Ushuaia to Cape Town
March 3, 2011 • 22 Days • Voyage 7106

Expedition Highlights:

Silversea's Expedition Ship, the Prince Albert II

• Follow in the footsteps of great Antarctic explorers
• See snow-covered mountains, mighty glaciers and spectacular iceberg sculptures
• Encounter penguins: Magellanic, rockhopper, gentoo, macaroni, king, Adelie, and African (jackass)
• Watch for sea lions, seals, dolphins, and whales
• Identify seabirds including albatross, shearwaters and petrels
• Discover historic sites of the early explorers and the remains of whaling operations
• Visit the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world
• Savour world-renowned South African wines

Expedition Team:

Zodiac from the Silversea's Prince Albert II

Expedition Leader: Robin West
Asst Expedition Leader: Jarda Versloot
General Naturalist: Daniil Elterman
General Naturalist: Chris Srigley
Marine Biologist: Chris Cutler
Marine Biologist: Robin Aiello
Geologist: Juan Carlos Restrepo
Ornithologist: JJ Apéstegui
Botanist: Hans-Peter Reinthaler*
Photographer: Richard Sidey

*German-speaking lecturer

Dr. David E. Guggenheim, Special Guest Lecturer
Dr. David E. Guggenheim is a marine scientist, conservation policy specialist, submarine pilot and ocean explorer. He is president of 1planet1ocean, a project of The Ocean Foundation where he is a Senior Fellow and director of its Cuba Marine Research and Conservation Program. He is currently leading a major project to elevate collaboration in marine science and conservation among Cuba, Mexico and the U.S. to a new level and leading the first-ever comprehensive research and conservation program in Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico region, a joint effort with the University of Havana. Also known as the “Ocean Doctor” and host of “The Ocean Doctor” radio show and the “ExpeditionCasts” podcast series, Dr. Guggenheim is currently engaged in a special expedition to all fifty U.S. states visiting schools and bringing special programs about ocean exploration and conservation to young students. So far he has traveled more than 35,000 miles, visited 13 states, made 39 speeches and reached more than 10,000 students in schools ranging from the northernmost community in North America, Barrow, Alaska, to Macksville, Kansas, close to the geographic center of the lower 48 states, to the southern tip of Florida. In 2007 he served as a scientific advisor to Greenpeace for its expedition to map deepwater corals in the Bering Sea where he piloted the first-ever manned submersible dives into the Bering Sea’s largest underwater canyons. Guggenheim played a lead role in building the recently-formed Gulf of Mexico Alliance, a partnership among the U.S. Gulf states and 13 federal agencies and Mexico. Guggenheim is also working to introduce cutting-edge technologies for sustainable aquaculture practices to the Americas to reduce pressure on overfished wild fish stocks. Guggenheim previously served as Vice President at The Ocean Conservancy, President & CEO of The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, co-chair of the Everglades Coalition and president of the Friends of Channel Islands National Park.

ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT
David O. Frazier • Joe Garry • Marty Henne
~ Special Guest Entertainers to Illuminate our Days at Sea ~

Luxurious Accommodations Aboard the Prince Albert II

Theatre veterans, David Frazier and Joe Garry, will offer a series of original cabaret lectures reflecting the voyage destination through historical characters. For our voyage they have developed special plays relating the stories of Winston Churchill’s time in South Africa, Admiral Byrd and Ernest Shakleton’s exploration of the Falkland Islands, and Napoleon’s exile on St. Helena. David and Joe will also share stories of musical theatre from their unique behind-the-scenes perspective. They have worked with such luminaries as Audrey Hepburn, Sarah Vaughn, Rosemary Clooney and Marvin Hamlish. Their award-winning television show “Odysseys and Ovations” currently airs on PBS in the United States, and highlights travel and the arts.

Sophisticated. Warm. Funny. Intelligent. Entertaining. These are just some of the words that have been used to describe a performance by pianist, singer and raconteur Marty Henne. And what a performance it is. Marty shares not only well-known songs, but little-known stories about the writers who wrote them. Marty has accumulated a wealth of first-hand anecdotes about the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart and other world-famous songwriters and celebrities of the twentieth century. An evening spent with Marty is one filled with stories, smiles and, of course, great music!

Day 1 — Ushuaia, Argentina
Embark Prince Albert II and meet some of your fellow explorers as you become acquainted with the luxurious amenities found onboard. This evening, after settling in and setting sail, you will be introduced to your Expedition Team.

