Antarctic Wildlife Adventure

Welcome to Ushuaia, the southernmost city on Earth and the launch point for your Antarctic adventure! Upon arrival at the airport, the team will warmly welcome you and transfer you to a carefully selected hotel included in your itinerary. You have the rest of the day free to explore this lively port city, a true gateway to adventure.

To get a taste of the area’s history and wildlife, a visit to the Museo del Fin del Mundo is highly recommended. If you have extra time, plenty of outdoor activities are available for all interests and fitness levels, from hiking in the stunning Tierra del Fuego National Park to wildlife spotting in the Beagle Channel. For dinner, Ushuaia boasts various restaurants serving regional delicacies, including Patagonian lamb and fresh Fuegian seafood.

After a delicious breakfast at your hotel, you have the morning free to explore Ushuaia. Stroll along the picturesque waterfront while enjoying stunning views of the snow-capped Martial Range, the southernmost peaks of the Andes. This is a great time to pick up some souvenirs or grab any last-minute essentials, like cold-weather gear. Don’t forget—soon receive your parka to keep and waterproof boots to borrow for the journey ahead. For lunch, Avenida San Martín offers a variety of cafés, parrillas, and gelato shops to satisfy any craving.

In the afternoon, transfer to the pier and be warmly welcomed aboard the luxurious M/V Sea Spirit. Settle into your spacious suite and explore your new home for this incredible adventure. As you set sail, a full program of events begins with informative briefings from your expedition team. After enjoying a delicious dinner on board, step out onto the open decks to take in the breathtaking views and the beautiful evening light as you cruise through the Beagle Channel.

After passing the islands of Tierra del Fuego, turn south to begin your crossing of the Drake Passage. The majestic wandering albatross and other graceful subantarctic seabirds are common in these waters and can readily be viewed from panoramic open decks and balconies. You also cross the Antarctic Convergence, the biological boundary of the Southern Ocean. The ship’s stabilizing fins provide comfort in the event of rough seas. You hope to arrive in the South Shetland Islands on the evening of your second day at sea.

Within the next few days, explore the highlights of the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. This region contains some of Antarctica's most impressive scenery and the best wildlife viewing. Sheltered bays and channels sparkle with ice, reflecting towering mountain peaks coated in permanent snow and immense glaciers. Icebergs of every size and description complete an image of incomparable beauty. Waters rich with krill are home to many marine mammals and seabirds. The whole area is alive with penguins foraging at sea and forming large rookeries at unique places on land. Here, you also find Antarctic research bases of various nationalities, some with gift shops and post offices.

The South Shetland Islands are the northernmost islands in Antarctica and will likely be your first sight of land. This wildly beautiful island chain contains many landing sites with historical significance and abundant wildlife. Among them is Elephant Island, where men from Shackleton's famous Endurance expedition spent the winter of 1916. Explore the Antarctic Peninsula's supremely picturesque Gerlache Strait area, a pristine wilderness of spectacular white landscapes, colossal icebergs, obliging marine mammals, and bustling penguin colonies. Here, you have a chance to land on the continent of Antarctica.

This area contains large colonies of Gentoo, chinstrap, and Adélie penguins, sometimes side by side. This a great time for close encounters with inquisitive penguin chicks, who are now gaining independence as they fledge. This is also the peak of the whale-watching season. Having gorged themselves on krill all summer, humpback and minke whales become more playful and obliging to Zodiacs and kayakers. Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals join Crabeater and Weddell seals. The skies are full of newly fledged seabirds.

Antarctica is a true wilderness with unpredictable weather and ever-changing ice conditions, which will dictate your route and exploration opportunities. With more than 14 hours of daylight daily, you seize every chance to experience excellent wildlife viewing and amazing scenery via Zodiac cruises and shore excursions.

You now proceed northeast through the wildlife-rich waters of the Scotia Sea. Keep a lookout for abundant humpback and fin whales along the way. Briefings, bio-security procedures, and presentations by your lecture staff prepare you for your arrival in South Georgia.

