Antarctic Peninsula Adventure

Your adventure will begin in Ushuaia, Argentina’s southernmost town, where after having arrived independently you will make your way to the central meeting point where your transfer will take you to the port to board your expedition vessel in the afternoon. After settling into your comfortable cabin and familiarising yourself with your new surroundings, you can enjoy a welcome cocktail and dinner as we set sail for the adventure of a lifetime. We recommend spending some time on deck as we sail through the exceptionally scenic Beagle Channel and watch civilisation fade far into the distance behind us.

Over the course of the next two days we will enjoy an exciting sail through the legendary Drake Passage towards Antarctica. We recommend spending some time on deck looking out for the abundant seabirds that are likely to be following the ship along with possibly whales in the waters below. This will be a great time to brush up on your wildlife photography skills, with your resident photography expert on hand to provide you with hints and tips for perfecting your technique.

You can also enjoy the commencement of your lecture and presentation programme delivered by onboard experts covering everything from Antarctic wildlife and geology to historical polar explorations. As we near closer to the Antarctic Peninsula, the majesty of Antarctica’s landscapes will slowly come into sight and the anticipation will build as we prepare for our first of many landings.

This morning we will awake to the awe-inspiring sight of the Antarctic Peninsula and the pure majesty and remarkable remoteness of Antarctica will suddenly become apparent. You have arrived in the heart of one of the most spectacular places on earth!

As with all polar expeditions, our course throughout your time in Antarctica will be flexible and dependent on ice and weather conditions, but your experienced captain and crew will be sure to make the most of every opportunity available to ensure you get to see all that this incredible area has to offer. Exploring by Zodiac boat and on foot, each day will bring a new adventure and we will be on a constant lookout for the wildlife that abounds here including various species of penguins, seals, whales and seabirds. As we make our way through the waterways of the Peninsula we will sail through the exceptionally scenic Gerlache Strait where some time on deck should reward with numerous whale sightings, including the possibility of catching a glimpse of the resident orca group. We hope to visit Cierva Cove or nearby Mikkelson Harbour to enjoy some exciting shore excursions and see the large colonies of nesting gentoo penguins that are often found here. We will also hope for sightings of the distinctive chinstrap penguins and various seabirds including Imperial cormorants, kelp gulls, skuas and Antarctic petrels. There will also be excellent opportunities for optional sea kayaking excursions here. Sea kayaking should be booked in advance and occurs an additional cost.

Making our way along the Antarctic peninsula our days will be packed full of exciting landings and excursions, visiting historic huts, scientific stations and enjoying energetic walks and hikes across the spectacular landscape. There are various enchanting landing sites that we hope to visit including Paradise Harbour where we hope to be able to enjoy our first landing on the Peninsula itself, and the feeling of knowing that you are standing in the world’s most remote continent is certainly one you won’t forget in a hurry. Here you can enjoy a hike up a snow-covered hill to one of the most spectacular vantage points on the Peninsula, and you may wish to partake in the thrilling camping on ice excursion that will be available if weather conditions allow. This unforgettable experience will see you camping out in your provided tents under the clear Antarctica skies surrounded by nothing but wilderness and the sounds of the Antarctic silence.

We also hope to visit Cuverville Island, an important research site where one of the largest gentoo penguin colonies can be found, and Willhelmina Bay which is known as “Whale-mina Bay” thanks to its fantastic whale spotting opportunities. Other likely stops include Neko Harbour, Andvord Bay, Danco Island and the Melchior Islands. Zodiac cruises, shore walks and entertaining presentations will fill your days and your cameras!

Having enjoyed some excellent exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula, there is time for one last day of adventure as we visit the remote South Shetland Islands and sail into the flooded volcanic caldera of Deception Island. This historically rich area is a delight to explore and weather dependent we hope to enjoy a walk around to see the old whaling station and aircraft hangar. For a more energetic walk there is an excellent hike which will bring you high up onto the rim of the crater.

We then plan to cruise along the coast of Livingston Island and visit some of the other excellent landing sites in the South Shetland Islands including Yankee Harbour where good numbers of Weddell seals are often found, or Half Moon Island, an Important Bird Area which is home to numerous birds including chinstrap penguins, Antarctic terns, imperial shags and much more. Throughout the day we will enjoy Zodiac cruises and walks and will hope to visit the seal colony on Hannah Point before leaving Antarctica’s snow-covered peaks behind and making our way back into the Drake Passage.

Leaving the wilderness wonderland of Antarctica behind, we will gently make our way back to Ushuaia through the Drake Passage. As we sail your presentation and lecture programme will continue and your onboard photography expert can help you to collate and make the most of the countless pictures you will have no doubt taken throughout your voyage. There will also be a special voyage recap delivered by your expedition leader and as we near the Beagle Channel on the evening of day 10 you will be invited to join the captain for a special farewell dinner to mark the end of your adventure of a lifetime.

Arrival back into the port in Ushuaia will signal the end of our voyage and after disembarkation it will be time to bid farewell to your crew and shipmates. Upon arrival in Ushuaia a transfer will be provided to the airport, or to a downtown location should you wish to extend your stay in South America. Various extension tours are available, and we would be delighted to help you decide should this be of interest to you.