Weddell Sea & Antarctic Peninsula

Day 1 Embark in Ushuaia

In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the picturesque southernmost city in the world located at the Beagle Channel and sail through this scenic waterway for the rest of the evening.

Days 2-3 Across the Drake Passage

During these two days we will sail across the Drake Passage. When we cross the Antarctic Convergence, we arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling zone. In this area we may meet 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 glimpse at the first icebergs.

Days 4-9 Weddell Sea and Antarctic Peninsula

We will sail into the Weddell Sea and visit Dundee Island, where we might have an extensive walk.

We also plan to visit Paulet Island with a million pairs of Adelie Penguins and the remains of the Nordenski?ld expedition, Seymour Island, where many fossils have been found, and Snow Hill Island, where polar expeditions as early as 1902 wintered. We may even reach Cape Longing at the Larsen Ice Shelf. In this area we meet huge table icebergs from the Ronne Ice Shelf and have good chances to spot Emperor Penguins on ice floes. When we turn north again, we visit Brown Bluff on the Antarctic Continent.

We sail south and plan to offer a zodiac cruise around the rarely visited Astrolabe Island where Antarctic Fulmars, Chinstrap Penguins, Brown Skuas and Blue-eyed Shags breed and Weddell Seals and Antarctic Fur Seals haul out.

In Neko Harbour and Paradise Bay we reach the southernmost area of our voyage, where we have again the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent in a magnificent landscape of huge glaciers. In this area we have good chances to see Humpback Whales and Minke Whales.

At Deception Island, we will try to land at Baily Head with a colony of ten thousands of Chinstrap Penguins. Deception Island is a huge volcano of which the crater opens into the sea, creating a natural harbour for the ship. Here we find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, Cape Pigions and 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. We continue to Hannah Point, which has a very rich wildlife featuring Elephant Seals, Cape Pigeons, Southern Giant Petrels, Macaroni Penguins and Gentoo Penguins.

Days 10-11 Drake Passage

In the Drake Passage we have again a chance of seeing many seabirds.

Day 12 Disembark Ushuaia

We arrive in the morning and disembark in Ushuaia.