"Ducie Expeditions"

2009:
10th March - 31st March

2010:
23rd February - 16th March

Arrival at Mangareva: After your arrival at the Gambier Islands on Air Tahiti (flight VT951) at midday on Tuesday you will cross to Rikitea village (on Mangareva Island) on the lagoon taxi boat. After meeting the Research Vessel Bounty Bay at the wharf, every passenger will be assigned his/her own bunk and have their passport stamped for departure. All food will be supplied during the voyage

Pitcairn Island: After two days sea we arrive at Pitcairn Island and you are invited to stay onshore with local families; this can be arranged in advance, or on arrival, as you wish. The cost for your stay onshore is not included in our pricing and should be budgeted at approximately US$70 per night to be paid direct to your host family. This type of ecotourism has been encouraged in the last few years as a way of boosting the islands economy in a sustainable way.

Adam's Seamount: Sometime during the next week (when the weather is most suitable) we travel overnight to Adam's seamount (80km east of Pitcairn), where the seabird watching and fishing is excellent. The top of this newly discovered seamount is 40m deep, so do not expect to step ashore (unless you are a scuba diver and the weather is perfect).

Ducie Atoll: After another full day at sea we reach Ducie Atoll - the remotist speck of land in this part of the world. We will be searching for the wreck of the S/V Acadia and exploring the deep lagoon and surrounding motus for a couple of days.

Henderson Island: On our return voyage to Pitcairn Island we will be stopping for a couple of days at the World Heritage Site of Henderson Island. Many scientists consider Henderson ‘the most pristine tropical island in the world’. At Henderson we will be going ashore for a few hours each day (weather dependent). This will give you a chance to see the Henderson Dove, Henderson Rail, Henderson Parrot, Henderson Warbler and Henderson Petrel, plus a myriad of other indigenous plants and animals.

Return visit to Pitcairn: This will depend on if we have passengers to pick up, and/or if we have any days to spare in our schedule for the return leg from Ducie.

Oeno Atoll: has a magnificent inner lagoon with easy access via a large passage. The passage and outer reef are definitely the spots to dive. If you feel like exploring uninhabited islands and relaxing on golden sandy beach then Oeno offers an easy accessible and picture perfect opportunity. For those keener on going below the waves we will aim for loads of dives.

Temoe Atoll: We stop here for a few hours for some snorkeling and scuba diving along the lee side of the atoll

Arrival in Mangareva: We aim to arrive in the Gambier Islands on Sunday afternoon and will anchor at Rikitea to enable visits to this picturesque village. Other things you can organize are a tour around the big island (Mangareva) and a visit to a pearl farm.

Diving: All of the islands of the Pitcairn Group have excellent snorkeling and diving and some of the most beautiful uninhabited beaches in the world. We provide all snorkeling equipment without additional charge (a scuba license and experience are required for scuba diving).

Price: Our three-week long 'Ducie Expeditions' are priced at US$4,400 per person.

For a map of the Pitcairn Islands - click here

For further information email us at "info@pacific-expeditions.com"

photos:
header by Sean Davey
right hand side photos by Martin Smith / Dan Burton / Chris Brick
Exercise Bounty Bay - Jan/Feb 2003