The water used is extracted directly from the ocean and heated in four baths available on the fifth deck of the ship.

Marine water is a powerful esthetic and therapeutic resource thanks to its salinity and density. In the fifth century before Christ, the Greek Hippocrates – known as the father of modern medicine – stated that “the sea cures the illnesses of men.”

We have also added a four-person jacuzzi on this deck so passengers can alternate the beneficial effects of seawater with a warm bath of fresh water. This enhances the treatment and allows more passengers to share in this experience at the same time

The team of scientists has installed this image capturing device with which the ocean now acquires another dimension; all life harbored in these waters can be appreciated in detail using the 3D lens available on the RIB. Dolphins, sea lions, whales and small fish can be observed in their natural habitat, displaying the beauty of their movements. The images also contribute scientific data like the existence of young species and the re-identification through marks on their whole bodies.

This is a portable camera so it can also be used aboard the Atmosphere. This way, everything that goes on in the ocean can be seen on a wide screen on the deck, increasing the ways in which to connect with the sea.

All of these advances are part of a long list of elements that make Nomads maintain itself at the forefront of expeditions across Patagonia, allowing its passengers to participate in one of the most exciting experiences of close encounters with the fauna of the southernmost shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Around 1997, my interest in the tourism business began to grow at a rapid pace as a result of glimpsing years of spectacular growth in the industry. By that time, I had formed the opinion and stated that the first apparent signs of change and tendency regarding the concepts of luxury and experiencial tourism were evident. Both facts have been clearly revealed during these last years: “being” versus “having.”

I have been asked many times why I traded my suits for blue jeans; having left the financial industry, in which I was involved for years, to embark upon the tourism industry. Few words can clearly explain the move, however in international tourism devoted to specialized niches, while investments are on a much smaller scale than those required in the financial sector, one can be a terrific actor.

Current statistics show that Latin America is one of the regions with some of the greatest tourism potential throughout the world. It is not by chance that for the year 2007 this region has an expected inbound tourism growth of 6.6%; which is strides higher than the entire world’s expected average of 3.8%, the expected European growth rate of 2.3%, and the North American expectation which is only predicted to climb to 2.6%.

In this broad context, Chile appeared to offer an excellent opportunity for a multitude of reasons: much higher growth potencial in inbound tourism than those of the rest of the world’s region (14.3% expected for year 2007), a very low population density, recognizable national geographical icons offering distinctive beauty and reputation presenting an impressive contrast such as the lush Patagonia and Atacama, the driest desert in the world.

Because one of the main pillars of business model has always been “being an actor within a zone of extremes”, we chose to begin with the fabled Patagonia. Ruled only by natural forces, Patagonia’s beauty and the natural contrasts are unparralled and have remained nearly inaccessible due to weather and micro-climates which both aid in keeping secret the hidden and guarded jewels of the region. For this reason it was vital to evolve a new sophisticated operational model in order to achieve and execute the unparalleled experiences Nomads delivers, while ensuring that no where else in the world would our form of operation currently exist- because we created it.

In order to clearly perceive global tendencies in adventure oriented tourism and to develop the motivating key concept, it was essential to travel extensively and to continue to visit various countries providing different sophisticated tourism operations. So I did, and I do. In essence, I observed and continue to see key factors crucial to the success of these various tourism models: all successful operations require both standard consistencies at the core as well as unique and important differentiating elements which set them apart from one another. While they stand together, they stand out and alone from one another.

One of the most relevant variables requires being able to perceive rather than to see. To harvest the real fruits in this business you can not imitate or copy – you must and are forced to innovate. As it is, Nomads of the Seas stands alone in the world. Nothing like it exists nor resembles it. Equally important, is understanding what it is that the sophisticated guest expects and demands, what does and does not surprise him, and finally, how we will successfully target and stir his deepest emotions.

With all this in mind, we constantly invest and allocate substantial resources in order to know our potential market and the relevant actors who truly shape it. We are associated with several tourism and other related organizations both on a national and international level, which allows us to maintain constant contact and relativity to our guests. Getting to know the end-user well and on a more intimate basis helps improve our business intelligence. This same fact applies to our tour operators.

