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Ross Sea Centennial Voyage - Kapitan Khlebnikov 2011/2012

1911 was a remarkable year in Antarctic exploration. In January, Robert Falcon Scott and the members of his expedition anchored off Ross Island in the Ross Sea. His intention was to be the first person to reach the South Pole. By December, the single most important goal of Antarctic exploration had been achieved by Roald Amundsen from his base camp in the Bay of Whales. The Norwegian reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911, just one month ahead of Scott.

This End of an Era expedition is Kapitan Khlebnikov’s penultimate voyage as an expedition vessel and the final time the icebreaker will sail the Ross Sea.

Note: Weather and other mitigating factors may result in changes to our itinerary and alteration to certain shore excursions.
Please note this is particularly important with regard to the flying of the helicopters.

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Tour Highlights

  • Seals
  • Robert Falcon Scott
  • McMurdo Station
  • Helicopter sightseeing in the Antarctic
  • Antarctica’s seabirds

Inclusions

    • One night pre-voyage hotel accommodation in Christchurch
    • Departure transfer on disembarkation day to the airport
    • Complimentary expedition parka - yours to keep
    • Shipboard accommodation
    • Port taxes
    • Highly experienced expedition leader, crew and lecturers
    • All meals including afternoon teas on most days
    • Access to public viewing areas
    • Shore excursions by Zodiac boat
    • All helicopter transfers and aerial sightseeing according to each day’s program
    • On-board lectures, videos, slide and film shows
    • On-board medical officer
    • Comprehensive pre-departure booklet and expedition manual
    • Rubber boots
  • Expedition cruise ship
  • Zodiac
  • 17 breakfasts, 15 lunches, 16 dinners

Ross Sea Centennial Voyage - Kapitan Khlebnikov 2011/2012

Day 1
Christchurch, New Zealand
Meals Privided:

Day 1 is an arrival day and you can arrive at any time. You will be on your own to make your own discoveries in Christchurch. A night in a hotel is included in the voyage price. No meals are included on Day 1.

Arrival Transfers: Arrival transfers from Christchurch international airport are not included in the voyage price. We recommend you arrange a taxi locally.

Day 2
Embarkation Day
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Dinner
Like Shackleton, Robert Falcon Scott boarded a ship in Lyttelton when he began his journey to the South Pole. As this voyage celebrates the 100th anniversary of his departure and Amundsen’s success, it is appropriate that you will embark Kapitan Khlebnikov in Lyttelton.
Day 3
At Sea
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
In addition to commemorating the most significant year in Antarctic history, we will be celebrating the End of an Era. While at sea, special guest Nigel Watson will prepare travellers for their visits to the Historic Huts of the Ross Sea region. Expedition Team members will reminisce about the discovery of Emperor Penguins rookeries, the first visit to the Dry Valleys, and all the other first made possible by the icebreaker.
Day 4
The Snares
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You will cruise in Zodiacs along the shoreline of one of the New Zealand subantarctic islands designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Snares is an archipelago without terrestrial mammals, making it a superb environment for birds and seals. Five million Sooty Shearwaters populate The Snares in the austral summer months. There species of Albatross breed on the islands, including the Buller’s Mollymawk. Travellers should carry binoculars, sighting the rate Snares Crested Penguin might be possible.
Day 5-6
The Auckland Islands
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The Auckland Islands are included in the UNESCO designated New Zealand subantarctic islands. Enderby Island, the largest in the archipelago is on every birders dream destination list, because of the rare species that inhabit the island. Put binoculars and a camera in your knapsack. You could spot a Yellow-eyed Penguin, known by the Maori people as hoiho. Or a Red-crowned Parakeet. Imagine seeing a penguin and parakeet in the same place!
Day 7
Campbell Island
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The third and final New Zealand subantarctic island travellers will visit during this expedition is Campbell Island. Your expedition parka that is provided will come in handy, as rain falls 325 days a year, mainly as light showers or drizzle. However the total annual accumulation is astounding – 1450 mm (57 inches). New Zealand declared Campbell Island a nature reserve in 1954. Vigorous eradication of introduced species has resulted in the successful recovery of native vegetation, invertebrates and the return of seabirds. The rarest species of duck in the world, the Campbell Island Teal, has been reintroduced successfully. Travellers may add two additional penguin species to their bird list – Erect-crested and Eastern Rockhopper. Campbell Island is a birder’s delight.
Day 8-9
At sea
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
How will travellers know when Kapitan Khlebnikov sails in Antarctic waters: When the icebreaker crosses the Antarctic Convergence aka the Antarctic Polar Front? This biological boundary is unique to Antarctica. Encircling the continent, it is an irregular, invisible curve where the cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters meet and mix with the warmer waters of the Indian, Pacific or Atlantic Oceans. The zone is about 32 to 48 km (20 to 30 miles) wide, somewhere between 48° and 61°S.
Day 10
Cape Adare
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
When travellers step ashore at Cape Adare, they will be stepping into Antarctic history. The first confirmed landing on the Antarctic continent by human beings occurred there. Ten men overwintered, the first to do so. By spring only nine were still alive, thus the first burial occurred in Antarctica on Cape Adare. An Adelie Penguin rookery has over run the historic hut that still stands on rocky shore.
Day 11-21
Ross Sea
Meals Privided:

From Cape Adare, Kapitan Khlebnikov will negotiate the ice of the Ross Sea, steaming southward into the historic heart of Antarctic exploration. Visits will be made to Emperor Penguin rookeries. There are three along the coast of Victoria Land. Travellers will visit research stations, where scientists are changing our understanding of the universe. At the historic huts erected by Scott and Shackleton, special guest Nigel Watson, will provide an insider’s view into their preservation.

If conditions permit, travellers will participate in a farewell flight to the Dry Valleys, accessible only by helicopter. Visits are planned to McMurdo Station and Scott Base, the contemporary legacy of the explorations of a century ago. Kapitan Khlebnikov’s farewell voyage to the Ross Sea is not to be missed.

Day 22-23
Balleny Islands
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The uninhabited Balleny Islands straddle the Antarctic Circle. The chain formed by the islands stretches across the Southern Ocean for 160 km (99 miles) from southeast to northwest. Adelie and Chinstrap Penguins breed on the islands formed by volcanic activity. Travellers will go ashore and cruise in Zodiacs past ice tongues in the channels and bays.
Day 24
At sea
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
During the day, travellers will bid Antarctica farewell, as the ship crosses the Antarctic Convergence once more. There will be a choice of activities – birding on the deck, attending illustrated presentations and recap sessions, or just lazing in a cabin, while completing a journal.
Day 25-26
Macquarie Island
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its unique geological features. Four species of penguin – Royal, King, Gentoo and Rockhopper breed on the island. Significantly, Macquarie is the only place on Earth where the white-chinned Royal Penguin is found. Elephant and fur seals laze about on the beaches. Australian researchers have been conducting studies on the island for half a century. The island has wonderful boardwalks laid down for visitors. However the number of visitors to the island is highly restricted to protect the wildlife.
Day 27-28
At sea
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Throughout the expedition, travellers will have enjoyed delicious dinners, not the least will be the Captain’s Farewell Dinner. The event will be made even more momentous by the fact the icebreaker will never return to the Ross Sea as an expedition vessel.
Day 29
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
After breakfast, travellers will be transferred to the airport for homeward flights.

IN A NUTSHELL

29 days
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