END OF AN ERA BEGINS
This is the last time Kapitan Khlebnikov will sail down the Phantom Coast to the Ross Sea As of March 2012, the legendary icebreaker will no longer be a passengr vessel. This is the End of an Era for the most famous Antarctic expedition ship in history.
Following in the footsteps of some of the world’s greatest explorers, visiting well-known research stations, encountering rich Antarctic wildlife and traveling through some of the most impressive scenery on Earth, this really is a once-in-a-lifetime expedition.
Our journey sets out from Santiago, Chile, crosses the Drake Passage before reaching the South Shetland Islands. We continue along the Antarctic Peninsula towards Port Lockroy, home to a colony of gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags.
Crossing the Antarctic Circle, we enter the rarelyvisited region of the far south. Wildlife encounters during our journey should include emperor, gentoo, and yellow-eyed penguins, as well as the largest Adélie penguin colony in the world. We keep a watchful eye for orcas, humpback and minke whales, Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals.
During this voyage, we plan to visit the Phantom Coast, for which explorer Richard E. Byrd gave the coast its ghostly title.
For two centuries, the ice-locked coastline defied the efforts of explorers to chart it. Exploring the Phantom Coast is still a challenge for all but the toughest vessels. Our polar-class icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov can meet the challenge.
Weather permitting, we may visit McMurdo Station, Scott’s Discovery Hut and Sir Ernest Shackleton’s hut. We also hope to offer helicopter flights to the Dry Valleys, where rain hasn’t fallen for millions of years. We conclude our epic voyage in Lyttelton, New Zealand. |
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Accommodations
Travel aboard our icebreaker, Kapitan Khlebnikov; all cabins feature private facilities.
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