Welcome to Birdquest
THE SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN
A 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity
Birdquest's Subantarctic Islands of the Indian Ocean birding and wildlife watching tour is one of those rare adventures that are only on offer from time to time. Our Subantarctic Islands of the Indian Ocean tour explores some of the most remote and least-visited islands on our planet (Heard, Kereguelen, Crozet, St Paul and Amsterdam), home to a series of rare seabirds and other endemic birds. Needless to say, pelagic seabirding is extraordinary.
Wednesday 31st October -
Sunday 2nd December 2012
(33 days)
Leaders:
Mark Beaman and Heritage Expeditions staff
Group Size Limit: 12
Tour Category: Easy for the most part (some Moderate grade walking)
In the vast expanses of the southern Indian Ocean, it is a rare chunk of land that interrupts this immense sweep of sea and wind. Far and few, far and few are the lands where the seabirds come to breed in this remote part of our planet, and far apart and very few in number are those who have ever set foot on them.
With the exception of St Paul and Amsterdam (which lie roughly at the halfway mark between the Cape of Good Hope and Australia, and which once hosted a French fishing industry), most of the few islands that exist are situated to the south of the shipping lanes, so Prince Edward, Marion, the Crozets, Kerguelen and Heard were rarely visited except by whalers, sealers and penguin-oil collectors, and later by small numbers of explorers and scientists.
Yet these tiny fragments of land, both because of their small size and the fact they represent the sole possible breeding places for seabirds in this immense yet rich expanse of ocean, teem with life, offering a home for millions of seabirds of a great variety of species, and including a series of rarely-observed endemics and restricted-range specialities.
Being so far from anywhere, and not on the now comparatively well-travelled routes between southernmost South America or New Zealand and Antarctica, they are very rarely visited even by expedition ships, and in fact a cruise like this one (taking in the Crozets, Kerguelen, Heard, Amsterdam and St Paul, and thus all the regional specialities) is a once-in-10-to-20-years event. For most of us, this chance to explore the islands in 2012 represents a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity.
We start our epic journey in Mauritius and from there sail south to the wild grandeur of Heard Island, where most of the island is covered in glaciers, yet the island is volcanically active, with lava flows alongside the ice! Here we will find the restricted-range Black-faced (or Lesser) Sheathbill and the endemic Heard Island Shag, as well as King, Gentoo, Macaroni and Rockhopper Penguins, and large numbers of Antarctic Fur Seals and hulking Southern Elephant Seals.
Next we explore Kerguelen Island, which lies to the northwest of Heard. Discovered by Captain Yves Joseph de Kerguelen-Tremarec, who was searching for the supposed ‘Terra Australis’, this volcanic, plant-rich island is home to the endemic Kerguelen (or Eaton’s) Pintail and Kerguelen Shag, and the restricted-range Kerguelen Tern, while numerous other seabirds nest, including Wandering Albatross.
It is quite a long haul westwards to the Crozet Islands, where we plan to land on Isle de la Possession, home to Indian Yellow-nosed and Light-mantled Albatrosses, the endemic Crozet Shag and Kerguelen Tern, amongst others.
Our final port of call will be St Paul and Amsterdam Islands, far to the northeast of the Crozets, which hold a huge colony of Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, the rare Amsterdam Albatross (that breeds only here), the beautiful Sooty Albatross, Antarctic Tern and many other seabirds.
Those days at sea will not be wasted either as we look for a fantastic collection of pelagics including Kerguelen Petrel, St Paul, Salvin’s and Fulmar Prions, Flesh-footed Shearwater and White-bellied Storm-Petrel, to name just a few.
We shall be sailing on the Professor Khromov (capacity 48 passengers), a ship operated by Heritage Expeditions (who call her Spirit of Enderby). Ships of this class are Finnish-built vessels under Russian registry that were built in the 1980s and early 1990s under commission from the Academy of Sciences in Moscow. They were originally intended for oceanographic research, but were subsequently adapted for expedition-style cruising following the financial cutbacks that later affected all formerly Soviet research programmes. These ships are, of course, not ‘cruise ships’ in the traditional manner and will appeal most to those for whom exploring wild places and enjoying wild nature, rather than enjoying luxurious surroundings and ‘black-tie’ dinners with the officers, is the prime attraction.
