One Ocean Expeditions puts Education at the heart of its Antarctic Cruises
The latest collaboration between expedition cruise operator One Ocean Expeditions (OOE) and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) provides three reasons for polar travellers heading for Antarctica to look forward to crossing the infamous Drake Passage: education, education and education.
OOE and the RCGS have teamed up to provide the best polar education program in the business, presented by world-renowned experts in the fields of wildlife, history, geology, photography and conservation. This unique partnership will be providing a new, holistic and entertaining approach to learning about some of the most extraordinary places on the planet.
The OOE/RCGS team already turns classics such as the 10-night Antarctic Peninsula Adventure, sailing out of Ushuaia, Argentina, into genuine expedition voyages of discovery.
But it’s the focus on education that makes all the difference, as Andrew Prossin, MD of OOE, explains: “The Frozen South is the ultimate open-air classroom where, in the right hands, everything from whale biology to glaciology literally comes to life. Discovering this wild and remote corner of the world in the company of top-class experts is quite an experience. To be honest, it’s a humbling experience, too, since we all discover a lot about ourselves and our place in the world at the same time. This partnership enables us to offer the kind of trip that literally changes people’s lives.”
As well as professionals from the RCGS, who will be accompanying many voyages, OOE experts include people such as Simon Boyes, a renowned ornithologist with more than 300 bird-watching trips to his name, as well as marine biologist Ari Friedlaender, who has been studying whales in Antarctica since 1997. These experts haven’t just read about their specialist subjects – they have in-depth first-hand experience and may even be conducting some of their ground-breaking research on board.
Simon, Ari and many others of a similar calibre will help everyone to see and understand as much as possible during OOE’s voyages. From the moment the ship leaves the dock in Ushuaia, there will be a mind-boggling amount of wildlife to enjoy: a plethora of albatrosses, petrels and other seabirds around the ship, leopard, crabeater and Weddell seals, whales and dolphins, and vast penguin rookeries. And that is just the tip of the iceberg (pun intended).
In between, there are opportunities to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as hiking on the Antarctic Peninsula, sea kayaking between spectacular icebergs, and even camping overnight in the world’s last great wilderness (how many people, apart from the likes of Shackleton and Scot, can say they’ve done that?). These are trips that stir the imagination and boggle the mind.
Prices for the 10-night Antarctic Peninsula Adventure start from US $7,795 for a triple share. There is also a booking offer of US$500pp flight credit (2017 departures) and US$1000pp flight credit (2018 departures) and a special price of US$3000 for each young person under 21 years, travelling with a parent, based on bookings received by 31 December 2016. Departure dates include February 15th and March 17th 2017 and February 20th and March 2nd 2018.
