Polar class vessel Crystal Endeavor departed from Ushuaia, the southernmost tip of Argentina on her first-ever expedition voyage to Antarctica, after receiving the epidemiological clearance from local sanitary authorities on Wednesday.
Atlas Ocean Voyages has given further details of how they are planning to operate their Antarctic cruises this coming 2021/2022 season from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego province.
The mayor of Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego province, extreme south of Argentina honoured the descendants of ten original families that settled in the territory over a century ago. The ceremony headed by Mayor Walter Vuoto, lawmakers and members of his cabinet, took place at the Monument to the Tierra del Fuego pioneers, with the unveiling of a plaque in remembrance of the ten families represented by their descendants.
The Argentine government has earmarked some 70 million dollars, in three years, for the construction of an Antarctic Logistic Pole in Ushuaia, capital of the extreme south province of Tierra del Fuego. Some US$ 25 million will be invested next year to begin the development of the strategic project aimed at consolidating Ushuaia as the support hub for scientific research in Antarctica.
The evolution of Argentine Tierra del Fuego from an incorporated national territory to a full province, in over a century and a half, has been described by Patagonia historian Bernardo Veksler, who usually contributes with the Diario del Fin del Mundo, edited in Ushuaia.
An Antarctica cruise company, Atlas Ocean Voyages will begin operating from Ushuaia, the capital of the extreme south Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego. According to local media reports, the first call out of fifteen will take place next November.
Punta Arenas, the extreme south of Chile will be hosting Silversea Cruises as its base of operations, having decided to abandon Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. Silversea announced a release in which it makes official its Antarctic cruise operations during the 2021/22 season, following an agreement with Chilean officials.
It's official, Argentina announced the opening of the 2021/2022 bi-oceanic and Antarctic cruise season next 20 October. The administrative resolution 834/2021 was published in the Official Gazette, triggering immediate satisfaction from Tierra del Fuego province whose governor contacted the Tourism and Sports minister Matías Lammens.
The Argentine congress is restless and is concerned since the Falkland Islands started to build its new deep water port, fearing, besides the usual cacophony of claims, that the Islands could replace Ushuaia as the main access to Antarctica.
It's winter holidays in Argentina and the season is working out to be far better than expected for Ushuaia in the extreme south of the country, with August expectations also on the bright side.