Antarctica In-Depth

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 sightings of penguins, seals and whales, 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 an exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula, our next adventures will take us to the remote South Shetland Islands where we will 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. There will also be great opportunities here to enjoy a thrilling “polar plunge” where guests are invited to don their swimming gear and take a dip in the frigid Antarctic waters!

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.

Having navigated into the Antarctic Sound, this morning we will awake to the impressive sight of the Antarctic icecap, and as we sail deeper into the Weddell Sea the incredible sight of icebergs increasing both in number and size will not fail to impress. This will bring exciting ice navigation and your captain will determine some fantastic landing sites that will surely confirm to you Antarctica’s greatness. The sheer numbers of wildlife, penguins in particular, is also sure to impress, with rookeries vastly outnumbering those that you will have seen so far on your voyage. Landing sites may include Paulet Island, Brown Bluff and Hope Bay.

As we explore, our expert onboard historians will introduce us to the stories of historical polar explorations including Nordenskjöld’s Swedish expedition of 1901-1904, with remnants of the exploration dotted throughout several locations here.

These will be an exciting couple of days for the history and wildlife enthusiasts amongst us and a great way to bid farewell to Antarctica. On the evening of day 10 you will be invited to join a special farewell dinner attended by the ship’s captain.

As we reach King George Island in the South Shetland Islands it will sadly be time to say farewell to your crew and disembark to begin your journey back to South America. After making land we will walk past the Chilean research station to the airfield to depart on our special charter flight to Punta Arenas in Chile. This scenic flight will take just over 2 hours and upon arrival in Punta Arenas you will be transferred to your hotel for your included overnight stay. This evening will be at your leisure and is a great opportunity to sample some of this beautiful city’s many delights.

Your itinerary will end on the morning of day 12 and it will be time to make your way to the airport for your onward or homeward flights. Should you wish to spend some further time here we will be happy to help you arrange extra excursions or accommodation.