Asteria Expeditions

Since 1985 Asteria Expedition started to specialize in polar travel. In Belgium the company has become popular and many newspaper pages, often full-size, have been devoted to its special travels. Below a short summary is given of Asteria’s firsts in Antarctica: • In 1985 Asteria brought the first Belgian climbers to Mount Vinson. Rudy Van Snick reached the top and he became not only the first Belgian to do so. At the same time he became the first Belgian to realize the ‘Seven Summits’. • In 1987 Asteria brought the first Belgian tourists to the Geographical South Pole (90°S). • In 1987 Asteria became the first Belgian member of IAATO. Today the company is still member of IAATO. • In 1999 Asteria brought the first Belgian tourists to Queen Maud Land and to the Ross Sea area. • Since 1997 Asteria sub-chartered ships from Quark Expeditions (USA) and Polar Star Expeditions (Canada). Asteria brought circa 300 Belgians to Antarctica, which is more than the total number of Belgian scientists that visited that continent. • On several occasions Asteria had members of the ‘polar’ family de Gerlache on board their ships. In 1998 we had baron Gaston de Gerlache (son of Adrien, discoverer of Gerlache Strait) as guest of honor; in 1999 François de Gerlache (grandson of Adrien) went with us; in 2008 baron Bernard de Gerlache (grandson of Adrien) was special guest. In 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2024 we always had a grandson or granddaughter of Adrien de Gerlache on our expeditions cruises. • Asteria always tried to make special landings in the regions discovered by Adrien de Gerlache. NSF recorded several Asteria-landings as ‘first tourist landings’: Gaston Islands, Brabant Island, Buls Bay, Metchnikoff Point, Moureaux Islands, Cape Renard, Auguste Island, Gand Island and Louise Island. • Our landing on Gand Island is, as far as we know, the first landing on this island. Asteria tried to land on this island in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Landings were then impossible because we always met with ice-walls which did not offer a safe landing place. The last years the coast has become more accessible and in 2008 we found a suitable landing place. • Asteria has on several occasions supported scientific research. In 2008 it took members of a scientific expedition (Belgian and USA) back to Ushuaia. In 1997, 1998 and 2005 it took scientists in the staff and allowed them to take scientific samples during each landing. In the field of polar travel, Asteria is in Belgium the best known tour operator. It is invited in almost all events relating to polar exploration. The company did much more than just tourism: • In 2000 it set-up and sponsored a permanent exhibition on Adrien de Gerlache in the Maritime Museum of Ushuaia (Argentine). • In 2007 it sponsored the Antarctic expedition of Dixie Dansercoer, which aimed to study climate change. • In 2008 it inaugurated a statue of Adrien de Gerlache in the port of Ushuaia. • We traveled in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2024 with a full charter with the family de Gerlache as guest on board.