Whale Sharks with Zegrahm in Mozambique

In March of 2012, one of our favourite eco and adventure-cruising lines, Zegrahm Expeditions, will celebrate a first as they visit the coast of East Africa on an inaugural tour. This Mozambique Odyssey visits Tanzania and South Africa aboard the spacious 110-passenger Clipper Odyssey.

The World Wildlife Fund is partnering with Zegrahm on this exceptional journey, which includes a visit to Quirimbas National Park, co-created and expanded by the WWF and now the largest marine protected area in the Indian Ocean and Africa. Quirimbas was once the poorest province in Mozambique but now has the country’s highest growth rate thanks to the park.

WWF’s involvement ensures that local communities and park authorities alike share both the benefits and the responsibilities of managing the park on land and at sea. Guests on this expedition will see just how much support is needed—the park protects over 750,000 hectares of coastal forest, mangroves, and rich coral reefs including the abundant marine life, sea turtles and hundreds of fish species.

In the middle of Zegrahm’s journey, cruise to the beautiful beaches of Punta da Barra, where passengers will have the opportunity to see whale sharks, which are present year-round in this area, and there’s a good chance of seeing manta and devil rays, loggerhead and green sea turtles, and even bottlenose dolphins. Snorkel and swimming excursions among this incredible marine life will be very high on the agenda.

For more info or to book, be sure to check with the UK's adventure cruise experts of The Cruise Line Ltd on this link.

Hapag-Lloyd's 2012/13 Expedition Season

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises announces the arrival of their March 2012-May 2013 expedition brochure. Their small and beautifully appointed expedition ships, MS Hanseatic and MS Bremen, will be offering 12 international (English/German) itineraries next season.

They include travel in Antarctica, the Northwest Passage, Greenland, Spitsbergen, Norway, the Amazon, the South Seas and New Zealand. In addition, the expedition itineraries feature new ports of call in Madagascar and Mozambique and a maiden voyage through theSea of Okhotsk in Russia’s Far East.

The two ships were created to provide intensive exploration in the most elegant surroundings for a maximum of 184 guests on Hanseatic and 164 on Bremen.

Expedition Highlights:

Sea of Okhotz

For the first time, Hanseatic sets out to circumnavigate the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia’s Far East, taking guests to volcanoes, geysers and glaciers. Zodiac stops will include Iony, a tiny island populated by sea lions, and Shantar Islands and Malminskie Islands, natural sanctuaries for songbirds, birds of prey, seals and sea otters.

Indian Ocean

Guests will experience lemurs in pristine nature, animals in the wild, and wonderful beaches on romantic coasts through Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa. This tropical 16-day adventure will include ports in Madagascar and a first time stop in Mozambique.

The Northwest Passage

In 2012, the popular exploration route will be offered on board Hanseatic. It starts in Nome/Alaska amidst impressive testimonies of the Inuit culture before sailing through the Canadian Arctic, the heart of the Northwest Passage and ending in Reykjavik/Iceland.

Antarctica

Glaciers, icebergs, deep fjords and bays offer the setting for an unforgettable Antarctic expedition. In addition to observing bird colonies, guests will also have the opportunity to explore the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, bath in the hot springs on Deception Island and observe whales in the Antarctic Sound.

For more info, visit www.hl-cruises.com or contact the UK's expedition cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.