Antarctic cruises

Antarctic Peninsula

Itinerary

Day 1: Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world, located in the shadow of the Andes and right on the Beagle Channel. We will sail through this scenic waterway during the afternoon.

Days 2-3: Drake Passage
During these two days we sail across the Drake Passage. As we cross the Antarctic Convergence, we arrive in the circum-Antarctic up-welling zone. Here we may see Wandering Albatrosses, Grey Headed Albatrosses, Black- browed Albatrosses, Light- mantled Sooty Albatrosses, Cape Pigeons, Southern Fulmars, Wilson's Storm Petrels, Blue Petrels and Antarctic Petrels. Near the South Shetland Islands, we have a glimpse of the first icebergs.

Days 4 - 8 (Days 4 - 9 on the 12 day voyage): South Shetland Islands & Antarctic Peninsula
A typical itinerary in the South Shetlands and Antarctic Peninsula could be as follows. This is however to be taken as a sample only. The final itinerary will be determined by the Expedition Leader on board.

At Aitcho Islands or Penguin Islands, we will first land in Antarctic waters. These volcanic islands are windswept and often shrouded in mist and fog, but do offer subtle pleasures. There is a nice variety of flora (mosses, lichens and flowering grasses) and fauna, such as Gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins and southern giant petrels. Elephant seals and fur seals may also haul out at the beaches. We might also try to land at Baily Head on the outer rim of Deception Island, with a colony of ten thousand Chinstrap Penguins. Deception Island is a huge volcano, with its crater opening into the sea, creating a natural harbour for the ship. Here we find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of Cape Pigeons, many Dominican Gulls, Brown and South Polar Skuas and Antarctic Terns. Wilson's Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm Petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay.

On our way further South we sail to Orne Islands, with large colonies of Chinstrap Penguins and a beautiful view across the Gerlache Strait; or to Cuverville Island, a small precipitous island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Danco Island. It is home to a large colony of Gentoo Penguins and breeding pairs of Brown Skuas. From here we sail through Paradise Bay, with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, with chances to see large whales. We will have opportunities for zodiac cruising between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords.

We sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Pleneau and Petermann Island, where we can find Adelie Penguins and Blue- eyed Shags. Here we will have good chances of encountering Humpback Whales, Minke Whales and Fin Whales. A base visit will also be provided, to give you an insight to the life of modern Antarcticans working on the White Continent.

Sailing north through the Neumayer Channel, we arrive at the Melchior Islands, with a very beautiful landscape and more possibilities for zodiac cruising among the icebergs. Here we may encounter Leopard Seals, Crabeater Seals and whales.

Days 9 - 10 (Day 10 - 11 on 12 day voyage): Drake Passage
In the Drake Passage we have again a chance of seeing many seabirds and to learn from the knowledge of our lecture team.

Day 11 (Day 12 on 12 day voyage): Ushuaia
We arrive Ushuaia in the morning and disembark.

Note: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programmes may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife. The final itinerary for each voyage will be determined by the Expedition Leader on board. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.