Day 2 — Cape Horn, Chile
This morning we cruise past the rocky promontory of Cape Horn – the southernmost point in South America and for many years an important navigational landmark. Its meridian point serves as a dividing line separating the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Approximately 49,000 km² of this extreme southern region has been declared a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Conditions permitting, we will go ashore to explore this bleak and beautiful landscape at the end of the world, and photograph the caretaker’s house set on the point surrounded by the last rocks of the American continent.

Day 3 — At Sea
Gather in The Theatre to hear fascinating tales of adventure and to learn more about the region’s endemic wildlife and remarkable nature. Our knowledgeable Lecture Staff members are experts in a variety of scientific fields. Other onboard diversions include spa treatments, a workout in the Fitness Centre, and, of course, exquisite dining experiences.

Day 4 —  West Point Island, Falkland Islands
Saunders Island, Falkland Islands
Watch for Peale’s dolphins and the distinctive black and white markings of the Commerson’s dolphin as we approach small West Point Island. Upon landing by Zodiac, we find photographic opportunities are everywhere as we walk across the rolling moorland. Our 1.25-mile hike takes us to Devil’s Nose, a rocky promontory where we hope to encounter a colony of approximately 14,500 pairs of black-browed albatross that nest side-by-side with feisty rockhopper and Magellanic penguins. Learn about the island’s unique vegetation including the rare Felton plant. After our hike, we will enjoy tea and cookies at the settlement. The hospitable island owners, Lily and Roddy Napier, are always happy to answer your questions and share their stories.

Following lunch, the Prince Albert II will anchor off Saunders Island – the second largest offshore island within the Falkland Islands archipelago. We plan to land our Zodiacs at The Neck, a narrow part of the island, where we will begin our explorations, hoping to encounter four different types of penguin species: king, gentoo, rockhopper and Magellanic.

Day 5 — Stanley, Falkland Islands
Stanley is the capital of the remote Falkland Islands, and has a distinct British ambience. Stroll through the charming streets of this colourful little town, lined with quaint cottages and a variety of traditional pubs. Visit the 19th-century Anglican cathedral and wander through the small local museum. Some lingering reminders of the 1986 Falklands War between Britain and Argentina may still be seen though the island has settled back to its quiet business of raising sheep.

Days 6-7 — At Sea
Binoculars and camera in hand, head out on deck to watch for seabirds and marine mammals. Attend informative lectures that will prepare you for the upcoming ports-of-call and the adventures that lie ahead. Peruse an array of titles and topics in the well-stocked Library, enjoy the finest cigars and cognacs at the Connoisseur’s Corner or indulge in any of the other special amenities offered aboard ship.

Days 8-11 — South Georgia
This breathtaking destination of towering snow-covered mountains, mighty glaciers, and low-lying grasslands attracts an astounding concentration of wildlife: Southern fur seals, southern elephant seals and a variety of albatross species including black-browed, light-mantled sooty, grey-headed and the spectacular wandering albatross, plus thousands of king and macaroni penguins.

South Georgia is also linked to the early Antarctic explorers. Captain James Cook first stepped ashore in 1775, but perhaps more famous is Ernest Shackleton’s arrival in 1916 following the sinking of his ship, theEndurance. Visit Shackleton’s grave and the whaling museum at Grytviken.

Here are some of the places we may visit:

Cooper’s Bay

• An unforgettable view of huge icebergs can be seen surrounding Cooper’s Bay as we approach.
• Go ashore by Zodiac to see numerous breeds of penguins, such as macaronis and chinstraps, on the rocks and waters surrounding the island.

GoldHarbour

• A large king penguin colony can be found between Weddell Glacier and Gold Harbour.
• Seals can be seen resting on ice floes and sunning on the beaches.
• It is an unforgettable experience to cruise by Zodiac between the glaciers.

Grytviken

• An historic whaling station, all that remain are the rusted hulls of long abandoned whalers.
• Now a museum, guests can learn about past whaling techniques and view various exhibits on exploration and discovery.
• At the burial site of the famous explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, we will toast the great explorer and his many accomplishments.

Salisbury Plain

• A favourite breeding ground for king penguins, it is amazing to see how they completely cover the beaches and hills.

Days 12–15 — At Sea
As we cross the southern Atlantic, leisurely days at sea are yours to enjoy. Participate in discussions and onboard activities led by the Expedition Team, relax in one of the lounges with that book you’ve been meaning to read, and meet up with new friends for cocktails. Enjoy a performance by one of our guest entertainers in the evening. Perhaps listen to a special tale about the Falklands, or a recounting of Napoleon’s time in St. Helena. Before turning in for the night, take a stroll on deck to take in the solitude of the vast sea and sky.

