March of the Penguins

The tour began in the cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires.  NAA travelers checked into their deluxe accommodations, adjacent to the chic boutique-line Calle Florida.  The city tour took them to Buenos Aires’ diverse neighborhoods, the charming old quarter of San Telmo and the historic Recoleta Cemetery, famous for its ornate vaults, sculpture and as the final resting place of the legendary Evita Peron.  The travelers flew to rustic Ushuaia, gateway to Antarctica and the world’s southernmost city.  The group embarked on the M.S. Le Diamant and cruised through the Beagle Channel, named for the ship that carried Charles Darwin on his South American voyages.  As they sailed through the legendary Drake Passage, the expedition team of naturalists presented insightful lectures to prepare the passengers for their arrival in Antarctica.  The ship cruised the outer shores and islands of the Antarctic Peninsula, where the group viewed the majestic glaciers and the vast array of wildlife, including millions of penguins, thousands of seals and whales and countless seabirds.  The group visited many ports of call, including Half Moon Island, Pendulum Cove, Baily Head, Telefon Bay, Neko Harbor and Port Lockroy.  The NAA travelers disembarked M.S. Le Diamant with memories of towering glaciers, snow-covered mountains and close encounters with marine wildlife. 

View a photo gallery from this exciting trip.

Learn more about the tours offered in 2008.