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Marine Mammals of Antarctica (RCGS Resolute)

Marine Mammals of Antarctica (RCGS Resolute)

From USD $14,195

Description

March is a time of great activity in Antarctic waters and historically we encounter a higher concentration of whales during this period. They are busy feeding prior to their annual migrations to tropical waters. However, scientists are now discovering that some whale species remain in the ice-free sections of Antarctica over winter. This is also a fascinating time to experience the change of seasons, with fresh
dustings of snow on the peaks, and sea ice returning. On this voyage we plan to visit several known locations along the Antarctic Peninsula that are the focus of long term research projects by esteemed academic institutions including University of California (Santa Cruz), California Ocean Alliance and the Australian Antarctic Division’s Marine Mammal Centre. We are joined on the ship by several world renowned cetacean (whale) experts and observe their important scientific fieldwork in close proximity. They share with us unique underwater footage and scientific data and interpret the behaviour, migration characteristics and feeding patterns of adult whales and their calves. Their participation on our voyage is greatly valued and provides a fascinating glimpse into cutting-edge Antarctic research.

Antarctica’s seals are also found in sizable numbers late in the season, resting and storing energy that will sustain them over winter. For those with a passion for Antarctica’s marine mammals, this unique voyage should not be missed. Oh, and did we mention it’s also our favourite time of the year for blazing orange and pink Antarctic sunrises and sunsets?

Trip Name
Marine Mammals of Antarctica (RCGS Resolute)
Days
14
Overview
Vessel Type: Polar Expedition Vessel Passenger Capacity: 146 Built: 1993 Named after the HMS Resolute, a British Royal Navy Arctic exploration vessel, as well as the Inuit town of Resolute in Canada’s Nunavut Territory, RCGS Resolute will arrive in Canada in November 2018 for its inaugural polar voyage. RCGS Resolute also carries the name of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), since we are exclusive education, environmental science, and expedition partners in Canada’s north. This longstanding partnership works to the benefit of our guests, who have the opportunity to learn from and interact with world-renowned educators, researchers, naturalists, marine biologists, artists, historians and photographers. With an unsurpassed ice classification, a proven track record for stability and safety, large indoor and outdoor viewing platforms, and exceptional maneuverability, RCGS Resolute is ideally equipped to guide guests through the world’s most pristine regions, further expanding our expertise in exploration and discovery. RCGS Resolute will carry a maximum of 146 passengers in unparalleled comfort, with an array of luxury amenities, educational opportunities and activities tailored to guests’ particular interests, and individual, personalized service.  Superb Design and Layout. Throughout the ship there are spaces ideally suited to every need. Spacious outer decks provide 360 degree viewing platforms perfect for photography, wildlife watching, birding and appreciating expansive views.  The salt water plunge pool, large relaxation deck, hot water jacuzzi are all located aft of the wellness centre (massage therapy, Finnish Sauna, steam room) and well equipped gymnasium.  Inside there are multiple areas to explore ranging from our well appointed theatre style presentation room, aft observation lounge and bar, forward observation lounge and bar, and both dining rooms. Add in the One Ocean Expeditions multimedia room, and mobile laboratory and the opportunities are endless.  Six Different Cabin Categories. All cabins feature outside viewing ranging from deck three traditional with port holes, up to decks 4 through 6 offering expansive panoramic windows.  Cabins all have lower berths that have the ability to be single beds, or 1 double bed depending on our guests needs.  Extensive renovations have provided new carpets, high quality cabinetry with soft close drawers, contemporary and spacious bathroom design, all paired with soft accent lighting offering options dependant on our guests daily activities and mood. All cabins offer modern sectional lounge quarters, providing a quiet nook to read or catch up on journalling.  Space is exceptional as each cabin offers 22M squared living space, whilst the One Ocean Suites are absolutely palatial offering 44M squared with enough room to entertain or do back - flips (your choice)! Enjoy Great Dining? So do we. At One Ocean Expeditions, the priority is on the expedition.  However with every activity, option, event, or excursion we find we build up incredible appetites to indulge in superb and extensive menu options.  Our bistro dining room provides early birds the option to get their social caffeine or smoothy start to the day, accompanied by light breakfast style snacks.  Full meal service includes buffet breakfast and lunches incorporating an international flare.  For those with special dietary requirements - no problem, we can accommodate that too.  Dinner is a great opportunity to catch up about the day’s events, as well as look to where we expect to explore next.  Five course menu options are offered a la carte, and seating is open in our business casual dining room featuring 180 degree sweeping views.  There’s also an excellent wine list featuring a range of international wines and other beverages of choice.  Join us on the Bridge. There is an open-bridge policy and guests are welcome to meet the navigating crew at virtually any time of day; there’s always something to learn from the officers on watch and the bridge is one of the best places on the ship for spotting whales and sea birds.  The bridge is closed during times of tricky navigation, pilotage, or weather. Operational Safety. There are no compromises here. The expedition staff and crew onboard RCGS Resolute have the deepest respect for changeable weather in the polar regions and the varying sea and ice conditions. That respect is apparent in every decision made throughout the voyage. The ship carries the most extensive inventory of safety equipment on all excursions and require leaders to undergo vigorous and effective safety training programs. Your expedition team are well prepared, so you can relax and enjoy your voyage.

