Weddell Sea & Larsen Ice Shelf in Luxury

Arrive independently to the Chilean capital of Santiago and join your transfer to your 5* hotel for your included overnight stay. Enjoy some free time this afternoon to explore the city before joining your fellow passengers for dinner.

After breakfast on day 2 you will take your transfer to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia in southern Argentina where upon arrival you will transfer to the port to board your luxury expedition vessel. Settle into your beautiful stateroom and watch as we sail into the scenic Beagle Channel and begin our journey to Antarctica.

The next two days will be spent at sea sailing towards Antarctica and into the legendary Drake Passage. These days can be spent relaxing in your comfortable surroundings, availing of the luxury onboard facilities, and enjoying some time on deck searching for whale and seabird sightings including albatrosses and cape petrels.

Your informative and entertaining lecture programme will begin, covering everything from Antarctic wildlife and geology to historical polar explorations, and there will be briefings around the strict IAATO rules that must be adhered to during your visit to the natural wonderland of Antarctica. There will also be briefings for the Zodiac (small inflatable boat) excursions, and as the icebergs begin to appear on the horizon and we reach the awe-inspiring Antarctic continent the excitement will build even more!

Your first taste of Antarctica will be in the often mist-shrouded South Shetland Islands which offer a relaxed and enjoyable introduction to this remarkable continent. As with all Polar expeditions, your time in Antarctica will be flexible and dependent on weather and ice conditions, with your experienced captain and crew choosing the best course each day for thrilling adventures and unforgettable experiences.

Today the plan will be to land at some of the South Shetland’s isolated volcanic islands to discover their unique landscapes, important scientific research stations, and a large number of animal species including crabeater, elephant and Weddell seals, chinstrap penguins, Antarctic terns and giant petrels.

We now head deeper into Antarctic realms as we make our way towards the spectacular Antarctic Sound area north of the Antarctic Peninsula. The Antarctic Sound is known as the gateway to the Weddell Sea and it is a wildlife haven which is home to bountiful Adelie penguins and leopard seals, and is filled with gigantic tabular icebergs and plates of sea ice drifting northward.

Welcome to the wild and remote Weddell Sea area, where we will spend our time winding through a labyrinth of dense ice floes and majestic table-top icebergs to discover a landscape like no other. Explore around in search of fur seals and the iconic Weddell seals, wandering albatross and lots of penguins, whilst being surrounded by huge ice platforms at every turn. An unforgettable experience!

Deeper into the Weddell Sea area, we will make our way towards the famously gigantic Larsen Ice Shelf. As you explore around and soak up this incredible sight, you will learn all about how the regular cracks and collapses of the ice shelf over the last 50 years have formed some of the world’s largest icebergs and have been the focus of many scientific observations and some of the most well-known symbols of global warming and its terrifying effect on the natural world.

Sailing back northwards we will now spend an extra day in the Weddell Sea area to discover some of the islands and scenic spots that were missed out on our journey south. Zodiac excursions and shore visits will bring you up-close to the action.

Hearts and cameras filled with memories, we now make our way back into the legendary Drake Passage to return to South America. This is the perfect time to enjoy the luxurious surroundings of the ship. A tranquil trip to the spa to relax those muscles after a busy 10 days, a refreshing dip in a pool that isn’t made of ice, or simply relaxing in the lounge bar and sharing tales with your new-found friends. You can also enjoy the final presentations and lectures from your expedition team or spend some time searching for whale and bird sightings from the deck.

Upon arrival into Ushuaia you will disembark and transfer to the airport for your included flight back to Santiago where your itinerary will come to an end. Please enquire should you wish to extend your stay.