Embark the MV Ushuaia in the afternoon and meet your expedition and lecture staff. After you have settled into your cabin, sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass.

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 you sail across the passage, lecturers are out with you on deck to help in the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses which follow in your wake. The Ushuaia's open bridge policy allows you to join the officers on the bridge and learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view. A full program of lectures is offered as well.

The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that you 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, your lecturers and naturalists accompany you ashore as you experience your first encounter with the penguins and seals on Day 3.

The South Shetland Islands are a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries and beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals make every day spent in this amazing island group unforgettable. The rugged mountain range is of volcanic origin and makes for a dramatic backdrop for chinstrap and gentoo penguins. 

The Antarctic Peninsula´s remarkable history provides you with a type of excitement often only associated with the early explorers. 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.

The ship may be able 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. Plan to make at least two landings per day. This may include Paradise Bay, which is perhaps the most aptly-named place in the world and the ship attempts to make a landing on the continent proper. Further exploration may take you to the Melchior Island group, Cuverville Island, Portal Point, Neko Harbour and if ice conditions permit, to Petermann Island for a visit to the the southernmost colony of gentoo penguins.

A visit to one of the stations in Antarctica is also planned and might take place at Port Lockroy, the British Antarctic Museum, and Post Office at Goudier Island. 

Leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. Join your lecturers and naturalists on deck as you 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.

Arrive at the port of Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark after breakfast.