On our way to the Peninsula we hope to sail past Elephant Island, the island on which Shackleton’s men endured 128 days before finally being rescued. Finally we sail for the peninsula where enormous tabular icebergs rise from the sea, hillsides are covered with thousands of penguins and seals bask on icebergs. These beach paradises are backed by some of the most breathtaking mountain scenery in the world. We will land on remote beaches, alive with great numbers of fur seals, elephant seals, wandering and sooty albatrosses, Macaroni and king penguins. We continue to South Georgia where we have ample quality time ashore to explore what is one of the world’s natural wonders with a remarkable concentration of wildlife. Our voyage begins in Ushuaia from where we will be followed by albatrosses as we sail to the Falkland Islands for our exploration of these isolated islands thriving with wildlife and a fascinating history. The expeditions of Scott, Amundsen, Shackleton, Ross, Byrd and many others are a shining example of honour, strength and perseverance which today still inspire us. Since then it is a land that has consistently challenged and inspired men of extraordinary character to deeds requiring extreme courage. The first person to set foot on Antarctica is thought to be an American sealer, Captain John Davis in 1821. Captain Cook became the first person to cross the Antarctic Circle in 1773 but never sighted land. Maps dating back to the late Medieval period show a continent named Terra Australis Incognita, ‘the unknown southern land’. Mere words cannot do justice to the awe-inspiring spectacle of this most southern of continents, this desert of ice which is so unique and uncommon to man’s experience, that even the most dramatic of photographs pale into insignificance when one is confronted by the sheer magnitude, beauty and wonder of the landscape.įor centuries myths abounded of a southern land but early exploration was hindered by the ice. In today’s highly accessible world there are few places that still hold the power to enthral and enchant.
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