Itinerary

Day 1: In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia and sail down the Beagle Channel where we hope to see Magellanic Penguin and Magellanic Diving Petrel. The expedition begins at the southern tip of Argentina and sails to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Days 2-3: At sea in the Drake Passage, an excellent selection of seabirds can be looked for including Kerguelen, Blue, Soft-plumaged and White-chinned Petrels, Wandering, Black-browed, Grey-headed and the elegant Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses; Cape Petrels, Antarctic Fulmars plus Slender-billed and Antarctic Prions, to name but a few.  A number of cetaceans are also likely in these wild oceans.

Day 4: After cruising through the Antarctic Sound, we plan to land at Hope Bay or Brown Bluff, to set foot on the Antarctic Continent itself. In this area chances are good for encounters with Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie Penguins, Weddell and Leopard Seals plus Lesser Snow Petrels. Killer and Antarctic Minke Whales may be seen here too, as we sail through these often ice-filled waters and into the Weddell Sea.

Day 5: In the morning we hope to slowly cruise the semi–frozen waters of the Weddell Sea, birthplace of huge tabular icebergs, and startling blue ice blocks. Among this icy wonderland we will search for Lesser Snow Petrels, Antarctic Terns and haul outs of Crabeater and other seals. This route covers areas Shackleton and his men saw, it truly is a privilege to be in such a historic and pristine wilderness. At Paulet Island we should find some late Adelie Penguins near the remains of the Nordenskjold Expedition’s hut, and an Antarctic Shag colony.  Our time here in Antarctica will be entirely dictated by weather and ice conditions.

Day 6: On our way north, we spend the day at sea, hopefully encountering spectacular drift ice around which we could see Antarctic Prions, Black-bellied Storm Petrels, more Cape Petrels and with luck, Lesser Snow and Antarctic Petrels and even an Emperor Penguin if we are very lucky. 

Day 7: Time and weather permitting, we plan a landing at one of the islands in the South Orkneys, and we may be able to visit the staff of an Argentinian Base.

Day 8: On our way to South Georgia, we should witness another multitude of seabirds and cetaceans in the Scotia Sea.

Days 9-11: In South Georgia we plan visits to the abandoned whaling settlement at Grytviken, the King Penguin colony on Salisbury Plain, and the breeding Wandering Albatrosses on Prion Island in the Bay of Isles.  We plan to Zodiac cruise Macaroni Penguin colonies, land at Cooper Bay and Gold Harbour and cruise into Drygalski Fjord, all with stunning snow-capped peaks above them. Some Southern Elephant Seals should still be present whilst Antarctic Fur Seals will have cute young pups here. We have three wonderful days on this beautiful sub-Antarctic island where the endemic South Georgia Pintail and South Georgia Pipit can be expected too. 

Days 12-16: In the westerlies we should have a good tailwind, and on both sides of the Antarctic Convergence we will observe many species and great numbers of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic seabirds.  Many of the seabirds previously seen will be encountered plus Fairy Prions, Grey-backed, Black-bellied and White-bellied Storm-Petrels, Atlantic, Grey and Great-winged Petrels, Great and Sooty Shearwaters, Common and South Georgian Diving Petrels, Southern and Northern Giant Petrels plus up to eight forms of albatross (Wandering, Tristan, Grey-headed, Black-browed, Sooty, Light-mantled Sooty, Shy and Atlantic Yellow-nosed). Our first of the handsome, but seriously endangered Spectacled Petrels should be encountered, along with Subantarctic Little Shearwaters.

Day 17: We will head for Gough Island, a World Heritage Site, remote and spectacular home to millions of breeding seabirds. Landing is not permitted, but subject to weather conditions, we plan to Zodiac cruise close to the shore and look for the endemic Gough Moorhen and Gough Bunting plus Northern Rockhopper Penguins and the distinctive local form of Sub-Antarctic Fur Seal.

Days 18-20: In the Tristan da Cunha archipelago we plan to call at the settlement of Edinburgh at the north-western corner of the main island. We allow a reserve day for bad weather, which is very common here.  Known as the remotest inhabited island in the world, Tristan has hardly any birds of its own left now, thanks to rats and cats, so we also plan to visit nearby Nightingale Island (weather and landing conditions permitting) where Great Shearwaters nest in their thousands, criss-crossing the island and emerging from the eight-foot high tussock grass. Tristan Thrushes and Tristan Buntings should be hopping around our feet and the much scarcer Grosbeak Bunting may be seen. We will also encounter Atlantic Yellow-nosed and Sooty Albatrosses plus more Northern Rockhoppers. We hope to gain permission again to visit Inaccessible Island (weather and landing conditions permitting) with its amazing mouse-like Flightless Rail and endemic bunting.

