03 Dec 2024 - 19 Dec 2024 (17 days)
USD15,250 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Expedition Leader
Tour price (Per person): USD15,250 * GBP11,622 * EUR13,886 * ZAR266,608
Listen to the names: Snares, Bounty, Antipodes, Auckland, Campbell, Macquarie and Chatham Islands. They are music to the ears of ‘Birders'. Apart from the Chathams, these islands are probably more isolated now than they were when they were discovered in the late 1700s and early 1800s and were regularly visited by sealers, whalers and government steamers searching for castaway sailors. It is relatively simple to get to the Chatham Islands, but opportunities to visit the others are rare. This expedition, one of a number operated each year by Heritage Expeditions, is the only one to include all of these islands.
The islands occupy the tempestuous latitudes of the Roaring Forties and the Furious Fifties, but they are also known as the Albatross Latitudes and with good reason. Ten of the world's albatross species breed in the region; five of them nowhere else but here! In fact, this zone where the air is never still hosts the most diverse collection of seabirds in the world. More than 40 species breed here - that is at least 11 per cent of the entire world's seabird population.
With the exception of the Chathams, the islands are all designated UNESCO World Heritage sites and are afforded the highest conservation status and protection by the Australian and New Zealand governments, so passage to their shores is not granted lightly. There are also islands that we visit within the Chatham Islands' Archipelago with similar status and protection.
This expedition has huge appeal to pelagic enthusiasts, penguin fanatics and those interested in island endemics. Though you don't have to be a keen birder to enjoy this voyage. People interested in islands and island ecology, botany, geology and an increasing number of photographers have enjoyed this trip immensely, as have those interested in the history of southern ocean discovery and exploration.
This is one of our ‘signature expeditions' which has operated annually for more than 20 years, so you will benefit from the knowledge and expertise gained over that time.
A Rockjumper leader will not accompany the expedition unless a minimum of 10 participants are signed up through Rockjumper. In the case that a Rockjumper leader is not on board, the professional expedition staff will take care of all participants signed up through Rockjumper.
Prices are subject to foreign exchange fluctuations.
Auckland & Campbell Teals, King, Gentoo, Snares, Southern Rockhopper, Royal, Yellow-eyed & Little Penguins, Wilson’s, Grey-backed & Black-bellied Storm Petrels, Wandering, Antipodean, Southern Royal, Light-mantled, Black-browed, Campbell, Shy, Salvin’s, Grey-headed, Chatham & Buller’s Albatrosses, Mottled, Cook’s, Magenta, Westland & White-chinned Petrels, Sooty Shearwater, Campbell, Macquarie, Chatha, Pitt & Auckland Shags, South Island, Chatham & Variable Oystercatchers, Subantarctic & Snares Snipe, White-fronted Tern, New Zealand Falcon, Red-crowned Parakeet, New Zealand Bellbird, Tomtit, New Zealand Fernbird, New Zealand Pipit, Chatham Pigeon, Chatham Gerygone and Black Robin.
New Zealand Sea Lion, New Zealand Fur, Southern Elephant and Leopard Seals, Dusky Dolphin, Southern Right, Sperm, Bryde’s, Long-finned Pilot and Killer Whales
cool to cold
dependent on ship capacity
relaxed
comfortable expedition cruise ship
mostly undemanding
excellent to extraordinary
This tour was extraordinary, very well organized despite vagaries of the weather at times. The ship crew were very well trained and experienced helping people get on and off the zodiacs. Very smooth operation. The guides Adam and Dan were phenomenal and very helpful in locating fast moving seabirds from a heaving deck! Niki was quietly working behind the scenes making sure everyone was enjoying the cruise.
Your team was exceptional! So friendly and accommodating! So open to answer questions and share their knowledge. ALWAYS so happy! It was joy being around your team.
A very successful and amazing trip! Many thanks to Daniel and Adam for all of the hours they spent on deck identifying birds (many of them requiring a photo to be sure)! The Ocean Victory is a stable and extremely comfortable vessel - great staff and good food. I truly appreciate that Rockjumper arranged the special trip for the N. Rockhopper Penguin. It was truly a trip of a lifetime!
I want to thank Rockjumper for doing a charter trip to Antarctica, the Falklands and South Georgia! To me sharing the trip with a ship full of birders was the best; 150 birders what could be better... The guides were accessible and helpful, ship was comfortable, food was good, the Quark expedition folks were excellent, the weather cooperated. All around it was a wonderful trip. Worth the wait! Thank you!
An expedition of a lifetime well worth every penny! As a member of the Survivors of 2019 Club it was a very special tour. From the outstanding service by the expedition staff and crew on the extremely comfortable Quark Ocean Diamond to the always fabulous Rockjumper guides including Glen and Keith Valentine and Mark Beevers, it was the trip of a lifetime. The totally unexpected closeup sightings of Emperor Penguins and the tens of thousands of the six other penguin species was so much fun. Fur Seals and Elephant Seals sunbathed on the beaches as the many species of seabirds flew overhead. The trip to the Black-browed Albatross nesting sight was like something you only expect to see on tv. I felt the Quark crew and the Rockjumper guides went out of their way to make sure everyone had the perfect and safe trip.
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