Antarctica Marine Mammals Special

Your Antarctica whale watching adventure will begin in Ushuaia, Argentina’s southernmost town, where after having arrived independently you will make your way to the central meeting point for your transfer 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, whale sightings will increase, 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 ahead, 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, with a particular focus on reaching the areas where whale sightings will be most frequent. We will also hope to see various species of penguins including gentoos, adelies and chinstraps, and seals including the powerful leopard seal. Whale species we can expect to see throughout our time here will include humpback whales, sizeable numbers of minke whales and the elusive orcas that have been spotted more frequently over recent years.

Exploring through the deep bays, coves and inlets, our first location is likely to be the known ‘whale hot-spot’ of Fournier Bay where a thrilling Zodiac cruise will hopefully bring us up-close to large pods of whales. Your accompanying science team will hope to deploy non-invasive tracking devices on the whales here in order to collect important data on their behavioural patterns. Another important factor of this scientific research is the analysis of the whales’ flukes (tails), which hold unique patterns similar to a human’s fingerprint. You will be encouraged to help in identifying these by taking photos, both from your Zodiac boats and from the ship, for use in analysing migration patterns and social behaviours. The scientists will be happy to share their cutting-edge research with you throughout the voyage, including unique underwater footage.

Although there will a focus on whale watching and analysis throughout your journey, the elements of a classic Antarctica cruise will still be there, and our days will be packed full of exciting landings and excursions, Zodiac cruising, visiting historic huts and scientific stations and enjoying energetic walks and hikes across the spectacular landscape. There are various enchanting landing sites that we hope to visit including Cierva Cove or nearby Mikkelson Harbour where you can 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.

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 Cuverville Island, an important research site where one of the largest gentoo penguin colonies can be found, and Wilhelmina Bay which is known as “Whale-mina Bay” thanks to its fantastic whale spotting opportunities. Other likely stops include Danco Island and Neko Harbour where an excellent hiking route will reward in spectacular 360-degree views over the Peninsula.

Throughout your time in Antarctica, Zodiac cruises, shore walks and entertaining presentations and lectures will fill your days and your cameras! After a thorough exploration of the Peninsula we will make our way towards the South Shetland Islands across the Bransfield Strait. Make sure to spend some time on deck here as this is an important whale migration corridor and sightings of humpbacks are very likely, as well as more chances of catching a glimpse of the resident orca pod.

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. Make sure to spend some time on deck for some final whale watching opportunities. 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 including a recap on the important data that will have been collected on your trip. Your captain will attempt to round the famous Cape Horn, 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.