NB: The actual weather and local sea conditions in the last few years mean the chance of landing in the Tristan archipelago is currently less than 50%. Landings cannot even be attempted on Nightingale or Inaccessible until you have been ashore at the settlement first, due to local laws.

Days 21-24: At sea again, we now enter sub-tropical waters with their own brand of seabirds and dolphins, and with many of the participants (birds and passengers) changing from winter to summer plumage on this sector! We will leave many seabird friends behind now, most sadly the last of the albatrosses amongst them. Spectacled Petrels stay with us the longest usually. New species should include Madeiran Storm-Petrel and the bat-like Bulwer’s Petrel, whilst flying fish definitely add a tropical edge. Expect calmer seas and balmy days.

Days 25–27: St. Helena has a good anchorage at Jamestown. This is another island with few birds owing to man’s activities.  Just 11 land bird species breed here, nine of which have been introduced.  The most important is the Wirebird, a small thin-legged plover breeding in fields in the centre of the island, where we will find them holding territories in the local pastures. White Terns nest all along the coast and in town in the trees. Red-billed Tropicbirds and noddies fly around our vessel at anchor, whilst Pantropical Spotted Dolphins can often be seen in the distance, occasionally leaping several metres into the air, hanging motionless for a few seconds and then spinning back into the water. The WildWings group normally also enjoy a cruise in a local boat for the dolphins and breeding seabirds with a chance of a Whale Shark too, as well as undertaking an optional full-day tour, including some of the Napoleon sites. Optional dinners ashore in local restaurants are highly recommended.

Days 28-29: At sea, the infamous ‘doldrums’, with more lazy balmy days. Cory’s Shearwaters and Sooty Terns should start to appear. We often encounter Sperm Whales on this leg.

Days 30-31: Ascension Island is a dry volcanic island with a moist and richly vegetated top known as Green Mountain. The Sooty Tern (Wide-awake) colony can hold up to one million breeding pairs when the birds are present. We plan to Zodiac cruise Boatswain Bird Island, an offshore stack where the endemic Ascension Frigatebirds hang in the air in squadrons of thousands, and Masked, Red-footed and Brown Boobies and the beautiful White-tailed Tropicbirds also compete for space to breed. Some seabirds are now nesting on the adjacent main island again. In the evening we hope to witness egg-laying Atlantic Green Turtles coming ashore.

Day 31: RAF scheduled flight departs Ascension to Brize Norton in the evening, to arrive next morning (Day 32). Please note that the date this service will operate is subject to final confirmation for 2011 and 2012. The service can also be subject to operational delays, so passengers should be flexible at the end of the voyage. Full confirmation is normally expected in January for April of the same year. If the RAF changes their operational dates, passengers will have to stay on Ascension until the next flight. We would be able to arrange accommodation for you at your own expense or stay onboard the ship:

Days: 32-36: At sea (crossing the Equator with King Neptune!). Seabirds to look out for now include Boyd’s (Audubon) and Cape Verde Shearwater, Fea’s Petrel, White-faced Storm-Petrels plus tropical dolphins and the smaller whales eg Melon-headed and False Killer. 

Days: 37: Fogo, Cape Verde Islands. An island tour is planned with chances to see Cape Verde Swift, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Spannish Sparrow and Spectacled Warbler.  More seabirds can be expected in these waters.

Day 38: Sao Tiago, Cape Verdes. Disembark ship at Praia. Optional land birding for some of the endemics may be offered.

 

NB: As applies to all expedition cruises, the exact sea itinerary and landings will be subject to weather, local conditions and government permissions.

Please also see the West African Pelagic, 3^rd – 10^th May 2011 (Cape Verde to Madeira) below.

Single cabins x 1.7 of twin share price

All prices per person.

Deposit 10%

 

Advance register for 2012, TBA March – TBA April for £50 per person (refundable).

 

Price includes: Voyage with accommodation as booked, including all meals, infinite tea and coffee, Zodiac cruises and landings, port taxes and landing fees, specified shore excursions, lectures and services of expedition team, daily sea watching sessions and evening log (at sea), services of WildWings leader (Ushuaia – Cape Verdes), pre-tour information pack and day by day bird and mammal checklist.

