our voyage departs from the Island of Tierra del Fuego and the
southernmost city in the world – Ushuaia.
Cruise&flight guests:
At Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque Domestic Airport you will find
the check in counter for our charter flight to Ushuaia. The flight
duration is approximately 4 hours during which a light meal will
be served.
Our local representatives will greet you at the airport and
conduct you on a short sightseeing tour of Ushuaia. Time
permitting; you will have a chance to explore Ushuaia on your own
before embarkation at 1700.
Cruise-only guests:
Please present yourself at the pier for embarkation at
17:00h
Once onboard there will be a welcome meeting during which the
Captain will present his officers and expedition staff. They will
introduce you to the ship’s safety procedures and outline the
programme for the coming days.
In the evening we set a course for the Southern Ocean and the
adventure that awaits us.
Optional
excursion: To be confirmed
Day 2: Drake Passage
This is where two oceans meet. On the way through the straits you
can learn a great deal about Antarctica’s fantastic animals and
history.
The Drake Passage connects the southern Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. Whilst we cross the sea to Antarctica a number of
presentations will be given about various topics of the
Antarctic’s history and wildlife, as well as guidelines for
visitors to Antarctica.
The Antarctic Treaty has made the continent an area without
military activity and it is the treaty, which regulates all
activities in the area. Hurtigruten ASA follows these regulations
to the letter to ensure that the vulnerable environment will not
be disturbed. Our programme of presentations on board helps in
this, since we aim to prepare you for this unique experience, so
that you will derive the greatest possible benefit from your
Antarctic experience.
We will be on course for the northern tip of the continent, the
Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.
Day 3-6: Antarctica
This unending, white wilderness of a continent is full of
fantastic impressions. Ocean, ice, mountains, animals, light, air,
quiet. Everything!
This enormous white and weather bitten continent is almost as big
as North America. Weather, wind and ice conditions have a great
influence on our programme and our schedule. Safety is always the
first priority and the ship’s captain will decide the final
sailing schedule during the voyage. During our voyage we will
attempt to land at some of the places below, among others:
Deception Island, South shetlands
The British merchant William Smith rounded Cape Horn in
February 1819 in his brig ”Williams”. A powerful storm drove the
ship southwards and brought about the discovery of the South
Shetland Islands. On an expedition together with the British naval
officer Edward Bransfield, Smith was later credited with the
discovery of Antarctica. According to historians, the German
Thaddeus von Bellingshausen was the real discoverer of Antarctica
whilst on assignment from the Russian military – just three days
before Smith.
When part of the wall of the volcanic crater on Deception Island
collapsed and the crater filled with water, a natural harbour was
created. The entrance to this fascinating natural phenomenon is
200 metres wide and known as Neptune’s Bellows, on account of the
howling noises produced when the wind blows through.
There is a submerged peak towards the middle, making it very
shallow on one side. For this reasons the ship has only about 100
metres to navigate in. Once we are safely through Neptune’s
Bellows, Whaler’s Bay will come into view on the starboard side.
This bay housed whaling ships as early as 1905, as well as the
Norwegian base ”Hektor” which was established here in 1912 to
process meat and bone waste from whaling. We will go ashore in
Whaler’s Bay on Deception Island if conditions permit.
Cuverville Island
The Errera Channel – the waterway between Rongé Island and the
Arctowsky Peninsula on the mainland – is narrow and beautiful. It
was discovered by the Belgian professor Léo Errera. Here lie the
islands of Danco and Cuverville, the latter being home to one of
the largest known colonies of chinstrap penguins. The shallow
water between the islands often causes icebergs to become stuck
here, offering a fantastic spectacle when it occurs.
Early in the season the snow makes it difficult for the penguins
to reach their nesting sites. The penguins are not put off by this
and they carve out their own “penguin motorways”, visible as
intricate networks in the snow.
Neko Harbour
Andvord Bay stretches far into the Antarctic Peninsula. From
here it is just 50 kilometres to the Weddell Sea. The bay is
surrounded by the mountains and alpine glaciers of the peninsula
and its wildlife makes it a perfect arena for beautiful
impressions. Neko Harbour is attractively located in the innermost
part of the bay and takes its name from a whaler which was
anchored here in the early 1900s.