Itinerary



Day 1 - DAY 1 / SANTIAGO (CHILE)
Once you’ve arrived in Santiago, the cultural centre of Chile,make your way to our signature hotel for an included pre-voyage stay. This evening, we encourage you to visit thewelcome desk set up in the lobby of the hotel to check inwith the One Ocean Expeditions' representative and to collectluggage tags for your voyage. By starting your voyage inSantiago, you’ve opened the door to countless pre-voyageexcursion opportunities, such as exploring the colourful beachtowns of the west coast or wine tasting at renowned vineyards.
Day 2 - DAYS 2 / STANLEY (FALKLAND ISLANDS)
We depart Santiago this morning on our private air charter(thisflight is included in the price of your voyage) direct to Stanley,the small capital of the Falkland Islands. We are met on arrivaland transfer from the airport into town. There is time to explorethe town or enjoy a guided visit to nearby Gypsy Cove whichprovides our first opportunity for observing the local wildlife,including nesting Magellanic penguins and other sea birds.Making our way to the port, we board our expedition ship,RCGSResolutein the afternoon. After settling into our cabinsand exploring the ship, we meet our expedition team and fellowpassengers. Excitement is in the air as we enjoy a welcomecocktail and cast off to explore one of the most remote regionson Earth.
Day 3 - DAYS 3-4 / AT SEA – TOWARDS ANTARCTICA
We chart a southerly course for Antarctica. The Scotia Seais rich in bio-diversity and showcases a great abundance ofwildlife. We are joined by hundreds of seabirds including thewandering albatross. Photographing these magnificent birdstakes patience and skill and our photography expert will be onhand to show you the best techniques. Throughout the dayour onboard experts educate us with a series of presentationsabout the environment, the wildlife and history of the locationswe hope to visit in the coming days.There is great excitement when the dark cliffs of ElephantIsland appear on the horizon. This is one of Antarctica's mostimportant historic locations and a fitting introduction. On therocky beach at Point Wild, Shackleton and his men campedhere for many months under their three upturned life boats,having lost their ship, HMSEndurancein the thick sea ice, far tothe south in the Weddell Sea in 1915. It was from this locationthat Shackleton and five companions set off on the rescuemission to South Georgia, aboard the tiny lifeboat, James Caird.To this day, the epic ocean crossing and crossing of SouthGeorgia on foot is considered one of the greatest tales in polarhistory.If weather conditions permit, we aim for a Zodiac cruise to viewthe site from close proximity. This is a thrilling location for historybuffs and sets the scene for an exciting expedition
Day 4 - DAYS 5-6 / ANTARCTIC SOUND & WEDDELL SEA
At about 25 nautical miles long and about 10 nautical mileswide, Antarctic Sound separates Joinville Island from thenorthern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Navigating into thesound we witness for the first time the vastness and majesty ofthe Antarctic icecap. This is an awe-inspiring sight. Heading intothe Weddell Sea we notice a significant increase in the numberof huge tabular icebergs and the presence of sea ice. Thesemassive icebergs break from the huge ice shelves to the southand drift north on the currents. This always makes for excitingnavigation – and stunning photographic opportunities in the softAntarctic twilight. This is wild and remote Antarctica and has adistinctly different feel from locations visited thus far.The Weddell Sea region is home to Adelie penguin rookeriesof staggering size – some contain more than 100,000 nestingbirds. Such colonies dwarf the penguin rookeries visited so far.Weather permitting, excursions in the Weddell Sea region mayinclude Hope Bay, Paulet Island and Brown Bluff. All eyes will betrained on the ice floes through which we navigate the ship. Wehave enjoyed a number of emperor penguins sightings in thisarea in recent years and they are known to inhabit the area.The history of exploration in this region is incredibly rich.Remnants of Nordenskjöld’s Swedish expedition of 1901-1904are found in several locations in this area. The epic century-old story of Shackleton and the HMS Endurance expeditionhas strong links to the region. It was here that he and his mendrifted north on the ice after the ship had been lost in the icepack months earlier. As we head north and out of the Weddell Sea, the lavender pink sunset will make some of us pause toconsider the bravery (or foolhardiness) of those early explorerswho travelled these waters a hundred years before us
Day 5 - DAY 7 / SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS
By morning we arrive in the South Shetland Islands. Theadventure is not over and if the weather conditions allow, we sailthe ship into the flooded volcanic caldera at Deception Island.This is a very dramatic place and history is all around us as weexplore the old whaling station, with the rusted old boilers anddilapidated wooden huts. At the far end of the beach is an oldaircraft hangar. This is where Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins,made the very first flight in Antarctica in 1928. There is also anoutstanding hike, high up onto the rim of the crater.After leaving Deception Island, we cruise along the coastof Livingston Island which on a sunny day is a memorableexperience. There are several other landing sites in the SouthShetlands including Half Moon Island, or the broad pebblybeach at Yankee Harbour, where we sometimes encounterWeddell seals sunning themselves. This is another great spot fora hike or a Zodiac cruise. Hannah Point, with its elephant sealcolony and nesting Antarctic petrels - is another possibility. Inthe evening, we navigate north through the McFarlane Strait andinto the Drake Passage
Day 6 - DAYS 8-11 / SOUTHERN GERLACHE STRAIT EXPLORATION
While we’re enjoying the fabulous surroundings and revellingin our busy activity program, the research team will be out inthe Zodiacs observing and recording the movements of themigrating whales. This is done through non-invasive tags whichattach to the animals using suction cups for around 12-24hours. The digitally recorded data provides great insight into thefeeding behavior, dive profiles and migration patterns of severalwhale species. The science team will share their observationsand findings once back on board the ship and are happy todiscuss their important work. It provides a fascinating insightinto the current scientific field research happening in Antarctica.As we push further south we have a few more gloriouslocations to explore. Paradise Harbour provides us with anotheropportunity for a continental landing. A climb to the top of thehill above the old Argentine refuge reveals another spectacularviewpoint. Zodiac cruising under the cliffs here allows us toobserve nesting imperial cormorants, and after a short distancewe come to Skontorp Cove. This narrow body of water issurrounded by immense glaciers on three sides – one guestlikening it to a ‘heavenly ice cathedral’. It's easy to see why.We continue to push further south, hoping that ice conditionsallow for a transit of the Lemaire Channel. Snow covered cliffstower about the Lemaire on both sides and slowly navigating onthe ship through here is a thrilling experience. At Pleneau Island,we visit and observe a substantial gentoo penguin rookery. Inthe shallow waters nearby, we witness a vast field of icebergswhich have run aground after drifting on the current and thewinds. For many, a Zodiac cruise here will be a highlight of thetrip. A working science station is located in the vicinity and avisit to the base provides an intriguing insight into the life ofpermanent residents in Antarctica. The station staff welcomeus ashore and provide a tour of the facilities and explain theimportant climate change research work taking place.Nearby Winter Island allows for an excellent hike over a snowysaddle to an old historic hut. As we return to the ship, we castour gaze back to the north towards the soaring peaks of MountShackleton and nearby Mount Scott. This is an impressive sight.The time has come for us to weigh anchor and commence ourreturn journey to South America.
Day 7 - DAYS 12-13 / DRAKE PASSAGE – RETURN TO SOUTH AMERICA
As we make our way back to South America, the educationalpresentations continue and we enjoy an entertaining andmemorable voyage recap by our Expedition Leader. Join ourphotography experts at the multimedia stations and downloadyour precious images. If weather conditions allow, we hope tomake a rounding of Cape Horn. This fabled stretch of water ishome to legendary tales of exploration and early navigation. It isa fitting place to reflect on a wonderful expedition. Approachingthe entrance to the Beagle Channel in early evening light, weenjoy a special dinner attended by the Captain of the ship
Day 8 - DAY 14 / ARRIVE USHUAIA (ARGENTINA) – VOYAGE CONCLUDES
In the early morning, we arrive into Ushuaia, Argentina. It is timeto say farewell to your crew and fellow travellers. Guests will betransported to hotels or to the airport for return flights home. Itwill be possible to connect to flights through to Buenos Airesor other destinations in South America. Otherwise enjoy a nightin town or venture further afield to explore the highlights ofPatagonia
Day 9 - Please Note:
Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
26-02-202111-03-2021USD $14,195Triple Private
26-02-202111-03-2021USD $16,295Twin Private
26-02-202111-03-2021USD $17,595Superior
26-02-202111-03-2021USD $17,995Superior Plus
26-02-202111-03-2021USD $19,295Shackleton Suite
26-02-202111-03-2021USD $22,195One Ocean Suite

Inclusions

    • Encounter large numbers of whales and observe important scientific field research
    • Outstanding wildlife observation on shore, Zodiac cruising and from the ship
    • Visits to historic sites and science stations
    • Learn about the environment, wildlife and ecology of Antarctica from polar experts

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