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Antarctic Cruise Piloto Pardo
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Tour Detail

11 Day Expedition Travelling to the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, This expedition offers you the ideal introduction to the Great White Continent.  Departing from and finishing in the port of Ushuaia, we take in the most exciting sights of the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.  Our program is orientated to the viewing of wildlife and the breathtaking scenery of narrow waterways, glaciers, icebergs and the rugged mountains.  The itinerary given below is the 11 day expedition. Of course no two expeditions can be exactly the same so the itinerary outlined here is for your guidance only: the Captain and the Expedition Leader will assess conditions daily with the intention of maximizing your time ashore. This means taking full advantage of opportunities to land passengers with our zodiacs and making best use of the light of the long summer days.

 
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itinerary
 

Day 1: Ushuaia, Argentina
Passengers board the MV/Antarctic Dream where you will be greeted by our Expedition Leader and staff and shown to your cabin. Check-in begins at 2:30 PM at the Hotel Fuegino in Ushuaia.

Day 2 - 3: Drake Passage
Wandering albatrosses, storm petrels and other seabirds will escort the vessel as you sail south across this famous passage named after Sir Francis Drake, the 16th-century English navigator. We will continue towards the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar waters sink beneath the warmer waters of the more temperate zone. In 1819, the British explorer William Smith described the South Shetland Islands as “barren and covered with snow, with seals in abundance”.

Day 4: King George Island
King George Island will give us an early taste of what the Antarctic really is. It is the biggest island of the South Shetlands. and here we will have a chance to disembark in Potter Bay. In the afternoon we will disembark at Aitcho Island which is in between Greenwich and Robert Islands. We will continuing with the crossing of the Bransfield and Gerlache Straits to enter Andvord Bay where we find Neko Bay.

Day 5: Antarctic Peninsula & Neko Bay
Besides the magnificent scenery of mountains, snow and ice, in Antarctica you can expect to see a wide variety of the native wildlife. Other birds to look out for are blue-eyed shags, gulls, cape petrels, skuas, snowy sheathbills and Antarctic terns. Marine mammals that you are likely to see include Weddell crab-eaters and leopard seals while orcas, humpback and mink whales may be spotted at close range. The program includes your first landing on the White Continent (Neko Bay) and another on Port Lockroy (Gaudier Island). Neko Bay was discovered by Adrian de Gerlache, a Belgian explorer. Port Lockroy is close to Wiencke Island in the Antarctic Peninsula and was the principle base of the 1944 Tabarin Operation - the scientific research included the Antarctic’s first ionosphere measurements and also the first recording of an atmospheric whistle.

Day 6: Pleneau - Petermann Island
We sail south through the narrow Lemaire Channel whose high, sheer cliffs suggest that no passage could be found. Once through the channel, known as one of the most beautiful places in the world, and provided climate and ice conditions are good enough, we will be able to visit Petermann Island which is the most southern land point of our expedition. Here we will disembark and will be able to see the most southern colony of Gentoo penguins which nest near our landing spot.
On this island we will also be able to see a colony of beautiful Adelei penguins, skuas and blue-eyed shags. At Pleneau we should have the opportunity to take our zodiacs and visit impressive ice formations.

Day 7: Paradise Bay - Cuverville Island
At this point of our program we will begin our return voyage. During the morning and, stressing again that if weather permits, we will disembark or use our zodiacs in Paradise Bay. In the evening we will visit Cuverville Island. Beside its dramatic scenery it is home to one of the largest colony of Gentoo penguins and skuas. This rocky island is on the north side of the Errera Channel, between Ronge Island and the Arctowski Peninsula.

Day 8: Deception Island - Whaler’s Bay -Pendulum Cove
We continue sailing to Deception Island which is the largest active volcano in the area at the northwest side of the Peninsula. During the morning we will try to disembark in Whaler’s Bay and Pendulum Cove where you can live the unique expirience of swimming in this water. In the afternoon we will disembark at Hannah Point (Livingstone Island). This is one of the best places in the Antarctic to see fauna and we should see Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, giant petrels, Wilson petrels, skuas and blue-eyed shags. With luck we should also see sea elephants.

Days 9 and 10: Drake Passage
Today, we will leave the Antarctic and head north back across the Drake Passage. Now is the chance to compare and revise notes and dwell on the adventures of the past week, to take in the final lectures and to enjoy the delicious gastronomy on board as you return to Ushuaia.

Day 11: Ushuaia, Argentina
After and early breakfast we will land at 9:00 am and bid farewell to our guests. Thus ends an incredible and unique expedition.

Trip Highlights
 
Ushuaia
Argentina
Expedition Leader and staff
the Hotel Fuegino in Ushuaia.
Drake Passage
Wandering albatrosses, storm petrels and other seabirds
South Shetland Islands
King George Island 
disembark in Potter Bay
disembark at Aitcho Island
crossing of the Bransfield and Gerlache Straits
Andvord Bay
Antarctic Peninsula
Neko Bay
a wide variety of the native wildlife. blue-eyed shags, gulls, cape petrels, skuas, snowy sheathbills and Antarctic terns
Marine mammals include Weddell crab-eaters and leopard seals while orcas, humpback and mink whales may be spotted
landing on the White Continent (Neko Bay) 
Port Lockroy (Gaudier Island).
Pleneau - Petermann Island. 
see a colony of beautiful Adelei penguins, skuas and blue-eyed shags.
Paradise Bay - Cuverville Island
Deception Island - Whaler’s Bay -Pendulum Cove
we will disembark at Hannah Point (Livingstone Island).
Drake Passage 
Ushuaia, Argentina
 
 
 
 
 
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