Classic Antarctica
M/V Ushuaia Cruise
Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Island
*from november 2010 to march 2011
(10 days / 9 nights or 11 days / 10 nights)
- Highlights
- Full Itinerary
- Price & Contact
Antarctica is among the most beautiful, pristine and least explored places on the planet. Truly exhilarating, mysterious and alluring!
For over two centuries, the 'White Desert' has attracted scientists and adventurers, drawn by its unmatched natural beauty. Nowadays, this largely untouched wilderness is more accessible to a new generation of intrepid explorers.
You can now visit the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands in the comfort of the P/V Ushuaia. From the southern spring onwards, large birds and sea mammals gather at breeding colonies and the ceaseless daylight of the southern summer makes exploration in this incomparable landscape a unique experience.
Our expedition cruises are trips of a lifetime!
View Full Itinerary | Price & Contact
Highlights:
- Beagle Channel & Mackinlay Pass
- Drake Passage
- King George Island (South Shetland)
- Livingston Island (South Shetland)
- Paradise Bay (Antarctic Peninsula)
- Pendulum Cove (Deception Island)
- Paulet Island
- Melchior Island
- Cuverville Island
- Portal Point (Antarctic Peninsula)
- Neko Harbour (Antarctic Peninsula)
- Pleneau Island
- Petermann Island (gentoo penguins colony)
Including:
- 10 or 11 days cruise.
- Voyage aboard the polar vessel Ushuaia.
- All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea
- All shore excursions and activities
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges
View Highlights | Price & Contact
Day 1: Depart from Ushuaia
Embark the P/V Ushuaia in the afternoon and meet your expedition and lecture staff. After you have settled into your cabins we sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass.
Days 2 & 3: Crossing the Drake Passage
Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Frances Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region. The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds. As we sail across the passage, Antarpply Expeditions lecturers will be out with you on deck to help in the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses, which follow in our wake. The P/V Ushuaia's open bridge policy allows you to join our officers on the bridge and learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view. A full program of lectures will be offered as well.
The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that we have reached the South Shetland Islands, a group of twenty islands and islets first sighted in February 1819 by Capt. William Smith of the brig Williams. With favorable conditions in the Drake Passage our lecturers and naturalists will accompany you ashore as you experience your first encounter with the penguins and seals on Day 3.
Days 4 to 7: Exploring South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula
The South Shetland Islands are a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries, beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals make every day spent in this amazing island group unforgettable. Sailing through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island and the chance to swim in the hot springs of Pendulum Cove is truly amazing. King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands, features colonies of nesting Adelie and Chinstrap Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Blue-eyed Cormorants, Antarctic Terns and Southern Giant Petrels and is home to scientific bases of many different countries. Macaroni, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins as well as elephant seals await you at Livingston Island.
The Antarctic Peninsula's remarkable history will provide you with a type of excitement often only associated with the early explorers. You will have plenty of time to explore its amazing scenery, a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways, and an incredible wide variety of wildlife. Apart from penguins and seabirds you are very likely to see Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as Minke, killer (orca) and humpback whales at close range.
We hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways (depending on the ice conditions): the Gerlache Strait, the Neumayer Channel, and the Lemaire Channel, the latter are narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers. We plan to make at least two landings per day. Possible landing sites may include: Paradise Bay is perhaps the most aptly named place in the world and we attempt a landing on the continent proper. After negotiating the iceberg-strewn waters of the Antarctic Sound, we hope to visit the bustling Adelie Penguin (over 100,000 pairs breed here) and Blue-eyed Cormorant colonies on Paulet Island. The Nordenskjöld expedition built a stone survival hut here in 1903. Today its ruins have been taken over by nesting penguins.
Further exploration may take you to Melchior Island, Cuverville Island, Portal Point, Neko Harbour, Pléneau Island and if ice conditions permit, to Petermann Island for a visit to the southernmost colony of Gentoo Penguins.
Days 8 & 9: At Sea crossing the Drake Passage, northbound
We leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. Join our lecturers and naturalists on deck as we search for seabirds and whales and enjoy some final lectures. Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia.
Day 10: Arrival at Ushuaia
We arrive at Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark the P/V Ushuaia after breakfast.
Please note: The above itinerary is a guide only. Our exact route and program will vary to take best advantage of local weather and ice conditions and opportunities to view wildlife. Changes will be made by the Captain and/or Expedition Leader to facilitate the best results from the prevailing conditions. A daily program sheet will be issued on board. Flexibility is the key to success.
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Land Price p.p. in Dbl/Twn low season - (10 days) |
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Book now! As this trip operates on commercial air, space may be extremely limited 90 days prior to departure. To ensure your spot, we encourage you to book as early as possible. |
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*prices are land-only in standard double accommodations and include early booking discount. See Trip Planner for other departure gateways and other accommodation options. |
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| Price does not include departure taxes | ||||||||||
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