Polar Circle & Antarctic Peninsula

Your Antarctica expedition will begin in Ushuaia, Argentina, where after having arrived independently you will embark your ship in the afternoon. As you settle in to your cabin, your ship will sail through the scenic waterway of the Beagle Channel. You may want to spend some time on deck capturing the sight of the city fading into distance behind you and looking out for the seabirds that follow the ship.

During these two days we will sail across the famous Drake Passage, encountering a variety of seabirds along the way. You may want to spend some time on deck in search of bird sightings including wandering, grey-headed, black-browed and the beautiful light-mantled sooty albatross, southern fulmars, Wilson's storm, blue, Cape and Antarctic petrels. There may also be whale sightings, and your programme of entertaining and informative lectures and presentations will begin, along with safety and bio-environmental briefings for your time in Antarctica. As we pass the Antarctic Convergence and sail close to the Shetland Islands we will spot the first of many icebergs.

Welcome to Antarctica, a land of superlatives! Enchanting scenery, unique wildlife encounters and thrilling adventures await as we spend 5 days exploring by Zodiac and on foot to get up close to the action. At this time of year you can expect numerous humpback whale sightings, as well as a hive of wildlife activity on the beaches with countless penguin chicks and leopard seals.

Your exact itinerary here will be determined by weather and ice conditions with your captain choosing each day which areas to visit for optimum experiences. Although the itinerary is flexible the likely route will take us first to the South Shetland Islands where we aim to explore Livingston Island where you will find a wide variety of gentoo and chinstrap penguins on Hannah Point, as well as southern giant petrels and elephant seals hauling out onto the beach. Here we will also visit Deception Island to see the hot springs and an abandoned whaling station that is the habitat of a wide variety of bird species including cape petrels, kelp gulls, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns, Wilson’s storm petrels and black-bellied storm petrels.

On the Peninsula itself there are numerous areas we may visit and there will be ample opportunities for Zodiac excursions, optional kayaking and polar diving, and of course stepping foot on the white continent. Sites we may visit include Cuverville Island, a small precipitous island nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Rongé Island, where we will find a large colony of gentoo penguins and breeding pairs of brown skuas. In Neko Harbour we may have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent in a magnificent landscape of huge glaciers calving at sea level. Zodiac cruising and kayaking offer spectacular ways of enjoying the landscape surrounded by ice encrusted alpine peaks.

In Paradise Bay with its myriad icebergs we may again have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent. Again, we may offer an opportunity for a zodiac cruise in the inner parts of this amazing waterway. In this area, we have good chances to see Humpback whales and Minke whales. For those who have chosen to participate in the optional camping on ice activity this is most likely to be the area chosen for this excursion. If the ice conditions allow, we will sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to the Pléneau and Petermann Islands where we are likely to find Adélie penguins and Blue-eyed shags. Kayaking in this area is a wonderful experience as you may be lucky enough to float by the humpback and minke whales which are frequently found here along with leopard seals.

As we push further south we will sail along the Argentine Islands to the ice-packed Crystal Sound and from here we will cross the Polar Circle, a significant achievement that will be celebrated with delight! We may make a landing at an abandoned British research station on Detaille Island before turning back northwards to the Fish Islands where we will encounter one of the southernmost Adélie penguin and blue-eyed shag colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula. Returning north we will visit the Melchior Islands which offer a beautiful landscape rich with icebergs. Leopard seals, crabeater seals, and whales are often found here, and there are excellent opportunities for kayaking and diving.

Please note: kayaking, Polar diving and camping on ice incur an additional cost and should be booked in advance. Zodiac cruises and land visits are included in your package.

As our exhilarating time in Antarctica comes to end it’s time to head back north through the Drake Passage where again the ship will be followed by a vast array of seabirds. Enjoy the last presentations from your team of noted naturalists and take the time to dissolve all of the unforgettable memories you will have made on your once in a lifetime expediton.

As we sail back through the scenic Beagle Channel and arrive in Ushuaia in the early morning it’s sadly time to say goodbye to your crew and fellow shipmates. After breakfast you will disembark and a group transfer will be provided to the airport for onward or homewards journeys.