Ortelius, Bouvet Island ex Ushuaia to Ascension

28 Night Cruise sailing from Ushuaia to Ascension aboard Ortelius.

This is your ultimate chance to sail to Bouvet Island. Bouvet Island (Bouvetrya) is an uninhabited subantarctic volcanic island and belongs to Norway. Bouvet Island is located in the South Atlantic Ocean and is the most remote island in the world.

Day 1: Departure from Ushuaia
(March 24, 2015) In the afternoon we embark in Ushuaia and sail through the Beagle Channel.

Day 2 - 3: At Sea
In the Drake Passage we witness a multitude of albatrosses, petrels and fulmars.

Day 4: South Shetland Islands
In the South Shetland Islands we land on King George Islands, where we visit the Chilean, Russian, Chinese and Korean stations.In this area chances are good for encounters with Gentoo Penguins, Weddell Seals, Leopard Seals and Orcas.

Day 5 - 7: At sea
At sea we will probably sail along the sea ice drifting north out of the Weddell Sea. We witness a multitude of albatrosses, petrels and fulmars.

Day 8: South Sandwich Islands
In the rarely visited and uninhabited South Sandwich Islands (British), we land on Southern Thule Island, a volcano with a caldera, where we can land near the derelict Argentinian base. Other islands are Cook Island and Bellingshausen Island, named after the discoverers who reached them. These volcanic islands, with an ice cap on the top, are windswept and often shrouded in mist and fog, but do offer subtle pleasures. There is a variety of flora (mosses, lichens and flowering grasses) and fauna, such as Gentoo Penguins, Chinstrap penguins and Southern Giant Petrels. Elephant Seals and Fur Seals also haul out at the beaches.Around the islands we see large blue ice-bergs which have driften there from the Weddell Sea. In blue ice-grotto's Gentoo Penguins congregate.

Day 9 - 11: At sea
At sea in the westerlies we have a pleasant tailwind. Near the Antarctic Convergence, we observe many species and great numbers of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabirds.

Day 12 - 13: Bouvet Island
Due to the unpredictability of landings at Bouvet, we are allocating 48 hours to be able to have multiple opportunities to land at Bouvet Island (Norwegian territory), another volcano in Antarctic waters topped by an ice-cap, with a rich fauna of seabirds and seals near the coasts. At the southwest side of the island we should have the best opportunities to land at Larsöya and Kapp Norvegia, which have some protection from the swell from the west. A third possibility is at Nyröysa, but this area is more exposed and partly out of bounds; as it is a nature reserve. We will allocate these two days for landings at Bouvet Island.

Day 14 - 17: At sea
At sea in the westerlies we have side winds winds. On both sides of the Antarctic Convergence, we observe many species and great numbers of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabirds. We also get now in more temperate waters with their own brand of species.

Day 18: Gough Island
Today we plan to approach the unique Gough Island for zodiac cruising around the island, as always weather permitting. In previous years we managed to circumnavigate all but four miles of the 33 mile circumference of the island in the ship, saw spectacular scenery and an unprecedented abundance of wildlife.

Day 19 - 20: Tristan da Cunha archipelago
: In the Tristan da Cunha archipelago we plan to call on the settlement at the west side of the main island. We will also try to make landings at Nightingale Island or Inaccessible Island with millions of seabirds ranging from Yellow-nosed Albatrosses to Brown Noddies. Please note that we will try and approach for landings, however due to the weather conditions this is not always possible. Since we began our voyages to Tristan da Cunha (1998) we failed during 30% of the voyages to make landings in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, due to adverse weather.

Day 21 - 24: At sea
We now enter sub-tropical waters with their own species of seabirds and dolphins.

Day 25 - 26: St. Helena
St. Helena has a good anchorage and landing site. On this island, we will have ample opportunities to enjoy local culture, pleasant climate, and endemic plants and birds. We will visit the place where Napoleon lived in exile. There will be opportunities to explore the Island on your own.

Day 27 - 28: At sea
At sea towards Ascension Island

Day 29: Ascension Island
(April 21) - Ascension Island is a dry volcanic island with a moist and richly vegetated top. The Sooty Tern (wide-awake) colony sometimes consists of more than 1 million breeding pairs. We may witness egg-laying sea turtles coming ashore in the evening.