 

Price excludes: Flights (UK – Ushuaia from £585, Ascension – UK from £660, Praia – UK from £499), vessel fuel surcharges if applicable, Ushuaia hotel for two nights from £60 per person per night b & b including transfers, gratuities (suggested US$10 a day on board ship), travel insurance, optional birding excursion in Ushuaia (The Tierra del Fuego National Park on the day prior to sailing, approx £85), other drinks and items of a personal nature.

 

We are pleased to offer another new, very affordable itinerary, which will appeal to all seabird and cetacean buffs, to an area where some highly desired West Palearctic tubenoses can be seen, some of which are in the process of ongoing species ‘splitting’at this time. By the time it actually happen additional texts will be available to aid ID. This voyage potentially saves a lot of money compared to the series of multi-island visits currently required to see these species. These seas are generally calm and therefore the chances of a high cetacean list also seem strong. A WildWings evening log will be held nightly onboard followed by ID discussions and the day’s photo analysis after dinner for those interested.  We will encourage the use of onboard walkie-talkie radios to try and maximise everyone’s personal sightings. Daylight hours will be from 0600 to 1900 increasing by an hour by the end of the voyage.

 

Our voyage will start in Praia, Cape Verdes and sail north, hugging the coast of West Africa and finally via the Canary Islands to Madeira (see itinerary below). There are no landings. Potential seabirds include Scopoli’s, Cape Verde , Cory’s, Boyd’s (Audubon’s), Barolo’s (Little) and Manx Shearwaters, Fea’s and Zino’s Petrels, White-faced, Band-rumped (Madeiran), Monteiro’s and Wilson’s Storm-Petrels, Bulwer’s Petrel, Magnificent Frigatebird, Red-billed Tropicbird and Brown Booby. Other species should include skuas plus various terns and gulls and of course with being out on the ocean the odd surprise or two! We will chum at certain points during the voyage to try and bring closer seabirds to us. We will also offer optional land birding on Cape Verde and Madeira subject to group demand.

 

The cetacean list could include Sperm, Fin and Short-finned Pilot Whales plus Common, Bottlenose, Atlantic Spotted and Rough-toothed Dolphins but many more species of whale and dolphin are likely too including various beaked whales. A few Mediterranean Monk Seals still exist around the Deserta Islands. Other marine life such as Loggerhead Turtles, Ocean Sunfish plus flying fish and flying squid should also be encountered.

 

This voyage will be in effect a second extension of the 2011 Atlantic Odyssey but you may join the ship just for this 8 night sector. Our ship will be the newly converted Plancuis, a comfortable expedition cruise ship that is currently in Antarctica for it’s first passenger season. She carries a maximum of 110 passengers in quadruple, twin and superior twin cabins, all with shower and wc and a window or port hole. More importantly she boasts lots of open deck space, allowing excellent viewing in all directions, perfect for a pelagic. She has a restaurant and a spacious observation lounge and bar with panoramic windows on deck 5.

 

Itinerary

Day 1: Embark* by 1300 and sail mid-afternoon from Praia, Cape Verde.

Day 2: At sea in the waters of the Cape Verdes, circumnavigations of both Branco and Raso are planned.

Day 3:  At sea heading north east towards the coast of Africa.

Day 4: Sailing north along the shelf-edge, off Mauritania (18 degrees north)

Days 5 & 6: Continue sailing north along the shelf-edge off the coast of the Western Sahara (22 and 26 degrees north)

Day 7: Morning sailing through the Canaries, evening circumnavigation of the Salvage Islands.

Day 8: Early morning circumnavigation of the Desertas. Arrive Funchal Madeira at approx 1100, disembark.

 

NB: As applies to all expedition cruises, the exact sea itinerary will be subject to weather, local conditions and government permissions.

 

* You may embark from Midnight, 2^nd May.

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Holiday Information

 

Leaders:	Simon Cook and John Brodie-Good plus the ship’s staff.
Dates:	3rd – 10th May 2011
Vessel:	Plancius,all cabins with private facilities.
Triple berths	£899
Twin share	£1199
Twin share superior	£1299
Single cabins x 1.7 of twin share price All prices per person. Deposit 10%

Price includes: Voyage with accommodation as booked, including all meals, infinite tea and coffee, Zodiac cruises if applicable, port taxes, services of ship’s team, daily sea watching sessions and evening log (at sea), services of WildWings leader/s, pre-voyage information pack and day by day bird and mammal checklist.

 

Price excludes: Flights (UK – Praia, Funchal – UK from £769 including taxes), vessel fuel surcharges if applicable, onboard crew gratuities (suggested Euros10 a day on board ship), travel insurance, pre and/or post voyage hotels, other drinks and items of a personal nature.