Discovery World Cruises Announces Expedition Team for Antarctica

October 11, 2005 -- A noted team of polar explorers and lecturers will accompany Discovery World Cruises third consecutive season of Antarctic cruise expeditions. Travelers will learn about the world's most fascinating continent while exploring the maze of icebergs and floes found in the South Polar waters aboard the line's mv Discovery. Excursions by motor launches and multiple landings on the Antarctic Peninsula enhance the experience.

Although Discovery's Antarctica cruises typically sell out far in advance, a limited number of cabins are still available on a 13-night Antarctica cruisetour, which departs January 21, 2006. Highlights include Deception, King George and Half Moon islands, as well as Antarctic Sound, Hope Bay, Gerlache Strait and the Lemaire Channel. Rates begin at $3,595 per person, double occupancy, and include a two-night hotel stay in Buenos Aires before embarkation in Ushuaia, Argentina, eight nights aboard mv Discovery, and one-night in Ushuaia before flying home.

Highlighting the voyage is a team of specialists in glaciology and geology, marine life, seabirds, and Antarctic politics and living conditions led by Dr. Peter Carey, director of the Sub Antarctic Foundation for Ecosystems Research (SAFER). Dr. Carey has made more than 50 trips to the continent as a research scientist. An expert on seals and penguins, he also works to preserve the delicate ecology of a group of small islands that he purchased from the Falkland Islands.

"Discovery's Antarctic expedition team uniquely features active scientists still working on the frontlines of exploration and discovery," said Mark Flager, Discovery's vice president of sales, marketing and passenger services. "This is an exceptional group of lecturers, with the ability to present their fields of study in engaging and interesting ways."?

Dr. Carey's team includes Dr. Sean Fitzsimons, a glaciologist and geomorphologist who has led 14 expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula with the New Zealand Antarctic Program and the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition. The author of numerous scientific publications and a senior lecturer at the University of Otago, New Zealand, he will share his knowledge of polar glaciers and other ice formations with passengers.

Dr. Fitzsimons will be joined by his colleague, Dr. Craig Franklin, who has participated in 10 research expeditions to Antarctica with the New Zealand Antarctic Program. An evolutionary and environmental physiologist, he has a particular interest in how animals survive and thrive in extreme environments. Dr. Franklin is currently an associate professor at the University of Queensland, Australia, where he runs a large laboratory and studies such diverse species as crocodiles, sharks, burrowing frogs and turtles.

Also onboard will be Paul Sagar, a biologist with a long association with Antarctica and the subantarctic islands. An expert on seabirds, his current research focuses on the impacts of fisheries on albatross populations and the causes of penguin population declines. Sagar is the author of more than 50 scientific publications about the Antarctic region's birds.

Travelers discover Antarctica in comfort and style aboard mv Discovery, which is resplendent with every modern comfort and convenience. The vessel features 351 cabins and suites; three restaurants; five lounges; a well-stocked library; casino; Internet center; modern health club; two swimming pools, including one beneath a retractable roof; and two Jacuzzis.

For more information about Discovery World Cruises Antarctica itineraries, visit www.discoveryworldcruises.com. To make a reservation, consult with a travel professional or contact Discovery toll-free at (866) 623-2689.

SOURCE Discovery World Cruises