Mare Australis

The Mare Australis was an expedition ship for cruises in Patagonia. Built by ASENAV in Chile in 2002, the hull bears IMO number 9265677 and later sailed under the name Santa Cruz II.

Construction and ship names

ASENAV delivered the ship on November 11, 2002, and commercial operations began on November 29. In September 2009, the Mare Australis was sailing between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas during the season. Its later renaming as Santa Cruz II refers to the same hull, with IMO number 9265677.

Patagonia route

For 2009/10, the voyage from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia was scheduled as a five-day trip with four nights: boarding on the first day and arrival in Ushuaia on the fifth. The historical itinerary called for a visit to Ainsworth Bay on the second day, with a hike through the Magellanic forest and opportunities to observe elephant seals; Zodiac excursions to see Magellanic penguins and cormorants were scheduled at Tucker Islet. The third day’s program included Pia Glacier and Glacier Alley. A landing in Cape Horn National Park was planned for the fourth day, weather permitting. The voyage in the opposite direction was listed as a four-day trip with three nights. The Tierra del Fuego tourism authority reported a total of 31 scheduled calls by the Mare Australis in Ushuaia for the 2009/10 season. Daily Zodiac excursions ashore were accompanied by a multilingual expedition team, while onboard lectures complemented the nature program.

Ship specifications

The tourism authority’s September 2009 report gives the Mare Australis’s length as 71.83 meters and its beam as 13.4 meters. For the 2009/10 season, capacity was listed as 120 passengers and 40 crew members.