We departed Ushuaia and navigated our way along the Beagle Channel, the winding waterway that divides Chilean and Argentinean Tierra Del Fuego.
Within a couple of hours we had already undertaken our mandatory life boat drill; everyone assembled at the stern in wet weather gear and life jackets. We all hoped that this would be the only time we would need to do this!
The light and scenery as we ventured along the Channel was quite beautiful and calm; a stark contrast to the open ocean – the sea picked up as soon as we moved out of the Channel and the ship ‘came alive’.
Our ship for the expedition is the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, a decommissioned Russian polar research vessel (or spy ship?) named after a prominent Russian scientist. The market enabling people to visit Antarctica only really opened up with the collapse of the Soviet Union – a whole fleet of research vessels were decommissioned and bought by scientific and research groups and travel operators.
Within a couple of hours we had already undertaken our mandatory life boat drill; everyone assembled at the stern in wet weather gear and life jackets. We all hoped that this would be the only time we would need to do this!
The light and scenery as we ventured along the Channel was quite beautiful and calm; a stark contrast to the open ocean – the sea picked up as soon as we moved out of the Channel and the ship ‘came alive’.
Our ship for the expedition is the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, a decommissioned Russian polar research vessel (or spy ship?) named after a prominent Russian scientist. The market enabling people to visit Antarctica only really opened up with the collapse of the Soviet Union – a whole fleet of research vessels were decommissioned and bought by scientific and research groups and travel operators.
day 2, at sea
The first full day of our trip was spent at sea en route to the Falkland Islands. We had to undertake a mandatory IAATO briefing (‘International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) which essentially sets out the conservation rules for all visitors to Antarctica, including in particular, that you should not approach any wildlife within 5 metres (although wildlife may approach you); our second mandatory briefing covered the use of zodiacs – the boats we use to get to shore (think Jacques Cousteau – or ‘The Life Aquatic’!).
The rest of the day was spent familiarising ourselves with the ship and watching the huge Wandering and Black Browed albatrosses and Southern Giant petrels that followed the stern, gracefully gliding on the air currents. We even spotted Orcas in the distance.
Excerpt from Peregrine website:
As we sail to the northeast, we have the chance to enjoy a series of presentations that will prepare us for all our Antarctic adventures to come. On deck, the first sightings of albatross and petrels are likely to add to the sense of excitement.
As we sail to the northeast, we have the chance to enjoy a series of presentations that will prepare us for all our Antarctic adventures to come. On deck, the first sightings of albatross and petrels are likely to add to the sense of excitement.