With this in mind we have visited and continue to visit many other tourism ventures. In 2007 alone, we traveled to operations devoted to angling, mountain sports and luxury tourism. In the U.S.A. we traveled to Alaska, California, North and South Carolina, Florida, Montana, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington, to name some. We also visited Canada. In Europe we traveled to England, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland; very soon we will be venturing to Russia. In Asia we made it to China, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand; in Oceania we visited Australia and New Zealand. In Latin America we accessed Argentina and Mexico, and soon will be adding Brazil and Colombia to our extensive list.

At this point it should be evident and clearly understood, it was not by chance that with my father, Mr. Jacob Ergas, as an exclusive partner, we invested significant funds to purse our vision. Over 20 million USD has been invested to create our exceptional tourism business: Nomads of the Seas. We had some potential foreign partners interested in joining our team, however due to their origin and large scale interests, they requested from the beginning a platform of three ships; we felt it was a bit too aggressive for our vision. This same interest has appeared with our up and coming tourism business developments; while this is something to discuss within our board, our guess is that we won’t want to add any partners yet, if at all.

So, what’s happened since we began? Well, happy to say, our first season with Nomads of the Seas was an extraordinary success. An important facet of our happiness is derived from the fact that the process of marketing and selling a non-commodity, new tourism venture which required explaining details regarding a new concept about a vessel that was yet to be delivered and only finally hit the water - late October 2006 – made our selling process extremely difficult, yet we overcame adversity and succeeded in flying colors. Due to the intricacies of the involvement required in a naval construction project, many doubted timely delivery, if at all-and some even doubted the technical capabilities of our ship. All of this led to delayed bookings for the early season and minimal advanced bookings. We pressed on.

Making matters worse, on the global stage, many shipyards have less than favorable reputations regarding performance with new projects. Nevertheless, ASENAV proved to be a serious and professional supplier, delivering our ship on time, without any delays; moreover, it exceeded all of the contractual parameters of performance that we sought and agreed upon. Therefore, it is with great and true pride when we state that this spectacular vessel both operates and was constructed in this amazing country we call Chile…and home.

Challenges aside, we succeeded in booking guests for our inaugural voyage, generating a fantastic buzz and impact in global mass media, tourism professionals and referrals of specialized tourism niches with which we operate. Over 50 of the most important world press media visited our operation, circulating of over 25 million units reaching a much greater audience, yet furthering the impact measured by the number of people actually exposed to our operation. An important point is that these media publications not only show Nomads of the Seas, but also the country of Chile as a tourism destination. Complimenting all of this impressive coverage, we had – and have – an impressive and strong marketing campaign.

With much humility but with solid conviction, we can say that we created and carved a completely new category within the luxury tourism industry worldwide. We have reaped the rewards of our efforts: booking levels for seasons 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 show extraordinary high numbers. This next season 2007/08, press and television coverage will far exceed that of our past season.

In regards to the heart of our activity, it is true that while we are involved with “ travel, we are not involved with an “easy-going” business. I personally join the majority of the expeditions throughout the season as well as many of the off-season trips. We permanently battle against the elements - i.e. rain, wind, waves, tides and others. Planning, supervision and training are constant and rigorous. Operational risks are high; our guests do not seek excuses or apologies. Since their lives rely to our care, they demand a well-trained and efficient team. Our team has been built and trained through innovation and is an asset we regard as one of our beloved treasures.

It is from that permanent innovation which spawned plans for new Nomads operations; within the short-run we will be developing a revolutionary new project guided with the same spectacular concept that governs Nomads of the Seas. Along with my brother and two close friends, I have recently acquired a gorgeous terrain located in the Central Andes cordillera: “Manantiales”. It will be leased to Nomads, to give birth to a fabulous and exclusive private mountain project during 2009 season, offering one the lowest density of skiers per mountain terrain in the world.

Our focus will be on the same niche Nomads of the Seas maintains, which means worldwide guests looking for a spectacular combination of the highest-level services and extremely sophisticated activities. Again, infrastructure, operational skills and equipment for activities will be of the ultimate, cutting-edge technology and the highest security standards known-to-date. This new project considers a unique architecture base whose purpose is to incorporate and capture the deep essence of the nearby surroundings, thus creating a space that will be an atmosphere in its own right. Combining both platforms, we will manage to generate synergy at both commercial and operational levels, building an eleven-month term of operation each year.

