July 25, 2023
Discover the best adventure cruising destinations for wildlife encounters.
Raising the bar in adventure travel, Seabourn’s ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition ships – Seabourn Venture and its second expedition ship, Seabourn Pursuit (launching this August) are designed for in-depth explorations: from Antarctica to the dense tropical forest of the Amazon and the far-flung corners of Scotland. Venture and Pursuit will provide the same luxury small-ship experience that travellers seek from Seabourn with the addition of world-class equipment that allows the line to offer its widest range of expedition activities led by an expert 24-person team of scientists, scholars, naturalists, and more.
Seabourn’s expedition leaders handpick their top destinations to discover some of the world’s best wildlife.
- Antarctica
A must on every globetrotter’s list, there are few places on earth that can rival Antarctica when it comes to incredible wildlife and scenery. Guests will be accompanied by the veteran Expedition Team, who in many cases have made Antarctica the focus of their life’s work with some having visited Antarctica up to 60 times. Guests can see penguins, whales and other diverse wildlife, kayak around icebergs and massive glaciers, hike along the majestic continent and see the wonders of Antarctica up close. Robin West,Vice President of Expedition Operations and Planning forSeabourn, says “During Seabourn Venture’s Antarctica season, guests and crew members spotted hundreds of thousands of penguins, blue and humpback whales, and albatrosses. Killer whales have even surrounded the vessel during previous Antarctica voyages. Plus, guests have spotted a Ross Seal, the rarest of four seal species in the Antarctic and A Minke whale made a surprise appearance during an expedition swimming right next to kayakers in Antarctica.”
13-Day Antarctica Exploration on board Seabourn Venture starts from £11,499 per person, based on sharing a Veranda Suite. Departing on 27 November 2023 from Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Amazon, South America
During Seabourn’s expeditions in the Amazon River, guests can experience three major regions including the Flooded Forests and Blackwater Tributaries, The Frontier Amazon, and The Peruvian Amazon with each region offering a new unique environment. With limited road access, the best way to explore this fascinating destination is via Seabourn’s zodiacs which carry guests along scenic passages through the jungled-draped channels giving guests a unique perspective on the rainforest itself and on the lives of those who make it their home. Take in the natural beauty of the flora and fauna as you share space with sloths, howler monkeys and freshwater fishes. Alexandra Edwards, Lecturer reflects on a past zodiac excursion in the Amazon: “Together with the calm waters’ stillness and the jungle’s lively sounds, this made for an awe-inspiring combination. Added to that was the sighting of 43 different bird species in a two-hour period. It was a truly majestic experience. Most memorable were the Hoatzin with their spiky, rufous crests, perched unassumingly below the canopy, and a pair of Scarlet Macaws that flew over as if surveying their domain.”
14-Day Amazon Delta & The Coast of Brazil on board Seabourn Pursuit starts from £5,193 per person, based on sharing a Veranda Suite. Departing on 4 October 2023 from Manaus, Brazil
- Staffa, Scotland
The tiny island of Staffa, part of the Inner Hebrides, is celebrated for its stunning geology, fauna and flora and variety of seabirds. During spring and early summer, Staffa’s cliffs and grassy slopes provide hundreds of nesting sites for various seabirds including guillemots, razorbills, and puffins. The best time to see puffins is during the breeding season between May and start of August when the birds have their distinctive colourful beaks that they’re known for. In addition to the rich seabird life, guests can discover spectacular wildlife beneath the waves including dolphins, porpoises and, in the summer months, minke and fin whales. Plus, if visiting at low tide, guests may also be able to explore the famous Fingal’s Cave, the cavernous opening that goes deep inside the island…Toby Musgrave, Lecturer, says:“A highlight from the waters of Staffa is watching a good number of Atlantic Puffins as they float in ‘rafts’ on the water, flapped industriously around in the air, and perched on the grassy clifftops. Most humorous is watching them ‘crash’-land near their burrows (in which are laid the egg and the chick raised) in an ungainly convolution of legs, wings, and multi-coloured beak.”
14-day Land Of The Celts on board Seabourn Venture starts from £9,699 per person sharing a Veranda Suite. Departs from Greenwich London on 14th April 2024.
- Elephant Island, Antarctica
Just over 150 miles north of the frozen tundra of Antarctica lies a tiny ice-covered, mountainous island called Elephant Island. A narrow, rugged island – early sealers named it for the abundance of elephant seals on the island’s shores, but nowadays most of the accessible shoreline is occupied by a large colony of chinstrap penguins, although elephant seals and Antarctic fur seals can also be found here. It is the perfect destination to escape into utter wilderness. Brandon Kleyn, Naturalist, says: “On the way to Elephant Island, those around and awake are spoilt with breathtaking views of O’Brien, Aspland and Gibbs Islands. As Seabourn Venture comes around Cornwallis Island, guests, and guides alike can be lucky enough to witness between 50 and 100 fin whales gorging on krill; what a sight to behold! In addition to the fin whales, there are rafts of Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins and multiple birds, including albatross, fulmars, gulls, Giant Petrels and many more.”
11-day The Great White Continent on board Seabourn Pursuit starts from £16,299 per person sharing a Veranda Suite. Departs from Buenos Aires, Argentina on 18th January 2024.
Source: The M Collective
0 Comments