Highlights
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 Arctic 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.
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 1: Buenos Aires
Discover the ”Paris of South America” for yourself and get a taste of what the birthplace of the tango has to offer.
On arrival at Ezeiza international airport in Argentina, you will be met by our local representatives. They will take care of the transfer to the ship; there will be a short sightseeing on the way before boarding MS Fram. If time permits, the rest of the day is at leisure to explore the ”Paris of South America”.
We depart from Buenos Aires about 20.00. There will be an information meeting after departure. During this the captain, officers and crew will welcome you on board, explain the programme for the coming days and give information about the ship’s safety procedures.
Day 2-4: At sea
We are on our way to our first 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 5-6: 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 karakara, 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 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. We then continue to 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.
On the evening of day 6 we set a course for South Georgia.
Optional excursions:
1) Bird tour of Falkland
2) Farm visit on Long Island
3) Audio tour
Day 7-8: At Sea
The cruise southward to beautiful South Georgia takes two days. 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 9-10: 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 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 Fortuna Bay. Then we will sail south and conclude our visit to South Georgia by sailing into the beautiful Drygalski Fjord with its majestic cliffs.
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 11–12: At sea
The cruise toward the Antarctic Peninsula takes two days. Our fascinating presentations en route will help you prepare for the experience.
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 13–16: 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 final sailing schedule will be decided by the ship’s captain 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 reason 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 Argentinian 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.
Lemairekanalen
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 Argentinian 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 rises 745 metres towards the sky. The stone beach is very suitable for landing outside the nesting seasons.
After exploring this indescribably great and endless continent, we leave Antarctica on day 16 and set course for Ushuaia.
Day 16–17: Drake Passage
With our bow pointed north and unforgettable images and experiences in our souls, we are invited to a new understanding of the Antarctic.
During the voyage we will summarise the Antarctic and Southern Ocean themes. The voyage from the Antarctic Peninsula to Ushuaia is about 800 kilometres – about 35 hours sailing in good weather. This sea passage was notorious among the early polar explorers and is a unique voyage which only a few have the chance to experience.
Day 18: Ushuaia/Buenos Aires
After spectacular Antarctica and its endless impressions, we make landfall at the world’s southernmost town.
We arrive at the Argentinian town of Ushuaia in the morning. Ushuaia is counted as the world’s southernmost town and lies on Tierra del Fuego, south of the Magellan Strait.
After breakfast you will be taken to the airport for the flight to Buenos Aires (approx. 4 hours). A simple meal will be served on the flight. After arrival, the transfer to the hotel will include a short sightseeing of Buenos Aires before checking in to the hotel. The afternoon is at leisure to explore ”South America’s Paris”.
Optional excursions:
1) Ushuaia national park
2) Tango show with dinner
Day 19: Buenos Aires
After your journey through incredible seas and latitudes you can actually feel the lively rhythms of the tango.
The above is subject to availability at time of booking and subject to the terms and conditions of ITT (International Travel & Tours CC). The above is based on current air-fares and exchange rates. Fluctuations in air-fare and/or exchange rate will be calculated at time of payment.
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