Why “Manantiales”? The area seemed extremely interesting for several reasons, including incomparable weather, excellent snow quality and available ski terrain, proximity to Santiago, off-season characteristics with respect to the Northern hemisphere and the steady growth observed in the increasing number of visitors traveling to and enjoying Chilean winter resorts. We also perceived, and perceive, an important opportunity to fill a void: a lack of sophisticated, high-level operations related to mountain activities within Chile.

The launch into this new venture is scheduled to commence on September/October 2008. This new mountain program will complement our existing Nomads of the Seas’ activities. By this time frame we will have operators in place in order to set booking dates.

During our last season we were frequently asked about plans to launch a second ship. Construction time of this second vessel will take nearly 3 years. It is important to emphasize that it took us nearly 20 years to research, scout, and develop our present area of activities. For this new area, we consider a research and scouting period that will last between 4 to 5 years. Therefore, the earliest expected date to see a second ship will be by 2010/2011 season.

Last but not least, we do have additional future expansion plans. We are researching three distinct areas, two of them located in Chile and one abroad. Because we are more advanced on our mountain project, our third project in Chile will still take a reasonable period of time to frame and execute.

Our goal is quite clear; we want to be the most important and up-scale ultimate luxury adventure operation in the world covering special interests, with an exclusive experiential model. In order to achieve this goal, we will give birth and feed sophisticated operational models within places considered icons of extreme natural beauty and location on our planet. Each season, only a few elite and fortunate guests will experience our unique model.

We will always strive towards becoming Chile’s best and finest ambassador in all of our operations.

Much like what has been developed by Nomads of the Seas in Patagonia, this enterprise will offer guests familiar with luxury travel unique experiences in a privileged environment, where they will live the contrasts between the thrill of activities, intensity of the surroundings, and the comfort of hotel services. A state of the art infrastructure will be available for this purpose, in which the design, architecture and engineering triad will be key. A highly trained crew, with first class logistics, will be in charge of bringing this venture to a successful completion.

As with the Atmosphere cruise ship, where 32 crew members are at the disposal of 28 passengers, this new operation will maintain a similar ratio to allow guests to be tended to in intimate fashion, and in surroundings that make them feel at home.

This new operation considers a home base, whose architecture will certainly get people’s attention. Its purpose will be to capture the essence of the environment, creating an area that will be a work of art in itself, where just “being” there will become an experience unlike any other. Just like the Atmosphere ship, here too you will see special attention to the many details that make everyday moments so pleasant: world class cuisine, great taste and refinement in the décor, as well as areas inviting rest, good conversation and an encounter with nature. Its inauguration will raise genuine interest, since this new operation contemplates attractive features that can only be found in the mind of few visionaries.

To the already fascinating adventure of travelling across Patagonia, Nomads now adds delicious culinary adventures: gastronomical events and parties that cater to all sybarites, during the entire stay aboard the Atmosphere.

Everything begins with a captivating inaugural dinner, where passengers will sample Chilean Patagonian cuisine, developed by one of Chile's best chefs, Guillermo Rodríguez. Guests will be able to taste the flavours of the southernmost part of Chile, such as lamb, ewe's milk cheese, southern white hake, salmon, abalone, and sea urchins, all prepared with international cuisine standards and techniques.

Patache in spanish means "an abundant meal". This is exactly what passengers will experience as part of a culinary event: a king crab "patache", known here as centolla. This is a crustacean that inhabits the southern waters of Chile, with a delicate flavour that combines well with a wide range of side dishes.

The farewell party at Nomads consists of a gastronomical milestone: ten different dishes will be sampled, all of which belong to Patagonian cuisine, and each will be paired with an appropriate wine chosen among the many different varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah or Carmenere among the reds, and Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, among the whites.

According to chef Guillermo Rodríguez, cuisine at Nomads turns into a sensory experience that combines good food, fragrances, flavours, and pleasant moments of relaxation.