Neko is one of the very few places on the Antarctic Peninsula
where one can come ashore on the Antarctic mainland. On land there
is an Argentinean refuge cabin and a colony of chinstrap penguins.
Paradise Harbour
This place got its descriptive name from the whalers of
history. When the storms were at their worst, this is where they
came to seek shelter. On the northern tip, right across from
Lemaire Island, lies the well known Waterboat Point. This was
known as a base for daring expeditions in former times and is
today the base for the Chilean research station Gonzàlez Videla.
Lemaire Channel
Lemaire Channel was discovered by the German whaler Eduard
Dallman in 1873 and later mapped and researched in 1898 by Adrien
de Gerlache, who named it after his Belgian colleague Charles
Lemaire. This 11-kilometre channel is a fantastic sight and is
known as one of the most beautiful passages in Antarctica. If
there is no wind, the clear water can reflect the steep mountains
in a spectacular way.
Petermann Island
The same whaler, Eduard Dallman, also discovered this island
and named it after the geographer August Petermann. The island is
perhaps better known as an Argentinean hiding place from around
1950. It has been visited and maintained by the members of the
Ukrainian base Vernadskiy close by and has been used in connection
with expeditions in the area. There is also a fantastic view over
Penola Strait from the island.
It is also the location of the southernmost colony of chinstrap
penguins. The blue-eyed cormorant and adelie penguin also nest on
the island.
Port Lockroy
Port Lockroy was a British station from the 2nd world war,
which was turned into the museum of the Antarctic Heritage Trust (ATH)
in 1996 and is one of the most visited attractions in Antarctica.
As well as the museum, there is also a post office and a little
souvenir shop. All the profits go to ATH, which works on the
conservation of historic buildings in Antarctica.
Port Lockroy is surrounded by mountains, glaciers and ice-covered
rocks and is known as the haunt of chinstrap penguin and the
blue-eyed cormorant.
Wilhelmina Bay
The mountains and high glacier walls of the Antarctic
Peninsula around Wilhelmina Bay convey a mighty impression of ice
and water. Everything from calving glacier fronts to floating ice,
the magnificent contrasts of the interplay of the elements.
This is where Shackleton came when he took his expedition across
the ice on the Weddell Sea, in the hope of finding whalers who
could come to their aid.
The bay provides plenty of nourishment for wildlife, so it was
also an attractive hunting arena for whalers. There are
opportunities here to see whales, crab-eating seals, leopard
seals, Weddell seals and giant starfish.
Antarctic Sound
The Antarctic Sound lies between the tip of the Antarctic
Peninsula and the Dúrville, Joinville and Dundee islands. Large
flat icebergs from the calving glaciers in the Weddell Sea are
driven here by powerful tidal currents. The area is known as
Iceberg Alley among expedition people and offers a staggering
assortment of floating ice of all sizes. The sound did not get its
name from its location but from the ship used by Otto
Nordenskjöld´s Swedish South Pole expedition in 1903, led by the
legendary Norwegian Carl Anton Larsen.
Even though the 48-kilometre sound is often difficult to navigate,
it offers the most imposing spectacle of ice we can expect to see
on our voyage. The area is home to a huge number of adelie
penguins, estimated at nearly half a million breeding pairs at its
greatest.
Brown Bluff
On the coast of Antarctic Sound, on the western side of the
Tabarin Peninsula, lies this volcanic elevation with its
descriptive name. Here adelie penguins, chinstrap penguins, kelp
gulls and cape petrel nest below the spectacular cliff, which
raises 745 metres towards the sky. The stone beach is very
suitable for landing outside the nesting seasons.
Day 7- 8: Scotia Sea and South Orkney
We set course for the deserted South Orkeny Islands.
We will spend a day at sea sailing towards The South Orkney
Islands, which lie in the Scotia Sea about 600 km north-east of
the Antarctic Peninsula. They were discovered by American and
British sealers in 1821 and have since served as a base for
Scotch, French and Argentine sealing and scientific expeditions.
