Ross Sea Voyage

This afternoon you will transfer to Bluff, located in New Zealand’s far south, before embarking ship and setting sail.

The closest sub-Antarctic Islands to New Zealand, The Snares comprise two uninhabited and highly protected islands. North East Island is the largest of The Snares and is home to endemic birdlife including Snares crested penguins, Snares Island tomtit, sooty shearwaters, fernbirds and Antarctic terns.

The northern most island in the Auckland Islands archipelago, Enderby Island is also one of its most beautiful and easily accessible. An outstanding wildlife and birding location, the island was cleared of all non-endemic wildlife in 1994, resulting with the successful recovery of its native bird and vegetation species. Possible landing sites here include Sandy Bay, one of three breeding areas for the Hooker’s or New Zealand sea lion, a rare member of the seal family.

The northern most island in the Auckland Islands archipelago, Enderby Island is also one of its most beautiful and easily accessible. An outstanding wildlife and birding location, the island was cleared of all non-endemic wildlife in 1994, resulting with the successful recovery of its native bird and vegetation species. Possible landing sites here include Sandy Bay, one of three breeding areas for the Hooker’s or New Zealand sea lion, a rare member of the seal family.

In pictures

Plot a course for Macquarie Island. Along the way, your Expedition Team will provide lectures and presentations about some of the landscapes, wildlife and legends that will feature in the days to come. Out on deck, keep watch for numerous and varied albatross and petrel species.

Macquarie Island is a Tasmanian State Reserve that in 1997 became a World Heritage Site. The Australian Antarctic Division has its permanent base on this island at Buckles Bay, which Australian sealer Frederick Hasselborough discovered while searching for new sealing grounds. The island supports one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in the Southern Ocean. Vast colonies of king, gentoo, and southern rockhopper penguins – as well as almost one million breeding pairs of the endemic royal penguin can be found on the island. Elephant seals and various fur seal species, such as the New Zealand fur seal, are also present.

Macquarie Island is a Tasmanian State Reserve that in 1997 became a World Heritage Site. The Australian Antarctic Division has its permanent base on this island at Buckles Bay, which Australian sealer Frederick Hasselborough discovered while searching for new sealing grounds. The island supports one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in the Southern Ocean. Vast colonies of king, gentoo, and southern rockhopper penguins – as well as almost one million breeding pairs of the endemic royal penguin can be found on the island. Elephant seals and various fur seal species, such as the New Zealand fur seal, are also present.

In pictures

Continue across the expanse of the Southern Ocean. On-board lectures will concentrate on Antarctica and the Ross Sea region. Your guides will also be paying close attention to the water temperatures, so that they can inform you when you cross over the Antarctic Convergence.

Explore the highlights of the Ross Sea. Many factors play a role in shaping the expedition’s itinerary here, including sea, ice and weather conditions. Each day will be different, but your Expedition Team will be on hand throughout to entertain and educate you about this fascinating part of the world. There will be plenty of opportunities to explore local bays, visit penguin rookeries, scout for humpback and minke whales, and search for a number of southern seal species. Possible landing sites here include Cape Adare, which is where people, for the very first time, wintered on the Antarctic continent. The hut where the Norwegian Borchgrevink stayed in back in 1899 is surrounded by the largest colony of Adélie penguins in the world. Sailing south along the west coast of the Ross Sea, you may attempt a landing at the protected area of Cape Hallett to visit its large Adélie penguin rookery. Franklin Island and the Possession Islands are also both home to sizable Adélie penguin rookeries. Perhaps visit Ross Island, a huge expanse of highly elevated terrain situated at the base of the Ross Sea and guarded by looming Mount Erebus, Mount Terror and Mount Byrd. You may also visit the US-station McMurdo and New Zealand’s Scott Base. From McMurdo Station it is sometimes possible to take a substantial 10 km hike to Castle Rock where you will have a great view across the Ross Ice Shelf toward the South Pole. As you approach the Ross Ice Shelf, be sure to sit out on deck and observe the awesome spectacle of this vast mass of land-ice, with a front 30 metres high. In the Bay of Whales at the eastern side of the shelf, close to Roosevelt Island (named by the American aviator Richard E. Byrd in 1934 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt), Roald Amundsen set off on his expedition to the South Pole, where he finally arrived on 14 December 1911.

Explore the highlights of the Ross Sea. Many factors play a role in shaping the expedition’s itinerary here, including sea, ice and weather conditions. Each day will be different, but your Expedition Team will be on hand throughout to entertain and educate you about this fascinating part of the world. There will be plenty of opportunities to explore local bays, visit penguin rookeries, scout for humpback and minke whales, and search for a number of southern seal species.

Possible landing sites here include Cape Adare, which is where people, for the very first time, wintered on the Antarctic continent. The hut where the Norwegian Borchgrevink stayed in back in 1899 is surrounded by the largest colony of Adélie penguins in the world. Sailing south along the west coast of the Ross Sea, you may attempt a landing at the protected area of Cape Hallett to visit its large Adélie penguin rookery. Franklin Island and the Possession Islands are also both home to sizable Adélie penguin rookeries. Perhaps visit Ross Island, a huge expanse of highly elevated terrain situated at the base of the Ross Sea and guarded by looming Mount Erebus, Mount Terror and Mount Byrd. You may also visit the US-station McMurdo and New Zealand’s Scott Base. From McMurdo Station it is sometimes possible to take a substantial 10 km hike to Castle Rock where you will have a great view across the Ross Ice Shelf toward the South Pole.

As you approach the Ross Ice Shelf, be sure to sit out on deck and observe the awesome spectacle of this vast mass of land-ice, with a front 30 metres high. In the Bay of Whales at the eastern side of the shelf, close to Roosevelt Island (named by the American aviator Richard E. Byrd in 1934 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt), Roald Amundsen set off on his expedition to the South Pole, where he finally arrived on 14 December 1911.

In pictures

The ship will work its way through the sea-ice at the entrance of the Ross Sea and start the long journey north through the Southern Ocean.

Visit the sub-Antarctic New Zealand Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Campbell Island, with its abundance of luxuriant, blooming vegetation. The island is home to a large and easily accessible colony of southern royal albatross on the main island and breeding wandering, Campbell, grey-headed, black-browed, and lightmantled albatross on the satellite islands. Three penguin species – eastern rockhopper, erect-crested and yellow-eyed – also breed here. In the 18th century seals were hunted to extinction, but since their re-introduction, populations of elephant seals, fur seals and sea lions have recovered.

Visit the sub-Antarctic New Zealand Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Campbell Island, with its abundance of luxuriant, blooming vegetation. The island is home to a large and easily accessible colony of southern royal albatross on the main island and breeding wandering, Campbell, grey-headed, black-browed, and lightmantled albatross on the satellite islands. Three penguin species – eastern rockhopper, erect-crested and yellow-eyed – also breed here. In the 18th century seals were hunted to extinction, but since their re-introduction, populations of elephant seals, fur seals and sea lions have recovered.

In pictures

At sea en-route to Bluff, New Zealand

Arrive in Bluff where you depart for your homebound journey.