The next five days will be devoted to exploring the unique and spectacular wilderness of South Georgia, home to some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife on the planet. This isolated subantarctic island is said to host upwards of 100 million seabirds, including numerous species of albatross, penguins, prions, petrels, shags, skuas, gulls and terns. Among these is one of the largest flying birds in the world—the wandering albatross. Here, you have a rare opportunity to witness part of their remarkable life cycle. While most seabird chicks are already fledging, wandering albatross chicks are only now hatching in grassy nests overlooking the wild Southern Ocean.

On South Georgia’s legendary beaches, king penguins are gathered in huge colonies that stretch from sandy shorelines to the foothills of glaciated mountains. Also, at this time, hundreds of thousands of macaroni penguin chicks are getting ready to head out to sea. Rare birds such as the endemic South Georgia pipit and yellow-billed pintail round out the list of 78 bird species found across the territory. The successfully completed rat eradication program has made this wilderness more pristine and rich with birdlife.

South Georgia is also home to staggering numbers of elephants and fur seals. At this time, thousands of fat elephant seal pups are lounging around on shore while mobs of rambunctious fur seal pups take to the water. Once hunted nearly to extinction, large whales have returned to the bountiful seas surrounding South Georgia. With the whalers long gone, the historical whaling station of Grytviken is now home to the excellent South Georgia Museum. Here, you can also find the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton, a heroic polar explorer and leader of the Endurance expedition.

In this rugged yet accessible environment, superb wildlife viewing is best complemented by active adventure. There are many opportunities for guided treks through this raw and untamed wilderness, including the legendary Shackleton Walk. For sea kayakers, the wildlife-rich waters of South Georgia offer the chance to paddle with hordes of seals and penguins in some of the world’s most scenic waterways.

This is expedition cruising at its most authentic. Your precise route and exploration opportunities depend on the weather in this wild and remote corner of the world. Your experienced captain and expedition leader will continually adjust plans to take maximum advantage of the conditions and circumstances at hand. You can be sure that the team will take every safe opportunity to go ashore in this challenging environment.

Sail west toward the Falkland Islands. Presentations and workshops by your expert staff and a range of onboard recreation facilities ensure that this day at sea is not idly spent. As you watch for dolphins and whales in these productive waters, pelagic seabirds are your companions.

These days, you intend to come alongside the wharf at Stanley, the historic capital of the Falkland Islands. Attractions within pleasant walking distance along the waterfront promenade include the Falkland Islands Museum, the governor’s house, war memorials, quality gift shops, and charming pubs. Christ Church Cathedral features an impressive whalebone arch and dramatic views of shipwrecks in the harbor.

The team also plans to offer an excursion to Gypsy Cove, a national nature reserve where numerous bird species, including the endemic Falklands flightless steamer duck, frequent white sand beaches. Here, you can also see Magellanic penguins, whose chicks have fledged and are tentatively starting their lives at sea. At this time, you may even find groups of sea lions hauled out on shore.

You continue your exploration of the Falklands in the isolated outlying islands. These bleakly beautiful isles are havens for wildlife. Large colonies of seabirds, perched on windy bluffs overlooking azure seas, are easily accessible by hiking over lush meadows. At this time, black-browed albatross soar down from above while feisty rockhopper penguins leap up surf-battered cliffs from below to feed their large chicks amongst the tussocks.

On nearby beaches, gentoo penguin chicks are starting to fowling while adult king penguins and chicks of all ages are preparing to brave the austral winter. Just offshore, you may see Peale’s dolphins and even killer whales patrolling the coasts. Many land birds, including the endemic Cobb’s wren and inquisitive striated caracara, contribute to the abundant wildlife that will leave nature lovers breathless.

The ocean breezes gradually get warmer as you sail north through the South Atlantic Ocean. As you enter deeper waters, you are on the constant lookout for killer whales, blue whales, sei whales, and southern right whales. This is also the time for festivities such as the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail and the end-of-voyage slideshow.

Right after the disembarkation, the team provides a group transfer to Ezeiza (EZE) - International Airport or a central location in Buenos Aires. As you look back on your wonderful experience, you may already be looking forward to your next polar adventure!

Note: It is recommended that you schedule your return flight from Buenos Aires (EZE) with a departure time not earlier than 6 pm.