Days 16-17 — Tristan Da Cunha, UK
We will watch for whales in the surrounding waters as we approach the volcanic Tristan De Cunha island group. Recognised as the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, its closest neighbouring landmass is the island of St. Helena some 2,430 km away. The main island is home to fewer than 300 hardy residents. Today we enjoy guided walks with the local inhabitants of the village while our onboard geologist will lead a walk to the 1961 Volcanic cone and lava flow. Learn how the islanders were evacuated and how it affected their lives.  Once at the top, we will have a beautiful scenic view of the whole settlement – a photo opportunity not to be missed. We will meet with some of the island children and hear what Tristan life is like through their eyes during our visit to St Mary’s School.  Our onboard ornithologist will point out birdlife, hopefully including the Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross, sooty albatross, albatross, Tristan thrush, and Tristan wandering albatross – a critically endangered species with fewer than 1,500 breeding pairs left in the world. Tristan is also where 90% of the world’s northern rockhopper penguins come to breed.

Our itinerary calls for one and a half days exploring this remote archipelago, and (weather permitting) we hope to land on either the uninhabited Nightingale Islands or Inaccessible Island, a protected wildlife reserve and World Heritage Site. You will see the most magnificent wildlife, flora and fauna all unspoilt by people. All guests will receive a certificate verifying that they have indeed visited this extremely remote world destination.

Days 18–21 — At Sea
Enjoy a variety of onboard activities. Our days at sea are filled with educational lectures and interesting entertainment options. Attend a special performance by Marty Henne or a fascinating lecture by David Guggenheim. All accommodations feature an interactive television system allowing you to watch your choice of movies or documentary films and even recorded broadcasts from The Theatre in the comfort and privacy of your suite or stateroom.

Days 22-23 — Cape Town, South Africa
Before our arrival into Cape Town, we hope to cruise past Cape of Good Hope to complete our epic Cape to Cape Adventure. Tonight we enjoy an evening at leisure in Cape Town.

After breakfast on Friday, March 25, disembark the Prince Albert II.

Expedition highlights and wildlife listed here are possible experiences only and cannot be guaranteed. Your Expedition Leader and Captain will work together to ensure opportunities for adventure and exploration are the best possible, taking into account the prevailing weather and wildlife activity. Expedition Team members as well as guest speakers and their lecture topics scheduled for this voyage are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

POST-CRUISE OPTIONS
Extend your Silversea holiday with a post-cruise Silver Shore programme. From Cape Town, choose from two exciting 5-night Land Adventures:

Cape Town & KrugerPark
Highlights include the African (or Jackass) Penguin colony at Seal Island, the infamous Robben Island prison, and a three-day safari at the prestigious Sabi Sands where 4×4 vehicle take guests on a thrilling game drives in search of the Big Five: lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard. >>Read Full Description

Victoria Falls& Rovos Rail
Experience the best of Victoria Falls with a sunset cruise and by air aboard a scenic helicopter flight. A five-star Rovos Rail journey takes you by train through stunning landscapes to Pretoria for a tour of the Soweto Township and a visit to the Apartheid Museum.

Silversea's Expedition Ship, the Prince Albert II

I don’t feel my age, I certainly don’t act my age, and I’m delighted when people tell me I don’t look my age. But the 35,000 air miles I’ve logged since the beginning of the year have taken an unexpected toll that a younger me might have been able to simply shrug off. It’s in these circumstances that a Medical Doctor overrides an Ocean Doctor, and my orthopedic surgeon was clear with me that if I was going to be able to shed my wool suit for a wetsuit for our next Cuba expedition in June 2009, I would need to listen, obey, and lie still.

Though I wish I had a tall tale to tell, like single-handedly wrestling a giant squid, as a friend suggested, the rather serious injury to my left arm — that makes it painful to lift even a glass of water — is due to the deadly menace of the heavy carry-on bag and the countless overhead bins, taxis, curbs, rental cars, stairs, and elevators it has had to negotiate. My 50-year-old tendons are stubbornly refusing to reattach themselves to the bone without the intervention of my orthopedic surgeon. Thus, tomorrow at 10am I will submit to his knife and skill and begin a weeks-long recovery period.

