Wildlife Photography and Leopard Seal Expedition (includes Polar Scuba Diving)
ON THIS EXPEDITION, you’ll be embarking on the ultimate diving experience, and as it happens, you’ve chosen the ultimate Antarctica expedition. In other words, your Antarctica adventure will be ultimate-squared.
Amos has led Antarctica expeditions for twelve seasons on vessels as large as a 100-guest ship and as small as a 76-foot sailboat. Additionally, Big Animals Expeditions has teamed up with Jerome Poncet, the pioneer of Arctic exploration with over 40 years of experience leading National Geographic and BBC on their documentary expeditions, as well as his son, Dion. Jerome has settled on the Hans Hannson as the perfect expedition vessel for the kind of Antarctica expedition he finds the most rewarding: a 21-day charter allowing at least 14 days of serious diving (compared to only 6 days on conventional tours). This provides maximum opportunities for spectacular photography of the leopard seal, the featured Big Animal on this trip, as well as the incredible variety of marine life you’ll encounter.
The Hans Hannson, at 81 feet, is a large, stable, ice-strengthened luxury yacht that is comfortable and roomy for 12 guests that’s able to sail to regions that the huge cruise ships can’t reach. On this trip, even our two Zodiacs are uncrowded, with just four guests in each boat. This allows you to explore each dive location more freely, as you use your camera to hunt for leopard seals on the hunt.
As one of only 12 guests, you’ll appreciate that there is no rigid itinerary to adhere to, so we can stay at a particularly good site is we want to, and with our small group, we’re the most environmentally-friendly expedition in Antarctica. Best of all, with our schedule dictated by what we see rather than what’s on the clipboard, you’ll have the freedom to follow the animals as nature provides them—and photograph them just as a BBC or National Geographic team would. After all, Amos has led those expeditions as well.
General Itinerary
Day 1: ARRIVE in Port Stanley, Falkland. Take a taxi from the airport to your designated hotel. Based on abundant experience, we begin this important expedition a day early for an equipment assessment. Before boarding the ship, we review all your personal diving and photography gear to ensure that you have everything you need to get the most out of your Antarctic expedition.
We meet in the evening for a briefing and dinner with the crew, expedition staff, and your new diving friends.
Days 2 – 8: We board the ship on the afternoon of Day 2 in Port Stanley, at the Falklands. We cruise south to the remote Orkney Islands in exclusive search for abandoned colonies of Chinstrap and Adelie, and devote time to seeing and photographing leopard seals’ natural hunting behaviors. Since we have the flexibility to move as soon as we want from one place to the next, we will cruise and cross the Drake Passage. Despite its reputation for rough seas, our records show over 60% of crossings take place in calm seas. In any case, our ship is well-suited for all weather conditions. As we cross the Antarctic Convergence, we arrive in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone, where we are likely to see the Wandering Albatross, Grey Headed Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, Cape Pigeon, Southern Fulmar, Wilson’s Storm-petrel, Blue Petrel, and Antarctic Petrel. Near the South Shetland Islands we glimpse our first icebergs.
Days 9 – 21: These are twelve amazing days of cruising and diving as we explore the vast islands of the southwest Antarctic Peninsula. From Deception Island in the north (weather permitting, we will land at Bailey Head with its colony of tens of thousands of Chinstrap Penguins) we sail through the breathtaking Gerlache Strait and Lemaire Channel. We have a good chance of encountering humpback whales, minke whales, fin whales and orca predation. At Pleneau Island, we sail among the stunning vestiges of once-massive icebergs, an ‘iceberg graveyard.’ At Pleneau we frequently bring back the best images of leopard seal predation, as well as from Coverville, Port Lockroy, Astrolabe and Gourdin Island. During this time, activities include zodiac cruises, snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, photography workshops, and lectures.
With only 12 guests on board, we can be flexible in our itinerary to take advantage of the best that Antarctica has to offer, and better respond to weather and ice conditions to pursue wildlife encounters and photographic opportunities: visiting secluded bays, seeking out remote sites for penguin colonies and leopard seals, staying out long hours for shooting in rare bright light conditions. All in all, we’ve created a perfect platform for both amazing photography and unforgettable life experiences.
Days 21 – 23: We leave the Antarctic Peninsula and start our cruise back to port Port Stanley, Falklands, crossing the Drake Passage again, at which you’re now an old hand. Leave the vessel to catch the connecting flight from Port Stanley to Santiago, Chile.
Day 24: DEPART Santiago Chile airport en route to your next destination.
