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HMS Endurance scheduled in Punta Arenas; Clocks set back 60 minutes in Chile;
Cruise season “positive” with 3% visitors increase; Cruise season “positive” with 3% visitors increase; Lan reduces weekly flights to Ushuaia; Private vessel for Antarctic scientific research; Chile increases air operational capability in Antarctica; US forestry volunteers in Torres del Paine.

HMS Endurance scheduled in Punta Arenas

HMS Endurance, under the command of Captain Thomas M. Kartsen will be calling in Punta Arenas from March 15/18, reports the local press. The Antarctic and South Atlantic Ice patrol is scheduled to arrive in Punta Arenas Tuesday morning 09:00 hours where after some ceremonial activities she will be loading supplies and the 126 crew members involved will have several days rest and recovery. La Prensa Austral describes the visit in the framework of the "close links between the Royal Navy and the Chilean Navy". March 18, HMS Endurance leaves for Valparaíso, and April 4 will be returning to the United Kingdom.

Clocks set back 60 minutes in Chile.

As established since 1970, on the second Saturday of March clocks in continental Chile and Chilean Antarctic were set back 60 minutes. At 24:00 hours the second Saturday of October clocks in Chile were advanced 60 minutes signalling the beginning of summer time. The purpose of the measure is to best take advantage of sun light and save energy. With winter time on, this means that sunrise and sunset in Chile takes place earlier. The sixty minutes set back pushes Chile four hours behind Greenwich Meridian Time. During summer time Chile was three hours behind.

Cruise season "positive" with 3% visitors increase.

Results of the cruise season in Punta Arenas have been described as "positive" since the number of visitors arriving, 48,000, represent a 3% increase, compared to last year (including February). Eduardo Manzanares Manager of Empresa Portuaria Austral which runs Punta Arenas sea terminal said that the increase has happened with virtually the same number of calls. "Larger cruise vessels with a greater numbers of passengers are calling in and this is because of the changing market policy of the cruise industry which now not only caters for the upper brackets but also to the medium high". But Mr. Manzanares pointed out that the new trend will represent a challenge for Punta Arenas port which will have to adapt facilities and piers to the larger vessels and greater number of people. "We must start planning for vessels over 200 metres long and greater draught". Further on Mr. Manzanares said he was very satisfied with the functioning of the new international port security measures including magnetic controls, video cameras and "other devices which I will not reveal". "We didn't have a single incident with the 48,000 tourists landing in Punta Arenas", he emphasized. The exact increase between September-February 2003/2004 and the same period 2004/2005 was actually 2,73% regarding both international and national cruise vessels. This means that the local "Mare Australis" activity was also included.

Lan reduces weekly flights to Ushuaia.

Beginning this week and until April 16, Lan will limit weekly flights Punta Arenas-Ushuaia to Wednesdays and Saturdays, reported Paola Contardo the Chilean air carrier Magallanes regional manager. Until the end of the season, there will be a promotional fare of 99 US dollars return trip. For Lan the season this summer began December first and extended until March 12, with three weekly flights to Ushuaia, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The three daily flights this year will resume next October 2005 and extend until mid March 2006. "The link with Ushuaia has helped to promote regional tourism with travellers having a chance to visit both Chilean and Argentine Patagonia, besides the fact it has been an interesting option for the company", said Ms. Contardo.

Private vessel for Antarctic scientific research.

The Chilean Antarctic Institute is to contract the support vessel "Chinook" belonging to Dap Mares (an affiliate of Aerovías Dap) for oceanographic activities. Jose Retamales, Director of the Chilean Antarctic Institute said the vessel was already being equipped for the type of activities the Institute has programmed. The Chilean Antarctic Institute, which now has its operating headquarters in Punta Arenas has two main vessels for its operations, icebreaker "Viel" and the support tug "Lautaro", but is in need of a more specific vessel for scientific research work. "If we had decided to purchase a new vessel with all the latest gadgets we'd be out of funds for scientific activities during eight to ten years, so we had to somehow match our aspirations with existing resources, and I think contracting an outside vessel was a wise decision", indicated Mr. Retamales. "We're already testing some of the equipment and all seems to be working accordingly", said Mr. Retamales. The Chilean Antarctic Institute annually invests half a million US dollars in scientific projects plus another half million supplied by the country's Science and Technology Promotion Centre, "and they are normally specific scientific programs which are requested from Santiago". However Mr. Retamales pointed out that the contract period of "Chinook" greatly depends on the additional projects which finally appear "from now until next September; however we're hopeful that private companies and several universities will show an interest in joining the summer scientific cruises, as has happened in the past".

Chile increases air operational capability in Antarctica.

Chile's has considerably increased the operational airstrip capacity of its main base in Antarctica by incorporating parking space for three Hercules C-130, reports Punta Arenas press. The improvements which demanded a two million US dollars investment were done in the Teniente Marsh landing strip belonging to President Eduardo Frei Base in King George Island. The project was co-funded by the Chilean Ministry of Public Works Airports Administration and the Magallanes Region Business Promotion and Development Agency. Previously an environmental impact survey was done following the Madrid Treaty guidelines for Antarctic activities. Work began late last November and was finished at the end of February and is now waiting the official inauguration. "All the necessary inspection and certification has been normalized so this means that up to three Hercules C-130 can be parked while another aircraft lands or takes off", said Patricio Riquelme Magallanes Region Airports Director. "Before, when an aircraft was operating, for security and safety reasons no other aircraft could be grounded". "The new facilities are a great step forward and puts Chile ahead in Antarctic aeronautical infrastructure", emphasized Mr. Riquelme.

US forestry volunteers in Torres del Paine

A group of 26 volunteers from the United States Forestry Service and The Patagonian Foundation will be arriving in Chile to participate in a program to recover foot paths in the world famous Torres del Paine national park. The initiative under the name of "Project Voluntary Expedition Patagonia 2005" was organized by both US institutions with the "Patagonia Foundation Chile" and the Chilean Forestry Corporation in the framework of the Environment Collaboration agreement between United States and Chile. The main purpose of the project is to recover the footpaths in the Lake Pehoé area which lead to the Grey glacier, one of the main attractions of the park. A summer blaze which raged through the park until a couple of weeks destroyed almost 15,000 of the 242,000 hectares of the grasslands and centuries old native forests. Volunteers will also work in drafting programs for the recovery of burnt areas and will instruct local forest wardens on related activities. The 26 team includes park rangers, instructors, technicians plus experts in landscape and wild life conservation. The basic idea of the organizers is that the program becomes a pilot project for other forest areas involving voluntary workers, protected areas and promoting eco-tourism.