Unexplored Antarctica Adventure

Your unexplored Antarctica expedition will begin in Ushuaia, Argentina, where after having arrived independently you will embark your ship in the afternoon. As you settle in to your cabin, your ship will sail through the scenic waterway of the Beagle Channel. You may want to spend some time on deck capturing the sight of the city fading into distance behind you and looking out for the seabirds that follow the ship.

During these two days we will sail across the famous Drake Passage, encountering a variety of seabirds along the way. You may want to spend some time on deck in search of bird sightings including wandering, grey-headed, black-browed and the beautiful light-mantled sooty albatross, southern fulmars, Wilson's storm, blue, Cape and Antarctic petrels. There may also be whale sightings, and your programme of entertaining and informative lectures and presentations will begin, along with safety and bio-environmental briefings for your time in Antarctica. As we sail towards the Antarctic Sound we will spot the first of many icebergs.

As we sail into the Antarctic Sound the awe-inspiring sight of glaciers, icebergs, and pack ice extend into the horizon will greet us. Our first stop here will be Petrel Cove on Dundee Island on the northern side of the sound, where we will make land and explore Base Petrel. The base’s massive airplane hangar hints at the base’s heritage: It was from this stretch of flat land that Lincoln Elsworth and Herbert Hollick-Kenyon completed the first flight across the Antarctic Continent in 1935. Here there may also be chances of seeing a large number of Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals hauled up on the beaches. Ice conditions depending we may explore the sound by Zodiac. As with all Antarctic expeditions the itinerary throughout our voyage will be flexible and greatly dependent on weather and ice conditions.

After exploring the Sound we will begin our sail along the Wright Ice Piedmont at Graham Land, which was mapped based on photographs taken between 1955—57. The piedmont was named after the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright, who in December 1903 were the first people to fly an airplane. Spectacular scenery abounds so make sure to have your cameras on hand and spend some time on deck capturing that perfect picture.

As we continue our exploration of Antarctica we will sail into the main Peninsula area. Our itinerary over the next 3 days will be mostly dictated by ice and weather conditions with your captain choosing each day the best course to take to gain unprecedented experiences. Visiting the most rarely explored areas we can expect to explore along the west coast of Graham Land, reaching the spectacular views from Valdivia Point. Around here we may also see Challenger Island and Bluff Island.

Continuing westwards we will sail along the western side of Brabant Island, exploring Avicenna Bay, Buls Bay, and the analysis-inspiring Freud Passage before reaching the northeast coast of Anvers Island. Here we will visit Fournier Bay and possibly make a landing at Inverleith Harbour in search of the area’s Antarctic tern colony as well as Weddell seals. Throughout your days in Antarctica we will (weather dependent) enjoy Zodiac cruises to get up close to the spectacular scenery and search for wildlife.

As our exhilarating time in Antarctica comes to end it’s time to head back north through the Drake Passage where again the ship will be followed by a vast array of seabirds. Enjoy the last presentations from your team of noted naturalists and take the time to dissolve all of the unforgettable memories you will have made on your once in a lifetime expediton.

As we sail back through the scenic Beagle Channel and arrive in Ushuaia in the early morning it’s sadly time to say goodbye to your crew and fellow shipmates. After breakfast you will disembark and a group transfer will be provided to the airport for onward or homeward journeys.