Antarctica Marine Mammals Special

Your adventure will begin in Santiago, the beautiful capital city of Chile, where after having arrived independently you will make your way to the airport to join your special charter flight to Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands. This charter flight is exclusive to guests on this fantastic voyage and will allow you to enjoy a sample of the Falkland Islands before beginning your journey to Antarctica. Upon arrival in Stanley you can choose to either explore at your own pace around this quaint town with its distinctly British feel, or join an excursion to Gypsy Cove to see the first of many penguins of your trip. Gypsy Cove is home to great numbers of Magellanic penguins and various seabirds including rock cormorants, blackish oystercatchers and variable hawks, to name just a few. After a walk around the area we will make our way back to the town 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.

Over the course of the next two days we will enjoy a relaxing sail 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. You will have the chance to get even closer to one particular historical expedition as the dark cliffs of Elephant Island gradually begin to appear on the horizon and excitement builds as we near our first stop. This exceptionally historically important area is where Shackleton and his men overwintered having lost the HMS Endurance in thick sea ice back in 1915, and the point from which Shackleton set off on his famous rescue mission to South Georgia. If weather conditions allow, we will hope to enjoy a thrilling Zodiac cruise to view the island close-up and learn all about the horrendous conditions that Shackleton and his men faced. This will be an exciting day for the history enthusiasts amongst us and a great way to set the scene for the adventures that lie ahead of us. Next stop Antarctica!

This morning we will awake in Antarctica, and the pure majesty and remarkable remoteness of this spectacular place will suddenly become apparent. 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. We will enjoy daily Zodiac excursions that we hope will bring us up-close to large pods of whales, and your accompanying science team will hope to deploy non-invasive tracking devices on the whales 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. Exploring through the deep bays, coves and inlets of Antarctica, our first location is likely to be the remote South Shetland Islands, and we will aim for a landing at Half Moon Island, an Important Bird Area that is home to numerous birds including chinstrap penguins, Antarctic terns, imperial shags and much more. It is also home to a large elephant seal haul out and your accompanying naturalist guides will offer you insights into the unique family dynamics and behaviour of these distinctive animals. We also hope to 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. Other locations we may visit include Yankee Harbour where good numbers of Weddell seals are often found, or Hannah Point.

As we make our way towards the awe-inspiring Peninsula there are various enchanting landing sites that we hope to visit, most notably Wilhelmina Bay which is known as “Whale-mina Bay” thanks to its fantastic whale spotting opportunities. Sailing through the exceptionally scenic Gerlache Strait, some time on deck should reward with numerous whale sightings, including the possibility of catching a glimpse of the resident orca group. We also hope to visit Cuverville Island, an important research site where one of the largest gentoo penguin colonies can be found. Other likely stops include Danco Island and Neko Harbour where we may have our first chance to step foot on the Peninsula itself and enjoy an excellent hiking route that rewards in spectacular 360-degree views.

Over the course of the next two days we will push further south through the Southern Gerlache Strait for some further exploration of this remarkable continent. Our next stop is likely to be Paradise Harbour where you can enjoy an energetic hike up a snow-covered hill to one of the most spectacular vantage points on the Peninsula and a thrilling Zodiac cruise to the immense glacier-filled Skontorp Cove. Moving even further south we will sail through the unforgettable Lemaire Channel surrounded by snow-covered cliffs on all sides to reach the beautiful Pleneau Island. Here we can observe a substantial gentoo penguin rookery, get a tour of a working science station and enjoy possibly one of the most exciting Zodiac cruises of your whole voyage as we weave through the vast field of icebergs found here. Our last stop in Antarctica is likely to be Winter Island where you can partake in a fantastic hike over a snowy saddle to an old historic hut.

While we sail and enjoy thrilling shore visits and Zodiac cruises, the scientists onboard will continue their important marine mammal research. Fascinating insights and exclusive data will be shared with you throughout the voyage, and as we leave Antarctica behind to head back towards South America you sail in the joy of knowing you will have contributed to this highly important work.

Leaving the wilderness wonderland of Antarctica behind, we will gently make our way back to South America through the legendary Drake Passage towards the southern Argentinean town of Ushuaia. 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 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.