Nomads of the Seas extreme fly fishing program is adding a few surprises for its second season. Among them are new air – water transportation equipments that will enhance the casting experience.
Nomads is on the verge of acquiring a brand new helicopter that will second our existing Bell 407. The aircraft will add more flight hours to the fly fishing program and will allow adventurers to reach deep into Patagonian lands where they will be able to catch immaculate and vigorous trouts.

Also, Nomads will bring up the number of McKenzies to 36 with the acquisition of new drift boats. They will enrich the fishing experience in lakes and lagoons. Finally, twelve new jet skiffs will aid the casters on their fly fishing adventures on the Patagonian territory. They will be strategically placed on the most hidden and pristine rivers to enhance the fly fishing experience on this type of landscapes.
Our hard working team of guides traveled across the vast Patagonian territory in search of new fishing routes and spots that combine beautiful sceneries with the fly fishing experience. According to Osvaldo Adwanter, Nomads of the Seas Expeditions Manager, “the idea is to take the adventure a step further ahead”.

Nomads’ 2006 - 2007 season ended the 21st of April. After more than 25 expeditions, our inaugural year concluded with magnificent results and very important achievements in all of our programs.
Our air - water service chain worked to the highest self-imposed standards and the passengers flew over rainforests, caught immaculate and vigorous trouts and listened to the singing of the blue whales. Grand Class was the theme and the evaluation was very positive.

According to our explorers, the extreme fly fishing program climbed to the top of its international industry with some memorable fishing spots and a large variety of pristine and healthy trouts. In the Ecotourism program the results were full of good surprises. As the Atmosphere sailed the Patagonian channels and bays, the days were fruitful in whale and dolphin observation. Our visitors had the opportunity to see some expected species and even more than a few surprises that the ocean had in store for them.

Andres Ergas, president and creator of Nomads of the Seas, concludes: “On behalf Nomads of the Seas, I want to thank our select group of passengers that shared with us the first step in the start of a unique history in ecotourism and fly fishing”.

There is no doubt about it. Steve Rajeff is a fly fishing living legend. This 14 time world casting champion and multiple world record holder in distance and accuracy events visited the Atmosphere on April 7th as part of our final familiarization trip.

After capturing his 14th crown last September at Carton House in Kildare, Republic of Ireland, he decided to spend a week of fly fishing adventures on the most remote and unseen rivers of Patagonia, facing the challenge of the toughest and wildest trout’s in the world.

With this illustrious visit, Nomads of the Seas closed a very successful first season that was filled with amazing casting adventures that captured the attention of the fly fishing media around the world.

Today, few coaching icons are left in the National Football League. Jeff Fisher is one of those. The Tennessee Titans head coach visited the Atmosphere at the end of February as part of a special edition of a program called Fly Fishing the World.

This avid caster and nature lover spent five days fly fishing on the most remote and pristine destinations that the Nomads of the Seas operation can offer its guests. All of the sights from the hidden Patagonia and his fishing activities were followed by the crew and the cameras of the Versus Channel show.

The exclusive episode dedicated to Nomads of the Seas and Jeff Fisher is being on air through Versus Channel. The next show will be on Sunday April 15th at 11:00 am. Stay tuned and watch this iconic visit!

After the first four months of operations in the Patagonia, Nomads of the Seas has captured the worldwide media attention thanks to its innovative extreme fly fishing concept and its mother ship, the Atmosphere.

Hailing from Turin, La Stampa is one of the most renowned and widely sold newspapers in the Italian peninsula. Journalist Luca Ubaldeschi participated in the second familiarization trip and published an article on February the 3rd entitled Patagonia Express where he described his experience on board the Atmosphere.

“The adventure has many faces. Difficult to say which one is more evocative. You can dedicate yourself to trekking, to the observation of birds and to natural photography”.

“You catch up your goal on the edge of a helicopter that flies between small lakes hidden in unexplored forests and volcanoes”.

“They call it extreme fly-fishing, not because it is dangerous, but because they guarantee you that you will be able to practice it in whichever place of the region, it does not matter how inaccessible it is, testing your ability in every condition”.

Read on for more reviews.

