UK Birder Dick Filby Joins Three Antarctic Voyages With One Ocean Expeditions [The Cruise People Ltd]

UK Birder Dick Filby Joins Three Antarctic Voyages With One Ocean Expeditions

One Ocean Expeditions offers Antarctic and Polar expedition voyages using the m.v. Marina Svetaeva

PRESS RELEASE

Birdwatchers worldwide will be interested to hear the news that One Ocean Expeditions will have specialist field birder, Dick Filby onboard the Marina Svetaeva, its ice-strengthened expedition cruise ship, for three early 2011 polar cruises.

Sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina, in January and February 2011, the voyages will visit the scenic Antarctic Peninsula, the ice-choked waters of the Weddell Sea, the overwhelmingly wildlife-rich sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands - all renowned as important birding destinations and some of the most beautiful and inspiring places on earth. And reservations can be made through specialist cruise agent The Cruise People in London.

All three voyages offer potentially unrivalled bird, cetacean and marine mammal sightings. Essential to the success of One Ocean Expeditions special birding voyages is the sharp-eyed birder Dick Filby - who freely admits his favourite possessions are his Swarovski binoculars and spotting scope - although another important element is, without a doubt, the birders themselves as many pairs of observant eyes ensure more species are spotted than on the average voyage.

Dick Filby has been a birder since pre-school (his 'learn to read books' were bird books) and for the last twenty years,he has led birding trips in the Polar regions and other birding hot-spots around the world. He has seen most of the world's seabird species, including all the penguins and alcids and, with an impressive UK species list of 500, only a handful of birders have seen more. A familiar name in the UK birding fraternity, Dick Filby founded the premier Rare Bird Alert news service in 1991 and now provides up to 500 or more updates a day on all the scarce and rare bird sightings in the UK.

Dick Filby is passionate about all aspects of Antarctica, its birds, wildlife and conservation. His love affair with Antarctica began in 1990 and he has been back to the White Continent almost every season since. "Travelling on the southern ocean filled with albatross, petrels and cetaceans, is one of my all time favourites," says Filby "as is being onshore at one of Antarctica's many vast penguin colonies".

The staggering list of expected bird species on the three Antarctic departures includes chinstrap, Adelie and gentoo penguins; wandering, royal, black-browed, grey-headed and light-mantled sooty albatross; both giant petrels, southern fulmar, cape, snow, soft-plumaged, blue and white-chinned petrels; Antarctic and slender-billed prions; Wilson's and black-bellied storm petrels; common diving petrel, Antarctic shags and snowy sheathbill; Chilean, brown and South Polar skuas plus Antarctic terns.

During these spectacular wildlife voyages, guests would also expect to encounter cetaceans such as humpback, Antarctic Minke and orca, as well as Peale's and hourglass dolphins but also possibly blue, fin and southern right whales. Other marine mammals should include Weddell, crabeater, Antarctic fur and leopard seals.

The Marina Svetaeva is a great platform for wildlife watching with plenty of deck space, a 'quick' lunch option for those who prefer to be on deck rather than in the dining room and an adventurer's lounge where staff will serve hot chocolate to the die-hard birders and wildlife spotters.

In addition to the spectacular wildlife there is also the wonders of the ice, from iceberg filled channels to the huge tabular bergs of the Weddell Sea. Photographic (still and video) opportunities are superb throughout.

Departure Dates & Prices

1: Antarctic Peninsula (10-nights onboard) 27 January - 6 February 2011 from £4995 per person sharing a twin cabin (cruise only)

2: Antarctica, the Falklands & South Georgia (18-nights onboard) 6- 24 February 2011 from £8659 per person sharing a twin cabin (cruise only)

3: Weddell Sea Explorer (12-nights onboard) 24 February - 8 March 2011from £4995 per person sharing a twin cabin (cruise only)

Price includes: Accommodation and all meals aboard ship, services of expert birder Dick Filby, port taxes, Zodiac landings, optional overnight camping in Antarctica, pre-voyage hotel night in Ushuaia (with breakfast), birding excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park in Ushuaia led by top English-speaking local bird and wildlife guide and free onboard wet weather gear and boot loan onboard.

Price excludes: Flights UK - Ushuaia (available from £899 including pre-paid taxes and current fuel surcharges)

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Notes to editors

1. Website for One Ocean Expeditions is www.oneoceanexpeditions.com

2. The Cruise People specialise in niche cruise markets including ultra-luxury, small ship cruising, expedition voyages and freighter travel. For more information on their range of itineraries and vessels please contact Kevin Griffin at The Cruise People. The Cruise People website is www.cruisepeople.co.uk

3. For enquiries and reservations, please contact Miri Lopusna at The Cruise People on 020 7723 2450 / CruisePeopleML@aol.com

4. For further press information and images please contact Debra Taylor, toucanmoon on 01491 613424 / 07956 852197 or debra@toucanmoon.com

Enquiries & Reservations 020 7723 2450

Prepared by toucanmoon / 23 August 2009

Posted 29th November 2009