Industry Cruises Products Ships' accommodation | Founded 1978 | |
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Founder Don Constantino Kochifas Cárcamo Headquarters Puerto Montt, Chile, Puerto Montt, Chile Area served Laguna San Rafael, Chiloé, Melinka, Castro | ||
Description
Cruceros Skorpios is a cruise company of Chile based in Puerto Montt which offers fjord cruises throughout South Chile until Laguna San Rafael.
Contents
History
Passenger shipping and Skorpios SA is a family business founded in 1978 by Don Constantino Kochifas Carcamo. Today the company has one of the largest shipping fleets in the Southern Cone, 2 tourist vessels and more than 37 cargo ships, a shipyard and naval arsenal, shipping terminals of passengers and freight, baths in Fjord Quitralco, offices in Santiago, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales.
The shipping owner Constantino Kochifas Cárcamo began shipping entrepreneur activities in the regional coastal area of Puerto Montt in 1956, with his brothers. Subsequently they are forming their own independent shipping company operating cargo ships to the Aysen region. It was thus realized that development could have the shipping tourism in Patagonia, founding Maritime Cruise Skorpios. It started cruise to San Rafael Glacier in 1976, in a small cargo ship named MV Mimi, then carrying only 12 passengers per trip. Then, built in 1978, the MV Skorpios I, the first tour boat company and Chile, decommissioned in the channels of southern Chile in 2008 reaching to perform more than 600 cruises to Laguna San Rafael.
In 1988, the MV Skorpios II is inaugurated, with capacity for 106 passengers, being the largest ship Skorpios fleet capacity and currently maintains the original route of the MV Skorpios I, now known as Route Chonos. In 1995, the company inaugurated a new cruise ship, the MV Skorpios III, for 90 passengers. In 2003, Skorpios Cruises extends its operations to the region of Magallanes, inaugurating a new tourist route called Route Kaweskar, to the glaciers of the Southern Ice Field, comprising route from Puerto Natales to the glaciers of the Southern Ice Field. For this purpose, the MV Skorpios III moves and a maritime terminal in Puerto Natales is built.
Former Coastal Cruises
Current Coastal Cruises
Accident
On February 5, 2015, the 70 meter long cruise ship, with 89 passengers and 31 crew members aboard, MV Skorpios II ran aground and stranded during normal conditions appreciating the Chile Fjords near Puerto Montt, Chile. The Ship was left on the beach, high and dry until high tide, without any damage, injuries or pollution released. Passengers were transferred to a Chilean patrol boat and taken back. Ship was following floated out again and went back to Puerto Montt.