E xpedition C ruise
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P atagonia , C hile - F ebruary 2016
Strait of Magellan - Francisco Coloane Marine Park - De Agostini &www.patagoniaphotosafaris.com Almirantazgo Sound
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Day 0 We meet at 20:30 pm in the Restaurant Okusa, where we enjoyed a delicious welcome dinner. A good gathering and presentation of the expedition.
Day 1 - Punta Carrera We started the second photo-safari of the 2015-16 season by leaving the city of Punta Arenas, the capital of the Region of Magallanes, at an early hour in order to head to the Carrera Bay some 60 km to the south of the city. Once here we went on board the M/V Forrest where the crew members were waiting. This expedition ship measuring 26 metres was to be our home for the next seven days. We began our voyage by plying the waters of the Magellan Strait (the most important natural channel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and the place where Chile was created, both politically and geographically, on the 21st October 1520 when a Spanish expedition, led by the Portuguese captain Fernando de Magallanes [Ferdinand Magellan] discovered the eastern mouth of this strait) heading to the far end of the Almirantazgo Sound (on the island of Tierra del Fuego), a long sail of around 13 hours during which we observed Fuerte Bulnes (the first Chilean enclave in Patagonia, 1843) on the starboard side whilst to the port side we could see Dawson Island. After a peaceful sail passing through the Boquerรณn Pass and the Whiteside Channel (both of which separate the island of Tierra del Fuego from Dawson Island) we reached the end of the Almirantazgo Sound where we anchored behind the Los Albatros Isle.
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Day 2 – Caleta MarĂa We started our excursion to visit the isle of Los Albatros at 9 am and we were able to glimpse around seven birds of those that still remain on this small island. Due to the existence of the American mink, an animal that was introduced and which unfortunately feeds off the eggs of these birds, this colony has not thrived in the last two years. After this visit we headed in our boats to Jackson Bay on Tierra del Fuego, where we found around forty Southern Elephant Seals including around nine pups. This is a mixed colony which is used as a rookery, for breeding and for their moult (fur change). After observing these species, such as the albatross and Southern Elephant Seals, which are very difficult to observe in other places, we continued on our expedition heading to the Parry Fjord where we went on an excursion to the Nueva Zelanda Glacier. Just as we were lowering the boats we noticed a Leopard Seal which was resting on an iceberg, giving us another wonderful surprise and it was only the first day of our expedition. After stopping to photograph the Leopard Seal we then headed to the glacier to begin our hike of around four hours there and back. We were able to observe forests of Magellanic coihues (a type of beech tree) and we reached a glacier moraine after about 30 minutes from where we could see the glacial lake and were able to take a well deserved break to photograph the glacier before continuing on with the hike that bordered the lake over a lateral moraine until we reached the foot of the glacier itself. We returned to the boat for our dinner and then continued on to our next stop: a visit to the Magellanic penguins on the Tuckers Islands.
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Leopard seal in Parry Fjord
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Nueva Zelanda Glacier
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Day 3 - Tucker Islets We started our day at 9.15 am with an excursion in the boats to the Tuckers Islands where we were able to observe various bird species including the Magellanic penguin, which uses these islands for nesting, as well as Imperial Shags, Rock Shags, Kelp Geese, Chilean Skuas and Flightless Steamer Ducks. We were then able to observe a family of South American Sea Lions lying on some rocks. This was a visit enabling us to see many of the endemic species of Patagonia.
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Afterwards we headed to a beautiful and little known spot in Tierra del Fuego called Fitton Bay where we were to disembark in order to be able to visit the impressive Aosta Glacier. After this excursion the Forrest set off for our next destination, the De Agostini Fjord, an area of glaciers and incredible mountains. To reach our objective we had to navigate through the Gabriel Channel, the Magdalena Channel and Keats Sound in order to reach the Serrano Sound at the far end of the De Agostini Fjord. This is a protected area called the Alberto MarĂa de Agostini National Park which together with the Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn) Park forms the Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn) Biosphere recognized by UNESCO which is the most southerly biosphere in the world. We sailed throughout the night anchoring at around 3 am in the Angelito Bay. When we had a bit more light we were able to carry on and reach the Serrano Bay at the end of the fjord.