Cabins are furnished with two berths and have some storage space and an outside view (many having en-suite bathroom facilities). Public facilities include restaurant, lounge/bar, lecture facilities and library. Food is plentiful, of good quality, waiter-served and prepared by European, New Zealand or Australian chefs. The ship carries a small complement of guest lecturers, including a naturalist, who give informal talks on the environment, wildlife and history of the subantarctic region and also guide shore excursions.
Landings are carried out by means of a fleet of zodiacs, the rugged, fast-moving inflatables developed by Jacques Cousteau for expedition work which allow safe landings on remote coastlines in all types of conditions. The sheer speed and efficiency with which the crew carry out these landings, coupled with the small complement of passengers, allows everyone plenty of time ashore. Further information about the cruise, including photographs and details of the ship layout, including cabin layouts, are available on the Heritage Expeditions website (www.heritage-expeditions.com). The great advantage of taking this particular cruise, if you are especially interested in seeing the subantarctic islands’ fantastic wildlife, is that the itinerary and day to day schedule are strongly wildlife-orientated, and the group will greatly benefit by having an experienced ornithologist guide.
(A day-by-day itinerary will be published here once Heritage Expeditions have determined and published the precise details.)
Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotel in Mauritius is of normal Birdquest standard. For details of the ship, see the introductory section. The transfers to and from the ship are by coach.
Walking: The walking effort is mostly easy, but there are a few optional harder walks.
Climate: Quite mild at this season. Temperatures range from cool to warm in the north of the subantarctic islands region and from cool to cold in the south (although even in the south it can feel relatively mild on a sunny day if there is no wind). It feels decidedly cold on windy days at sea in the far south, however! Sunny spells are interspersed with (often longer) overcast periods and some rain is to be expected.
Bird/Sea Mammal Photography: Opportunities are outstanding.
Tour Price: For Mauritius/Albany cruise-only arrangements, including one night accommodation in Mauritius: $21,500 in a Main Deck twin-berth cabin with shared bathroom facilities; $22,500 in a Superior Cabin with private bathroom; $23,000 in a Superior Plus Cabin with private bathroom; $24,500 in a Mini Suite with private bathroom; $27,000 in an Heritage Suite with private bathroom. In addition there will be a charge to cover the landing fees levied by the governments of France and Australia of $1000 per person. Price includes all transportation, all accommodations, all meals, some soft drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, leader services. Gratuities for the expedition staff and crew, and the taxi transfer to the hotel on arrival in Mauritius, are not included in the tour price. Gratuities are entirely at your discretion. The staff work very long hours to make such cruises a success, including a great deal of night sailing, and we have been told that most passengers give gratuities of around US$480-640 for such a 32 days cruise.
Single Cabin/Room Supplement: Single occupancy of most cabins can be obtained in return for an 80% supplement on top of the Mauritius/Albany cruise-only price (but suites require a 100% supplement); this supplement also entitles you to single room accommodation at the hotel in Mauritius. Please note that if you are willing to share but no cabin-mate is available you will not have to pay the single occupancy supplement.
Deposit: 25% of the tour price including any single supplement), rounded down to the nearest $.
Cancellation Charges: For cancellations made 121 days or more before departure, the cancellation charge is 80% of the deposit paid. For cancellations made 91-120 days before departure, the cancellation charge is 100% of the deposit paid. For cancellations made 1-90 days before departure, or on the day of departure or later, the cancellation charge is 100% of the tour price.
Important: Owing to the possibility, however small, of a severe airline delay, we would recommend that all participants not already in Mauritius travel out a day early and spend an extra night in Mauritius prior to the cruise. Kindly note that in the event you do not arrive in time, the ship will not wait and neither the cruise operator nor ourselves can make a refund in such circumstances. Arriving a day early also has the advantage that your luggage could still catch up with you, should it go astray. We can make hotel bookings for you on request.
Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.
Birdquest LLC, 3721 Executive Center Drive, Suite 268, Austin, TX 78731
Ph: 512-343-1700, Fax: 512-343-1701
top of pageWebsite crafted by the Accent Design Group.
|
|
|
|