We will cruise by the Washington Strait and Coronation Island
before setting course towards South Georgia where we hope to
arrive on the morning of Day 10.
Day 9: At sea
We cruise further southward to beautiful South Georgia. Our
fascinating presentations en route will help you prepare for the
experience.
En route to South Georgia there will be a number of presentations
about the area we shall visit and its wildlife, as well as some
fascinating stories about Shackleton’s expeditions. The lecturers
will tell us about the significance the whaling station here had
for the entire whaling industry.
Day 10-11:South Georgia
You can explore this beautiful island, which is ringed by
ice-covered mountains and cool emerald green bays.
We will be in South Georgia for two days, during which time we
will try to see some of the many historic places. We will attempt
to sail into the beautiful Drygalski Fjord with its majestic
cliffs,hope to visit Grytviken whaling station, its museum,
Shackleton’s grave and the whalers’ church dating from 1913. Next
day we will attempt to visit the old Norwegian whaling station at
Strømsnes and a King Penguin rookery at Fortuna Bay.
The wildlife on South Georgia is different from what we will see
in Antarctica, including many different bird and animal species.
We hope to see albatross, cape petrel, southern giant petrel,
Antarctic whale bird, king penguin, fur seal and elephant seal
among others. The whalers introduced several animal species to
South Georgia, but today there are just two herds of reindeer
remaining.
Day 12–13:At Sea
We are on our way to our following destination. On the way you
will have fascinating and informative briefings into the history
and biology to be found there.
We set course south to the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic,
located 772 kilometres north of Cape Horn and about 1,600
kilometres from Antarctica. The Falklands consist of two large
islands and around 700 smaller ones and 2,967 people now live
there. Captain John Strong of HMS Welfare made the first recorded
landing here in 1690.
Whilst we are at sea a number of presentations will be given about
the history and wildlife of the areas we shall be visiting.
Day 14–15:Falklands/Malvinas
Thanks to the unique sub-Antarctic ecology there are over 70
animal species to be found on these islands.
The islands have a unique ecosystem of about 70 different
sub-Antarctic animal and bird species. The black-browed albatross,
brown-rumped caracara, elephant seal, sea lion and five different
species of penguin including king penguin are just a few of them.
There are also about 347 wild plant species in the area. The
landscape is majestic, with cliffs and needle-like stones covered
in green grass.
We plan to visit Stanley, the islands’ capital, which makes a
wonderful starting point for various excursions in the area. You
can choose to take an optional excursion or explore the town on
your own.
We then continue to New Island and West Point Island with their
fascinating landscape and wildlife. We may also happen to come
across the owner of one of these islands.
On the evening of day 15 we set a course for Buenos Aires.
Optional
excursions: To be confirmed
Day 16–18:At Sea
With our bow pointed north and unforgettable images and
experiences in our souls, we are invited to a new understanding of
the Antarctic, South Georgia and the Falklands/Malvinas.
We leave the Sub-Antarctic climate after some fascinating
experiences of magnificent nature and varied wildlife, and it’s
time to prepare ourselves for the return to Buenos Aires. During
the cruise to Buenos Aires our lecturers will wrap up our on board
academic program.
Day 19:Buenos Aires
After your journey through incredible seas and latitudes you
can actually feel the lively rhythms of the tango.
We are scheduled to arrive in Buenos Aires around noon of day 19,
and here our voyage ends.
Price
includes: 18 night voyage in cabin grade of your choice including
full board and domestic charter flight between Ushuaia and Buenos
Aires (Nov: voyage Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Feb: voyage Ushuaia to
Buenos Aires)
Not included: travel insurance, international flights, luggage
handling, optional excursions, gratuities, fuel surcharges
Call
Toll Free 1 800 345 3324 (within India) or 033 2473 8096 or click here
to enquire online.
Kolkata: +91 98300 53005 Jaipur: +91 94140
70017
Chennai:
+91 92831 90875 |
