Sustainability is a core component of the HX brand. We don’t use heavy oil or single-use plastic in … [+]
While birdwatching has been enjoyed by people all over the world for 1000’s of years, the activity has reached latest heights of recognition lately, with about 45 million US residents are participating on this activity within the early 2020s. While this pastime is especially accessible and plenty of hobbyists start with only their eyes and an easy backyard feeder, experienced bird lovers are willing to go to great lengths to marvel at rare birds – a incontrovertible fact that HX (or Hurtigruten Expeditions) knows this only too well.
This long-established Scandinavian company was officially founded in 1893 to supply transportation services along the Norwegian coast. Over the years, it has grown right into a premier travel company, offering trips starting from cruises in warm climes along the Caribbean to expeditions through the icy waters of Arctic Canada. While the corporate currently offers trips to ecotourism hotspots resembling Iceland, Svalbard and the Northwest Passage, birdwatchers can rejoice on the announcement of ten latest Audubon Voyages, all in collaboration with the world-famous National Audubon SocietyBuilding on HX’s unwavering commitment to sustainable ecotourism, all Audubon trips have been specifically chosen with birdlife in mind, with each trip specializing in destinations that provide opportunities to view hard-to-find endemic species.
Chinstrap penguins are also called “bearded penguins” due to their facial markings.
While all ten Audubon Voyages haven’t yet been revealed, two of the recently unveiled voyages are dedicated to some of the inhospitable landmasses on Earth: the vast continent of Antarctica. During the Detailed Antarctica and Patagonia expeditionguests can admire spectacular landscapes in southern Chile and even spot the majestic Andean condor within the wild before heading south to explore the world’s only uninhabited continent. After traveling through the famous Drake Passage, visitors have the chance to go to each the Antarctic Peninsula and the nearby South Shetland Islands, with loads of fascinating wildlife to identify along the way in which. While the region is best known for its many species of penguins – Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo, to be exact – birdwatchers also needs to regulate the skies for snow albatrosses and Antarctic terns, two native birds found only within the southernmost regions of the planet.
The snow albatross has the biggest wingspan of any bird species alive today.
Those preferring to remain within the northern hemisphere can embark on a novel journey in the shape of the Alaska & British Columbia | Inside Passage, Bears and Aleutian Islands Tour. After arriving within the Pacific Northwest city of Seattle, guests fly to the settlement of Nome in northern Alaska to start their cruise. Nearby destinations range from St. Matthew Island – a top spot to see the McKay bunting – to Dutch Harbor, an idyllic settlement teeming with birds of prey and puffins. Fulmars, fork-tailed storm petrels and kittiwakes are only just a few of the bird species that is perhaps seen in the course of the voyage. Visitors even have the possibility to catch a glimpse of the Kodiak bear, a subspecies of brown bear endemic to The Last Frontier.
While HX has perfected the art of ecotourism, the newly announced Audubon Voyages offer birders unprecedented opportunities, giving every guest the possibility to go to a few of the most distant places on Earth searching for rare species. Whether you are a diehard birder hoping to attain some mega-ticks or simply an off-the-cuff birder in need of a really unforgettable vacation, these ten excursions are sure to depart you with lasting memories and a deeper connection to the fascinating world of birding and ecotourism as a complete.
