birder1

I am looking for suggestions on the preferred way to cruise to Antartica with an emphasis on wildlife. For example, are the cruises with the zodiac excursions worthwhile?
Thanks,
Joe

fehgeddaboudit

Ant·arc·ti·ca
A continent lying chiefly within the Antarctic Circle and asymmetrically centered on the South Pole. Some 95 percent of Antarctica is covered by an icecap averaging 1.6 km (1 mi) in thickness. The region was first explored in the early 1800s, and although there are no permanent settlements, many countries have made territorial claims. The Antarctic Treaty of 1959, signed by 12 nations, prohibited military operations on the continent and provided for the interchange of scientific data.

KT_Tomlinson

My husband and I are taking an Antarctic cruise and then spending a week in Buenos Aires, and a few days at Iguazu Falls in February-March 2006. We have been working with Chuck at Expedition Cruises for the Antarctica part. He was very helpful -- asking questions about our ages, interests, etc., and recommended to us that we take a small ship (less than 100 people) that does at least 2 landings per day via Zodiac (weather permitting), so we could see the most wildlife, etc.

TripleSecDelay

I'm still searching for the part of Latin America that lies in the Antarctic Circle... Can anybody help?

birder1

KT
Thanks for the very specific information
Joe

lifelist

I'm assuming Joe is asking about Antarctica here because most of the ships depart from Ushuaia, Argentina. A smaller number depart from New Zealand.

You basically have three types of cruises - cruises on ice-strengthened vessels (or actual ice-breakers) which are oftentimes converted research vessels; standard cruises on massive ships, like the Marco Polo; or private yachts.

I assume a private yacht is out of the question - so it looks like your asking whether you just want one of the smaller ships or one of the big ships. If you're interest is in wildlife, then you certainly want one of the smaller ships with the zodiac excursions.

The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators have rules on visitation by the various ships. For example, no ship can land more than 100 passengers on any given landing site. Given that the big cruise ships hold much more than that, they are very limited in their ability to visit various landing sites. Also, larger ships are restricted on where they can go because of their size and the dangers of the ice. So, basically, a ship like the Marco Polo is left to cruise on the periphery of the peninsular islands, whereas, the smaller ships can get you in and out on the zodiacs and explore the smaller bays.

Also, the majority of small ship cruises will focus on Antarctic wildlife, though one can certainly find cruises that offer additional activities, such as diving, climbing, sea kayaking, and camping. Also, some cruises focus on certain aspects of Antarctica - photography, history, birding, etc...

So, if you're looking to spend time amongst the seals and wandering about penguin colonies, with the occasional close up whale watching excursion, the small ship tours are the way to go.

Go to the IAATO website at http://www.iaato.org/ where you'll find a list of operators who are members. Their websites should give you plenty of information.

I personally took a 12 day cruise with Quark Expeditions on the Akademik Shokalskiy and had a fantastic time. I booked through ExpeditionsTrips.com and they were great.

Here are some pictures from my trip:

http://www.pbase.com/escog/antarctica

birder1

Lifelist,

Thank you for the informative summary of the important information and links.

KT
How did you go about arranging for the Iguazu Falls portion of your trip?

Joe

birder1

Louie,

I enjoyed the pictures and they convinced me that your suggestion of the smaller ships is an excellent idea.

For others pursuing this topic the company that Louie used is apparantly Expedition Cruises-- expcruises.com

Thanks again,Joe

KT_Tomlinson

Joe -- We're using Cintia with WowArgentina, [email protected]
who's been mentioned very favorably by numerous users on this board. She is helping us with the Buenos Aires flight arrangements to/from Ushuaia and Iguazu, and with our hotel in Iguazu. She's been terrific and very organized and efficient. We're making our own arrangements for our stay in Buenos Aires, as we decided to rent an apartment for the week.
KT