Yes, this means the Ocean Doctor is grounded for at least a month. My sincere apologies to the many schools I had planned to visit this month which have had my visits postponed ’til late spring or fall. I’ll use the time to catch up on my correspondence, blog, and whatever else I can achieve with my right hand and a keyboard. I want to assure you that I remain committed to making all of the visits I’ve committed to and will make my appointed rounds as soon as I’m able. Meanwhile, your support for the Ocean Doctor’s 50 Years, 50 States, 50 Speeches Expedition has been incredibly heartwarming. It’s no wonder I don’t feel my age.

As I learn more and more about the diverse group of schools I’ll be visiting, I realize that I’ll be learning as much from them as they will from me. At first I had playfully called this an “expedition,” but in many ways, it really will be a voyage of discovery, in this case, to better understand what students around the country think and understand about our oceans. How many have never seen the oceans? How many are aware of the oceans’ problems? What are their career aspirations? The answers are bound to be different from Honolulu to Bellevue, Nebraska — or are they?

Years ago I taught marine biology at Seacamp/Newfound Harbor Marine Institute in the Florida Keys, and I suppose those roots are resurfacing now. I saw incredible transformations in the students we taught there. I remember teaching a Girl Scout program for five summers. On the first day of class I told the terrified girls that we’d be swimming with the (small) sharks in our holding pond on the last day of class a week later. And I remember well that last day of class when the girls were having so much fun swimming with the sharks that I couldn’t get them out!

I still believe in nature’s magic. Its beauty, wonders and mystery are potent and transformative, especially for a young student. I look forward to sharing my stories and adventures of the ocean with the thousands of students I visit during this project, to bring them a bit closer to that magic. And I eagerly anticipate the inspiration and enlightenment this incredibly diverse group of students — and their teachers — will bring to us.

Please accept my warmest wishes for an unscripted and very happy New Year!

Even in those first minutes face-to-face with a coral reef, the enormity of what I was witnessing was clear to me. I remember thinking, “There’s a whole living world going on down here, and we don’t know anything about it.” While I may have suspected in those moments that I would dedicate my career to something having to do with the oceans, I never would have dreamed that more than three decades later I would be literally immersed in some of the most important work of my life just 90 miles to the south of where I was seated beneath the waves.

Last week, as I departed Ft. Lauderdale and the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, the world’s largest coral summit held every four years, the news was sobering. One-third of the world’s corals are well on their way to outright extinction, and the rest are threatened with, among other things, the indignant end of simply dissolving away, as increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from fossil fuel emissions enters the oceans, raising their acidity to the point where any ocean creature with a calcium carbonate shell — from corals to clams — succumbs to the acid waters. When my daughter was 15 and floated above that same reef I had experienced, it had become a pale shadow of the miracle of nature I had so delighted in. Nearly half the corals in the Florida Keys have died in my lifetime. Some are bleached bone white, others shackled in diseased bands of black. Many more lie smothered in broad blankets of algal slime which have robbed the reef of its rainbow of colors, leaving a lifeless green-gray skeleton where countless diversity once eeked from every imaginable crack and crevice. As I beheld this tragic image, little did I imagine that important clues to saving this reef and many more like it around the Caribbean and the world, might lie just 90 miles to the south.

I now sort through assorted dive gear, video equipment, and sunscreen preparing for my 37th visit to that magical place 90 miles to the south, to an island larger than all the other Caribbean islands combined, to an island whose coat of arms bears a key — “llave del golfo“, the key to the Gulf of Mexico — a subtropical nexus where the waters of the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean intertwine in a sublime undersea cocktail of diversity, color and mystery. Our fourth joint expedition of Proyecto Costa Noroccidental (Project of the Northwest Coast) — a project of the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research (Centro de Investigaciones Marinas: CIM) and the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi — will continue our ongoing project to explore the most unknown corner of the Gulf of Mexico: Cuba’s northwest coastal waters.

A green sea turtle hatchling at Cuba's westernmost point, Guanahacabibes

It is often said that those 90 miles of open water south of the Florida Keys — the Straits of Florida — separate Cuba and the USA. Like a hand-drawn blue borderline, the Straits are often invoked as a symbol of the 50-year-old Cold War that has frozen our two countries so tantalizingly close, yet so tragically far apart. But to the sea turtles, sharks, lobster, whales and other sea life, those same 90 miles of blue unite our countries with racing blue currents, unseen underwater pathways, and a web of colorful life that defies the perceptions of so many of the Gulf of Mexico, who know it only as a hot, muddy cauldron that spawns hurricanes and oil platforms. Cuba, Mexico and the U.S. share the Gulf of Mexico and have a responsibility to work together to understand and protect it. Thankfully, despite debilitating restrictions, which are ever-changing in the cool winds of Cold War politics, we have worked for a solid eight years now with our Cuban colleagues, advancing our understanding of the Gulf of Mexico and providing research opportunities for Cuba’s next generation of marine scientists — nearly 20 have based their Masters and Ph.D. research on our joint projects.