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Day 4 – De Agostini Sound In the morning we reached the moraine of the Serrano Glacier, one of the five glaciers in the bay which come off the Darwin Cordillera. We were able to walk along the moraine and photograph the entire front of the glacier getting into close contact with this beautiful and imposing mass of ice. We returned to the boat to enjoy lunch whilst the boat anchored in front of a beautiful but nameless glacier. We were able to explore the surrounding area. After two hours on the glacier´s beach we went back on board and a break in the clouds allowed us to observe Mount Sella, the Sella Cordillera, the Aosta and Giordano glaciers as well as various glaciers including Águila, Escondido, Vergara, Navarro and Serrano. Then we left Tierra del Fuego behind and headed towards the Francisco Coloane National Park. The highlight of this expedition
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Day 5 – Bårbara Channel Having anchored in the Barbara Channel, which is located in the protected coastal marine area of Francisco Coloane, we raised the anchor at 8 am in order to look for the Humpback whales which come from tropical waters during the months of November to May in order to feed in this area. We were in luck as early on we saw a group of seven whales in the area called Shag Pass. Watching them was like seeing the very ocean rise up to surface to breathe. We marvelled at these masters of the oceans. It was truly incredible to watch them feed, swim and live. After observing the whales from the deck of the Forrest we went below for lunch while the crew dropped anchor. After lunch we lowered the small boats so we could observe the whales up close. There are no words to describe this contact. Whilst they fed we photographed them and the sea lions that were frolicking around us. We took the opportunity to approach a colony of South American Sea Lions located on the Wet Islet, a resting site for this species. The whales were also there and we were able to watch eight whales (with two young calves amongst them) feeding amongst the boats. We felt elated to see how the population of humpbacks that come here every year to feed is increasing. Afterwards we continued on our course and from a distance we observed more whales. The rain had stopped so we went up onto the deck to watch a group of more than twelve whales feeding in the Magellan Strait. Then it was time for dinner and we anchored off the Charles Islands.
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Day 6 - Carlos III Island We headed to Ballena Sound to visit and contemplate the impressive Santa InÊs Glacier located on the island of the same name which is in the Alacalufes Reserve. This island has an area of 150 km² of ice and we visited the most beautiful of its glaciers. Once we reached the spot we disembarked on the banks of a glacial valley and we were rewarded that morning with a spectacular and privileged view. After around five hours here we returned to the Forrest for lunch and to continue on to Carlos III Island to visit Juan Capella, a marine biologist from the company WhaleSound who was to accompany us on whale watching in this area. We were able to see five whales in this area before we went on a visit to the Carlos III Island in order to learn about the environment, the flora of the sector and the facilities of WhaleSound. We anchored in front of the camp and returned back on board for dinner.
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Day 7 - Aguila Bay We set sail from the southeast of Carlos III Island at 6.30 am to start our return journey to our disembarkation point at Carrera Bay after a week in contact with the most pure and pristine that Patagonia has to offer. We still had nine hours sailing through the Magellan Strait passing landmarks such as Cape Froward, the most southerly point on the American continent as well as the San Isidro lighthouse, one of the oldest lighthouses found along the Strait and the most southerly on the continent. By 3 pm we reached Carrera Bay where we disembarked. We have arrived finishing a week completely disconnected from the rest of the world: a week in which we have journeyed through the channels and fjords at the end of the American continent learning about the inhospitable world Patagonia. What an amazing life experience. We leave with mixed feelings; we cannot wait to tell our family and friends what we have experienced and felt but we do not want to abandon this place. We leave behind the Forrest, our lovely home for seven days, a crew that made us feel as though we were at home and this place of unique beauty where the Humpback whales can live in peace observed only by those few who are lucky enough to come and visit.
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Patagonia Photosafaris expedition group María Inés Albornoz Andrea Crettier Bize Susana Chauriye aguad Cristobal Chauriye Hugo Carrillo Jonathan Serrano Vera Elias Mateluna Ibarra Francisco Dominguez Gerardo Muñoz Echeverría Gabriela Colina Jaramillo Alejandro Blanco Ismael Mena Gatica Helen McFadden Phil McFadden
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EXPEDITION GROUP - FEBRUARY 2016
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