Journey Below the Antarctic Circle

Your adventure begins this morning in Punta Arenas, a beautiful port city in Southern Chile, where after having arrived independently you will join your fellow passengers at a central location to join your transfer to the airport. Your included 2-hour flight to King George Island in the South Shetlands will see you flying over the famous Drake Passage and landing in the pristine wilderness of Antarctica in next to no time. Upon touchdown you will get your first sense of Antarctica’s true magnitude and your first adventure as you transfer to the vessel via Zodiac boat. After a refreshing welcome drink you can spend some time settling in to your comfortable cabin and exploring your new surroundings as we set sail for the heart of Antarctica.

The goal of this very special itinerary will be to cross the Antarctic Circle and sail as far south as possible, so today that is exactly what we will do as we head straight for the Circle. As with all Polar region expeditions, our itinerary over the course of your time in Antarctica will be flexible, with ice and weather conditions often dictating the routes we can take. However, your experienced captain and crew will take advantage of every opportunity to deliver you to some of the continent’s most awe-inspiring locations and ensure that you get to sample as much of what this remarkable area has to offer as possible. Years of experience in providing Antarctic Circle trips means that we know the very best times to attempt this, and late February is the optimal time for venturing this far south, meaning we have excellent chances of achieving this fantastic feat.

We plan to cross at 66 degrees, 33 minutes south of latitude, the official position of the Circle, and the excitement will be palpable as we raise a glass to celebrate this unique achievement and join the short list of people who have ever reached this point. Having crossed the Circle we will arrive at Detaille Island to enjoy an exciting shore visit. As we take a walk around this spectacular area surrounded by impressive snowy peaks more than 2,000 metres high, we will discover Base W, an abandoned British science station. Our historians will offer us an insight into life back in the early 1950’s when scientists would have been based here living in the harshest of conditions. Turning our gaze northwards we will be able to see in the distance the glacier-covered peaks of the Peninsula. There will be plenty of time later in the voyage to discover these lands that hold enchanting wonders of their own.

For now, it’s time to push even further south with the goal of reaching the exceptionally remote and rarely-visited Marguerite Bay. Depending on ice conditions there are two directions we can take – the shorter passage through a narrow channel known as 'the Gullet', or if it is too ice-clogged we will sail around the outside of Adelaide Island to reach our historic destination. Once we have arrived at Marguerite Bay we will go ashore to visit some of the important science bases that are located here. We will visit at least one of the Argentina, Chile or UK bases before getting back on board to begin our sail back north along the Peninsula.

Sailing through the mighty Lemaire Channel we will be surrounded on all sides by snow-covered peaks and massive icebergs, so make sure to spend some time on deck with your cameras in hand perfecting your landscape photography. Continuing to sail north along the Peninsula we will stop at a number of wonderful landing sites including Neko Harbour and 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, or a Zodiac cruise into the nearby ice ‘cathedral’ of Skontorp Cove.

As with throughout your voyage, each day we will explore by Zodiac and on foot on a constant lookout for the wildlife that abounds here including various species of penguins, seals, whales and seabirds. Our next stop is likely to be Orne Harbour where you can hike up a rocky knoll to see the large chinstrap penguin colony and gain mightily impressive views over the Gerlache Strait. Another excellent wildlife spot will be Cuverville Island where you can get up-close to a large Gentoo penguin colony and search for the leopard seals that are frequently spotted here. For the more adventurous among us, kayaking opportunities here will be endless, and you may wish to partake in the thrilling camping on ice excursion that will be available somewhere around here 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. Camping on ice is included as part of your package and all equipment will be provided. Kayaking incurs an additional cost and should be booked in advance of departure.

Reaching our most northern point on the Peninsula 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.

Leaving the Peninsula behind we will sail towards the South Shetland Islands, keeping a constant lookout for the humpbacks and pods of orcas that often frequent these waters.

Having enjoyed some excellent exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula, there is time for some more adventures 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 into the Drake Passage.

Leaving the wilderness wonderland of Antarctica behind, we will gently make our way across the sea to the Falkland Islands. 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 Falklands on the evening of day 12 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 of Stanley in the Falklands will signal the end of our voyage and after disembarkation it will be time to bid farewell to the crew and enjoy some time to briefly explore around Stanley before the transfer to the airport for your charter flight to Santiago. Upon arrival in Santiago a transfer will be provided 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.

Please note: The flight from Stanley to Santiago is not included in your cruise package price and costs $495.