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About the Hans Hannson
Your home for this adventure is the expedition vessel, the Hans Hannson. With a length of 81 feet, a shallow draft of 3.40 meters and an ICE-C ice-class rating, she can sail to areas where many vessels, other than private yachts, cannot. This is truly a unique ship, being strong enough for true polar expeditions.
The vessel accommodates a select group of only 12 passengers with two expert guides and a crew of at least six. The six guest cabins are two in suites and two bunk cabins. The atmosphere onboard is relaxed and informal.
About diving in Antarctica
Antarctica offers spectacular diving along iceberg walls, and within an unbelievable ecosystem of fascinating marine life, such as seals, sea snails, crabs, sea butterflies, various Antarctic fish, shrubby horsetails, jellyfish, sea hedgehogs and starfish. We will focus on encounters with swimming penguins, sea lions, and with the star of the show, the leopard seal.
Antarctica diving is unique to any other diving experience you’ve ever had because there are no designated ‘diving sites.’ We must constantly monitor the weather conditions and the flow of ice to ensure safety and pleasure. We do our best daily to have find sites that make every dive an adventure!
Activities
In addition to scuba diving, we plan on snorkeling for at least one or two dives per day, weather and ice permitting. Also, as time permits, we’ll go ashore at the most interesting sites, to investigate unique landscapes, historic explorer huts, and penguin colonies.
Diving Equipment:
All divers must have logged at least 50 dry suit dives. You will need the following equipment:
- Dry suit with hood
- Thick and warm underwater garment (2 sets), dry gloves or extra under gloves
- Two – Freeze-protected regulators set up
- 2 separate regulators, because we dive with bottles with H valves. This means that we dive with two separate regulators (first and second stage) for the highest safety.
- Stabilizing jacket, BC
- Depth and pressure gauges, watch or computer
- Knife, Mask, fins and snorkel
- Weight belt (weights available onboard)
Equipment Onboard:
Onboard we have two compressors and 15 steel bottles of 12 liters (DIN and Yoke connection) with two separate H Valve outlets, and weights. We do not have any rentals on board. Please make sure you pack all your personal dive gear before leaving.
Travel Documents:
US citizens are required to have a valid passport and round-trip air ticket
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Tour price includes:
- Voyage aboard the Hans Hanssen for 22 days and 21 nights
- Transfers to and from the vessel, when taking designated flight in
- All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea
- All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac
- All diving services, tanks and weights
- Photography presentation and instruction
- Leadership by experienced expedition staff
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program
Not included in Tour Price:
- All airfare
- Overnight in Santiago, Chile
- Land travel arrangements
- Passport and visa expenses
- Government arrival and departure taxes
- Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (strongly recommended)
- Excess baggage charges on all flights
- All items of a personal nature such as laundry, meals ashore, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges
- Customary gratuity at the end of the voyage for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided)
- Additional costs incurred due to independent travel arrangements
Payment Policy & Deposit:
When we receive your deposit, with your confirmation we will send you a comprehensive and detailed Trip Preparation Bulletin about the experience and the destination. All flights and trip costs are subject to change without prior notice until your reservation is confirmed. All rates are quoted per person in US$, based on twin occupancy.
- A non-refundable deposit of $6,300 is required to secure a space on the Expedition.
- Full payment is due no later than 90 days before departure.
- We reserve the right to sell any space that is not paid in full by 60 days before departure.
- Refund is made if replacement was found less unrecoverable costs of sales, administration special promotion.
- Cancellation must be made in writing, 90 days before departure.
- No refund is made for unused part of the itinerary.
A general note
Please note that the itinerary in the Antarctic is always “weather and ice permitting.” Programs may vary depending on local conditions in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife. The final itinerary for each voyage will be determined by the Expedition Leader on board. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. It is always possible that because of the pack and drift ice, a change in our sailing schedule will result. It’s also possible that certain bays or fjords are closed because of ice. In such cases, we will re-route our voyage. Possible alterations that relate to weather and ice conditions can never be a reason for reimbursement claims. When changing the itinerary, we assure you that we will do our utmost to provide the best alternate plan.
For payment, please mail your check to:
Big Animals Expeditions
2000 Broadway, Suite #1204
San Francisco, CA 94115
Information current as of August, 2011. Dates and prices may be subject to change without prior notice.
For Booking and/or further questions, please contact Amos:
Phone: (415) 923-9865
Toll free: 877-229-4253
Email: phototrips@biganimals.com
We look forward to your joining us on this adventure of a lifetime!
To join us, please complete the Registration Form.
