Chilean Patagonia
MV Skorpios III
The MV Skorpios III is a purpose‑built expedition vessel, launched in 1995 at the Skorpios shipyard in Chile and refurbished in 2012 to provide modern comforts alongside her robust seafaring credentials. At 70 metres in length and ice‑class certified, she is designed to navigate safely through the glacier‑lined fjords and channels of southern Patagonia, offering guests a rare opportunity to explore one of the world’s most dramatic wilderness regions in comfort and safety.
Carrying up to 92 passengers in 46 cabins across five decks, Skorpios III is small enough to reach remote corners of Patagonia yet spacious enough to provide a convivial atmosphere onboard. Facilities include two welcoming bar lounges and a panoramic dining room with sweeping views of the fjords, while daily briefings and lectures enrich the experience with insights into the region’s wildlife, geology and history. Outings by Zodiac bring guests close to towering ice walls and secluded bays, ensuring a genuine expedition feel.
Facilities
Panoramic dining room, two bar lounges, expedition lecture spaces, air conditioning, heating, satellite communications, navigation systems, Zodiac boats for excursions.
Local Wildlife
Terrestrial Mammals: culpeo fox, south Andean deer, guanaco, southern river otter, puma, vicuna, southern pudu.
Marine mammals: dusky dolphin, Peale's dolphin, Commerson's dolphin, Risso's dolphin, orca, humpback whale, southern right whale, southern elephant seal, South American fur seal, South American sea lion, marine otter.
Birds: Andean condor, kelp goose, imperial cormorant, lesser rhea, Magellanic cormorant, flying steamer-duck, Magellanic woodpecker, upland goose, ashy-headed goose, black-necked swan, torrent duck.
John Melton
Area Specialist
Pack for layers and flexibility – the MV Skorpios III sails through Chilean Patagonia’s fjords and glaciers, where weather can shift dramatically even within a single day. Having waterproof outerwear and warm layers ensures you’ll be comfortable both on deck and during shore excursions.
If you have any questions regarding our Chile tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
Our first day of puma tracking was definitely the highlight. The weather was good and we saw distant pumas in the morning and a group of six around a guanaco kill in the afternoon. Spending 2.5 hours watching the interactions between the different individuals was fascinating.
