The energy of an impassioned conservationist can elevate a nature experience from the average to the sublime. Between March 2 – 13, 2013, guests of Patagonia Sur Reserves will have the opportunity to explore the natural wonders of the private Melimoyu Reserve with Celine Cousteau, world-renowned ocean explorer, free diver, photographer, documentarian, and environmental champion.
A dedication to conservation coupled with an insatiable curiosity about the natural world courses through Celine Cousteau’s veins. As the granddaughter of the late legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, she has spent a life exploring and documenting nature and the planet’s indigenous cultures through video, photography, writing, and speaking engagements. Her non-profit enterprise CauseCentric Productions supports grassroots organizations and individuals working toward progressive social and environmental change with the use of impactful short documentaries.
Guests can be part of this global conservation ethic when they venture with Celine Cousteau into Patagonia Sur’s Melimoyu Reserve, one of the world’s wildest and most beautiful ecosystems. Set along the spectacular Gulf of Corcovado in Chilean Patagonia, Melimoyu features rainforests, waterfalls, glacier-covered Mt. Melimoyu, and the opportunity to see rare and unique species like the Darwin’s frog, the Magellanic penguin, and the abundant biodiversity of the Corcovado, such as blue whales – the giants of the sea – fur seals, sea lions, and many other marine mammals.
Space is limited to 10 guests. Rates for this special all-inclusive program, per adult, based on double occupancy are:
– Three-night program: $4,925 USD
– Four-night program: $5,750 USD
– Seven-night program: $8,725 USD
In addition to the Melimoyu-only packages listed above, guests may also add to their itinerary a three, four, or seven-night visit to Patagonia Sur Reserves’ Valle California La Estrella Ranch. Included is an intimate experience of no more than 10 people, all meals and round-trip charter flights between Puerto Montt and the Reserves. Reservations may be made online at Reservations@PatagoniaSur.com or by calling 508-939-3667.
With Cousteau as their guide and wildlife interpreter, guests can expect a life-changing experience in the Melimoyu Reserve. The base of explorations will be the luxuriously rustic Casa Bahia, where days begin and end with family-style meals and conversation around a warm table, and evenings are capped with a soak in the hot tub overlooking Melimoyu Bay.
Guests will embark on a sea safari with Celine aboard the Chucao touring boat, staying on the lookout for the elusive blue whales that use these waters as feeding grounds after delivering their calves. Visitors will also paddle the shoreline aboard double or single kayaks, and then take to the land for a hike in the Valdivian temperate rainforest hoping for a glimpse of the endangered huemul deer. There will also be an opportunity to visit the village of Melimoyu where pioneering families first settled many years ago and discovered this mysterious landscape. In the evening, Celine will share tales of global travels and ocean explorations, and discuss blue whale conservation and the importance of protecting wild places like Melimoyu.
For more information on the 2013 special programs with Patagonia Sur Reserves, visit www.PatagoniaSurReserves.com.