Cuba's next generation of marine scientists participate in & learn from the project

Cuba’s northwest coast – the verdant Pinar del Rí­o province, home to Cuba’s legendary cigars — is the least-developed coastal region of Cuba. But as Cuba’s tourism trade continues to develop and as Cuba’s fledgling offshore oil development expands into the Gulf, we hope that the insights from our joint research help to guide the hand of such development so that some of Cuba’s most precious assets, its coral reefs, will be spared the all too common fate I’ve seen elsewhere in the Caribbean. And there is much at stake. As we dove during the second expedition, it was as if we had been transported decades backward in time, to the healthy, vibrant, towering reefs I remember from my mid-teens. The reefs I have seen in the Archepélago de Los Colorados, the barrier reef that runs along Cuba’s northwest coast, are the healthiest I have seen in my life. For that reason, and because of its unique history and geography, Cuba may hold important clues for coral reefs elsewhere in the Caribbean and perhaps around the world.

Good friend and colleague, Dr. Gaspar González-Sansón, titular professor at University of Havana, CIM, and co-principal investigator of Proyecto Costa Noroccidental, recently pointed to a number of possible reasons for the health of Cuba’s reefs when we spoke when I was recently in Havana:

• Cuba’s tourism industry did not begin until 1993, necessitated by the demise of the Soviet Union and its aid to the island. Though tourism has proceeded at a rapid pace, it is highly localized at specific resort areas on the coasts.
• The healthiest reefs also happen to be far from shore, such as Los Colorados to the north and Jardines de la Reina to the south, perhaps beyond the reach of harmful concentrations of coastal pollution.
• Cuba does have a commercial fishing fleet, but fishermen principally use hook and line, so unlike nets and trawls which result in catching just about everything, fishing in Cuba is highly selective. In contrast, more than 80 percent of what’s caught in U.S. Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawls is not shrimp — it’s small finfish and other creatures collectively known as “bycatch” that represent the unforgivable waste of this fishing practice. Cuba is now phasing out all bottom trawling on its continental shelf.
  

  Cuban commercial fishing vessel in the Gulf of Mexico

• In the early days of the revolution, President Fidel Castro declared, “Not one drop of water to the sea,” a call to action to dam rivers and streams in order to divert water for use in agriculture and population centers. Reducing fresh water input upset the delicate balance of fresh and salt water in Cuba’s estuaries, resulting in the disappearance of populations intolerant to the saltier waters, such as the white shrimp. In another way, however, this policy may have inadvertently served to help reefs by reducing the transport of fertilizers and pesticides to the reefs.
• Use of fertilizers and pesticides has dropped dramatically since the withdrawal of the Soviet Union. Given that nutrient pollution is a key factor in the growth of coral-smothering algae, this may also be an important factor.

Sunset on Cuba's Gulf of Mexico

In countless ways, the island of Cuba is unique. And when it comes to coral reefs, Cuba is again, unique. Here an island of thriving corals flourishes amid a world of corals dying and disappearing. In this mysterious corner of the Gulf of Mexico where time seems to have stopped, I find hope. Hope that the rich ecosystems of this beautiful island will endure. And I find hope that Cuba’s coral reefs might share some of their tantalizing secrets, secrets that can offer clues to protecting and restoring coral reefs elsewhere, including a special place I still remember in the Florida Keys, just 90 miles to the north.

READ THE REST: This post is published on OceanDoctor’s original blog at OceanDoctor.Vox.com. To read this post in its entirety, please click here

READ THE REST: This post is published on OceanDoctor’s original blog at OceanDoctor.Vox.com. To read this post in its entirety, please click here.

Greenpeace’s largest ship, the Esperanza, will be visiting the Bering Sea in Alaska for most of the summer.The expedition will be using manned submersibles and an ROV to survey Zhemchug and Pribilof Canyons, specifically to map and document deepwater corals living at depths of more than 1,000 feet. These corals, some hundreds of years old, are vital components of a healthy marine ecosystem. Unfortunately, these corals are at great risk, ending up in trawling nets as “bycatch.”

READ THE REST: This post is published on OceanDoctor’s original blog at OceanDoctor.Vox.com. To read this post in its entirety, please click here.