The ship will be christened in honor of his namesake, renowned marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer Dr. Sylvia Earl, and will thereafter travel to the wildlife paradise of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.
The 17-day first trip to the subantarctic islands will appeal to wildlife lovers and history buffs alike. From Santiago in Chile to Ushuaia in Argentina, passengers explore the history-rich Falkland (Malvinas) Islands — a paradise for bird lovers, home to an incredible variety of penguin species and the world's largest colony of black-browed albatrosses. South Georgia is known for its huge king penguin colony and beaches with elephant seals and Antarctic fur seals. In addition, passengers will have the opportunity to follow the history of the infamous travels of Sir Ernest Shackleton — member of four expeditions.
100 percent carbon neutral, fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, the ship pays tribute to six women conservationists from around the world, along with Dr. Earl. The decks are named after them: Joe Ruxton, Dr. Asha de Vos, Hanley Prinsloo, Dr. Carden Wallace, Bernadette Dementieva and Sharon Kwok.
Dr. Earl will herself join the Special Antarctic Climate Expedition during the ship's inaugural season in February 2023. This journey will bring together world leaders in conservation, science, the arts, education, and economics to raise public and government awareness of the importance of conserving Antarctica, as well as addressing a warming climate and melting sea ice in the south polar region.
Like sister ship the Greg Mortimer, the Sylvia Earl equipped with the revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW — the so-called “inverted nose” . The capacity of the ship is 130 & ndash; 140 passengers, each cabin has an ocean view, and almost all have balconies. The ship has a unique two-level glass atrium in the bow, a modern lecture hall, several observation decks, two restaurants, a gym and wellness center, a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, a mud room and many other amenities.
After its the first flight of the Sylvia Earl will continue the season in Antarctica, followed by Costa Rica, the Canadian Arctic, Norway, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland and Scotland. Aurora offers guests activities such as sea kayaking, scuba diving, polar snorkelling, alpine trekking and more.
To celebrate the opening of the season, Aurora Expeditions is offering up to 20 percent off Sylvia Earle cruises when booking until June 30, 2022.