The Angling Report is a renowned newsletter from the United States that focuses on providing useful information where to fish for traveling anglers. The General Manager of Orvis Travel, Dave Parker, wrote a testimony for the newsletter where he described the uniqueness of the operation seen from the second familiarization trip in November.

“It’s rare that something truly unique comes along in the world of fly fishing travel, but the new helifishing cruise in southern Chile is precisely that. I don’t know of anything quite like it in terms of variety and quality of freshwater fishing for trout. You cruise south from Puerto Montt aboard a luxurious new ship that serves as mobile base while you fly fish rivers and lakes of all sizes and shapes”.

El Mundo is the second largest national newspaper in Spain. Journalist Pedro Caceres came on board the Atmosphere for the fourth familiarization trip at the beginning of December. On the 20th of January he wrote an article for Nautica, a section of the newspaper that specializes on the industry of boats, where he describes what the Atmosphere is all about.

“The Atmosphere is designed to delight fly fishermen”.

“It carries everything necessary to leave no corner out of reach for the 28 passengers it carries in each exclusive operation”.

“The greatest asset of the Atmosphere is that you can access virgin and wild fjords that are inaccessible by road and to any other commercial ship”.

The itinerary and daily programs were adapted on the spot, to accommodate Patagonia’s always surprising character. Excursions included trekking through the rainforest and visits to fishermen’s villages and other southern communities, which captivated Nomads passengers with the hospitality of their people and peculiar architecture.

At the end of expeditions filled with excitement and wonder, the Atmosphere was a welcoming and warm setting to relive the day’s most memorable experiences. Our chefs’ Grand Class cuisine offered befitting pampering and a chance for guides and passengers to unite in long conversations.

We are committed to upholding the good work and excellence standards. And to keep you posted on how we are honoring this pledge, Nomads is preparing a testimonial section for our web site, where our passengers will convey in their own words their recollections and thoughts on their adventure at Chilean Patagonia. First hand information just for you!

Check out more voyages' photos clicking on the link below!

A few weeks ago Nomads of the Seas launched its online newsletter campaign. Our first delivery, dated November 23rd, covered the following topics:

The Atmosphere makes its debut in society

After being baptized on November 4 as Atmosphere, a most befitting name that honors its ample, bountiful spirit, the impressive Nomads of the Seas' ship has begun sailing the world's southernmost seas.

Aero-maritime transport system all set to get moving!

The powerful Zodiac Hurricane 920 motorboat, the Bell 407 helicopter and the six jet-boats, all of them specially designed for Nomads of the Seas, are already fully operative.

World class guides, world class equipments, local in-depth knowledge

With a comprehensive training session aboard the Atmosphere, the highly-trained Nomads of the Seas' guide staff finished their thorough instruction period.

Media representatives and opinion leaders to be the first Nomads of the Seas' guests

Journalists representing the world's top media and trendsetters from various European, Asia Pacific and North American countries have widely confirmed their partaking in the Atmosphere's first cruises.

You can read the complete Newsletter by clicking on this link. Furthermore, if you would like to subscribe for future emails, you can do so using the form on the sidebar.

More than 200 qualified and professional Asenav employees worked during the Atmosphere's construction. Quite a challege, regarding the fact that there was no other operation in the world to serve as a reference. Not only it had to be absolutely safe and reliable, but we also had to consider special built-in characteristics for carrying jet boats, helicopter and safety equipment. All that in conjuction with the ship's cutting edge design.

The Mothership was built with state-of-the-art technology in ship building, in order to fulfill Nomads' desire of providing its passengers with a robust and efficient cruiseship.

Some of its most outstanding characteristics are its 150 ft. length, 33 ft. beam, twin screw propulsion, bow thrusters, four fin stabilizers system, steel hull and aluminium superstructure. Also the Atmosphere has a capacity of 18 fishing passengers, 10 non fishing passengers and 32 crew members. And last but never least, our cabin design brings you all the comforts from home!

Nomads is extremely proud of the Atmosphere. This is the ship that will allow our guests to live their dream of cruising through Chilean Patagonia’s fjords, pristine lakes and overwhelming seas.

Its official launch will take place during late October.

Watch the complete secuence of the lowering process clicking on the link below!