ANTARCTICA

The World’s Greatest Concentration of Wildlife

 

Antarctica is a continent of superlatives - it is the coldest, windiest, driest, iciest and

highest of all the major landmasses in the world, with the longest nights and the

longest days. Antarctica is also home to the world’s greatest concentration of

wildlife, at its most active during the austral summer (November through to March)

… a perfect time to visit! 

 

At the peak of the season the area literally erupts with wildlife activity: penguins tend to their fast-growing chicks, whales are seen in ever-growing numbers (some encounters are even close enough to smell their fishy breath!), seals haul out onto ice-floes and beaches, cute fur seal pups play in the shallows and thousands of seabirds, including the magnificent albatross, trail in the ship’s wake. 

 

All voyages to Antarctica offered by wildlife tour operator, WildWings, include opportunities to see extraordinary concentrations of wildlife.  However, as shown below, the wildlife watching can vary depending on the chosen itinerary. 

 

MAGNIFICENT MAMMALS OF ANTARCTICA

Each year more and more whales are being seen around the Antarctic Peninsula, especially towards the end of the season, late February and early March, and it’s not unusual to have close up views of a humpback launching its 45-tonne body clear of the water or to see it ‘spy hopping’ to get a good look at the inhabitants of the rubber Zodiac!  To make the most of these fantastic whale and seal watching opportunities a 10-night ‘magnificent mammal’ itinerary has been created for early March 2006.  The 110-passenger expedition cruise vessel, Akademik Sergey Vavilov, provides excellent manoeuvrability, stability and comfort for exploring isolated bays and islands and is the perfect platform for mammal watching. 

 

Whilst crossing the infamous Drake Passage it’s likely that the larger whale species such as fin and, possibly even, blue whale will be seen.  Large numbers of Minke and humpback whales will be feeding in the incredibly rich southern waters before moving north to their breeding grounds and there are several pods of killer whales around the Peninsula – a population that has recently been proposed as a separate species. The strict guidelines onboard will ensure that the mammals are observed in a sensitive and environmentally sound manner.

 

Departure

Magnificent Mammals / 10 March 2006 & 5 March 2007 from Ushuaia, Argentina

Price

From £3309pp (2006), £3559pp (2007) sharing a twin cabin (excluding flights to/from Ushuaia). 

Flights available UK-Ushuaia from £775 pp.

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THE MOST COMPLETE WILDLIFE POLAR JOURNEY

The most complete Antarctic wildlife journey combines the wonderful wildlife of two amazing and very different sub-Antarctic island groups with all the wildlife attractions of the Antarctic Peninsula.

 

The 19-day journey onboard the expedition cruise ship, Akademik Ioffe, begins with the Falkland Islands, a far-flung group of islands lying in the South Atlantic a little over a day’s sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina.  Most of the islands are small, barren and uninhabited, boasting an abundance of wildlife (some not found further south), a fascinating history – both ancient and more recent - and wild and wonderful wilderness vistas.  Sixty species of bird, of which two-thirds feed on land, arrive here seasonally to breed.  Among these migratory visitors, the wandering albatross and its smaller relatives, such as the black-browed albatross, are perhaps the most enigmatic.

 

In the company of the great wandering albatross the ship sails southeast, across the Antarctic convergence, to the remote, rugged and hauntingly beautiful island of South Georgia.  Soaring snow-clad mountains, massive glaciers, huge king penguin rookeries and thousands of sub-Antarctic fur seals provide a scenic and wildlife experience perhaps unequalled on the face of the planet.  A sea of 100,000 colourful king penguins crowd the beaches at Salisbury Plain; another 75,000 nest at the Bay of Isles. South Georgia is also home to mind-boggling numbers of elephant and fur seals, the comical macaroni penguins and important populations of albatross.

 

Crossing the Scotia Sea a magical world of icebergs and ice-covered mountains awaits as the ship reaches the South Shetlands and the bays and channels of the Antarctic Peninsula.  Frequent shore excursions by inflatable Zodiac give plenty of opportunities to get close to Adélie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins.  The journey ends where it started in the southernmost city of Ushuaia on Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. 

 

Departures

Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula voyage / 5-23 February 2006,

5-23 February 2007 from Ushuaia, Argentina

 

Prices

£5525 pp (February 2006), £6170 pp (February 2007) sharing a main deck twin cabin (excluding flights).  Flights available UK-Ushuaia from £775 pp.

 

FROM THE FREEZER TO THE OVEN IN A MONTH!

The annual Atlantic Odyssey, sailing from Antarctica to the Tropics, is an epic 6000 nautical mile sea journey which begins in Ushuaia, Argentina and visits not only the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetlands, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Orkneys but also the even more remote and seldom visited South Atlantic islands of Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, St Helena, Ascension, Gough and the aptly named, Inaccessible Island.  Each island on the itinerary boasts its own unique natural and human history with very few visitors. The 30-day voyage ends in Ascension with an RAF flight to Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. 

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Rare birds with exotic names such as the spectacled petrel, tristan albatross, ascension frigatebird, Inaccessible Island rail and northern rockhopper penguin, as well as the ultimate ocean travellers, the wandering albatross, are all expected during the journey.   With humpbacks and orcas alongside the ship as she moves through the ice and possible rare species such as southern rightwhale dolphins, spectacled porpoise, strap-toothed whale, Gray’s and Anoux’s beaked whales and, on previous journeys, in excess of 40 sperm whales in an hour, the potential cetacean sightings are also astounding.

 

All of this at a price well within the reach of many people due to the annual repositioning of the comfortable 52-passenger expedition cruise ship, Professor Molchanov, on her journey north to Arctic waters.   

 

Departures

Atlantic Odyssey / 10 March – 8 April 2006 and 10 March – 8 April 2007

Prices

£3299pp (2006), £3999pp (2007) sharing a twin cabin (excluding international flights)

Flights available UK-Ushuaia from £450 & Ascension-UK from £425

 

Notes:

1)    WildWings has over ten years experience of polar tourism with extensive in-house experience of Antarctica and the expedition cruise market

 

2)    WildWings are associate members of IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators).