LORDS OF ANTARCTICA:
Emperor Penguin Safari

October 8-21, 2006
October 20 - November 2, 2006
November 1-14, 2006 (reverse itinerary)

Antarctica is a continent of superlatives. It is the coldest, windiest, driest, iciest and highest of all the major landmasses in the world. It is the continent with the longest nights and the longest days and it is home to the world’s greatest concentration of wildlife. It is also one of the last true wilderness areas left on earth – largely unchanged since the early explorers and whalers first landed on its inhospitable shores less than two centuries ago.

Considerably larger than either the United States or Europe, and twice the size of Australia, the continent is surrounded by a frozen sea that varies from one million square miles in summer to 7.3 million square miles in winter. Beyond the ice are the waters of the vast Southern Ocean that encircles Antarctica in a continuous ring several hundred miles wide. The Southern Ocean isolates the continent from the warmer waters of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans to the north and this meeting point, called the Antarctic Convergence, is the ecologically defined northern boundary of the region.  

Our journeys occur at the peak of the summer wildlife season. Bathed in long hours of daylight, the area will be erupting with wildlife activity. Millions of penguins gather to tend their fast-growing chicks; whales are seen in great numbers, seals haul out onto ice floes and beaches, and numerous albatrosses and other seabirds trail in our wake. We explore historic sites from the Heroic Age of early Antarctic exploration and visit scientists working in modern research bases. And there is plenty of time to enjoy the sheer beauty and the breathtaking scenery of ice-choked waterways, blue and white icebergs, impressive glaciers and rugged snow-capped mountains.

Few people have been fortunate and privileged enough to experience an Emperor Penguin rookery. The largest of the penguins, Emperors are the only birds that breed on the frozen sea. During this extraordinary voyage we will visit their rookeries on endless expanses of pack ice, surrounded by stunningly sculpted tabular icebergs.

Our visit is perfectly timed to coincide with large numbers of delightful penguin chicks huddling together on the ice.  From our closest approach by ship, we walk over the ice to the rookeries or, taking great care not to cause any disturbance, use the helicopter to land at a safe distance nearby.

But there is even more to this voyage than Emperor Penguins and, during the trip, we hope to experience some other extraordinary penguin rookeries: Royal Penguins, King Penguins and Adélie Penguins among them. We expect to see several different Antarctic seal species, whales, and a wide variety of other wildlife and some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth.

This is a sample itinerary only. Our exact route and program varies according to ice and weather conditions – and the wildlife we encounter. Flexibility is the key to the success of this expedition.

Day 1.    Ushuaia

You are greeted by the ever present wind carrying the call of seabirds, a sound that, tomorrow, will accompany you across the Drake Passage into the Southern Ocean. Visit our hospitality desk in the lobby of the hotel for answers to last minute questions then explore the city that has become a major embarkation point for Antarctic expeditions.

Day 2.    Embarkation

The day begins with a guided tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park. While getting to know your companions, watch for caracaras, black-faced ibis, Magellanic woodpecker, ringed kingfisher, and Andean condors, in the skies overhead.

Savor a traditional asado BBQ lunch, before boarding the icebreaker ‘Kapitan Khlebnikov’. For the next 12 nights, she is home base for the expedition. The included series of briefings led by our Expedition Team covers a diverse range of topics.

Once the ship is underway, the first one is presented. Learn about Zodiac landing craft, an essential tool for exploration in open water. Become familiar with helicopter protocols. Without helicopters, a visit to the rookery on the sea ice south of Snow Hill Island is impossible.

Day 3 - 4.    At sea

As you cross the Southern Ocean, our team of digital photography experts conducts workshops to ensure that you are properly prepared to get the most from your camera during the expedition. Onboard ornithologists deliver backgrounders to bring you up to date on the biology of emperor penguins, their unique habitat, and remarkable adaptive behavior. Emperors are the only bird to spend their entire life at sea, in the water and on the ice.

Day 5.    Antarctic Sound and the Weddell Sea

Having reached the Weddell Sea, look for tabular icebergs that can be larger than a European principality. Pause a moment to imagine Weddell, Nordenskjöld, and, of course, Ernest Shackleton attempting to navigate the unpredictable sea aboard vessels much less powerful than the ‘Kapitan Khlebnikov’. An ardent historian recounts their exploits, answering your questions, while separating fact from fiction.

Day 6- 9.    Snow Hill Island, in the Weddell Sea

As we approach the Snow Hill emperor penguin colony, the Captain and Expedition Leader rely on reconnaissance flights to assess the best possible approach. Unlike many Antarctic expeditions, this one offers photographers and nature lovers extended time at the rookery.

We plan to park the icebreaker in the ice as close as possible to the colony. Should there be open water nearby the elegant, curious emperors may seek us out, before we seek them.

The final few miles will be covered by a helicopter shuttle operation. Our team takes painstaking care not to jeopardize the integrity of the colony. They follow well established guidelines for aircraft operations near wildlife concentrations. Expect to walk the last mile or so to the rookery.

Dress warmly and in layers. The rookery is located on frozen sea. You approach silently, pausing a short distance from the rookery. While you wait for the birds to adjust to your presence, watch and listen for noisy “feeding exchanges” accompanied by displaying.

Quietly our expedition team members point out “scrums”: groups of adults - generally females - that try to steal a chick. Often a great commotion ensues. At a signal from the Expedition Leader you move closer to the colony. Remember to breathe, because the sight of adult emperors tobogganing single-file across the ice is breathtaking.

If the skies remain clear during our stay in the area, try to capture with your camera the enchanting light of an austral spring night, or, the unforgettable Antarctic pink sky. The Expedition Team maximizes the long daylight hours, offering you and your fellow travelers the unique chance to visit the emperor penguin colony at night.

Day 10 - 11.    Antarctic Sound & the Antarctic Peninsula

Although the focus of this expedition is on the majestic emperor, you will visit other penguin colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula – an Adélie and a Gentoo colony. For the first time during the voyage, either at Hope Bay or Brown Bluff, participate in a shore landing that enables you to set foot on the great white continent, something only a few humans can claim.

Day 12 - 13.    At sea

Every expedition is unique however they share one thing in common – a lively debate about the future of Antarctica as the expedition draws to an end. Join our Expedition Team as they continue to present engaging lectures and lead recap sessions that challenge you to become an ambassador for Antarctic conservation.

‘Kapitan Khlebnikov’

Day 14.    Ushuaia

After your last superb meal onboard, you and your fellow travelers are transferred from the ‘Kapitan Khlebnikov’ to the airport in Ushuaia for your flight home.

Please note:

Depending on weather and ice conditions the Expedition Leader may choose to modify the itinerary. Our goal will be to approach the emperor penguin colony with the best weather conditions possible.

Kapitan Khlebnikov

A Day Onboard Kapitan Khlebnikov

SUMMARY

Inclusions: