Weddell Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula

Your Antarctic adventure begins with an overnight stay in the southernmost city in the world - Ushuaia, Argentina. If you arrive early, there are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy around the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, and the city offers a wide range of shops for dining and shopping.

Today you join your ship and head south towards Antarctica! Named for the British ship HMS Beagle, the Beagle Channel will be your gateway to the south, charming you with an abundance of birdlife. You’ll likely spot penguins, cormorants, petrels, and black-browed albatross. Once through the channel you’ll say goodbye to land and prepare to spend your first night at sea.

The Drake Passage, named after Sir Francis Drake, is the infamous body of water that separates South America and Antarctica. Smooth or rough, the crossing of the Drake is a rite of passage for any true Antarctic adventurer. These two days will give you time to get to know the Expedition Team and your fellow shipmates while participating in educational programs onboard.

After a couple of days at sea, you’ll finally arrive at the Antarctic Peninsula. You can expect icebergs to become a more common occurrence as we approach land and make our way along the western coast of the Peninsula. Possible landing sites include Melchiors, Wilhelmina Bay, Cuverville Island and Orne Harbour. Glaciers, penguin colonies and breaching Humpback Whales will highlight your days, while friendly seals are plentiful in these waters. You can also expect to encounter what is arguably the most formidable Antarctic predator - the Leopard Seal.

Having sailed northwards along the Peninsula you will begin your passage through the Antarctic Sound. This stretch of water separates the western side of the Peninsula from the Weddell Sea and is known to be riddled with huge pieces of ice emanating from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, so have your cameras ready! The on board team will educate you in all things ice, as this sea is home to the world’s most impressive floes and tabular icebergs - exponentially bigger and more visually impressive than on the other side of the Peninsula. Antarctic Sound itself offers great places for you to get ashore and stretch your legs at landing sites that are home to nesting Adélie and Gentoo penguins. Snow and pintado petrels as well as kelp gulls also call this area home. If we’re able to visit Hope Bay, then you’ll have the opportunity to visit the Argentine Research Station, Esperanza.

Once your ship passes through the Sound you’ll find yourself in Erebus and Terror Gulf. Here lies ice too large to enter the relative shelter of the sound. Dwarfed by the ice, you’ll venture out by Zodiacs to cruise amongst the sea of ice giants. We will push southwards even further, with the goal of bringing you to Snow Hill Island. The wooden hut on Snow Hill Island was built in February 1902 by the main party of the Swedish South Polar Expedition led by Otto Nordenskjöld. This historic hut contains original objects from the expedition and functions as a living museum.

Your journey then turns northwards, with Paulet Island being one of your possible landings. The island is a 350 meter high volcanic cone that juts dramatically out of the sea. You’ll discover this island to be a bird and seal paradise. Over 100,000 pairs of Adélie Penguins breed here, along with Blue-eyed Shags, Snowy Sheathbills and Kelp Gulls. Fur Seals and Weddell Seals haul out onshore, while Leopard Seals often hunt offshore.

The South Shetlands will be sure to add variety to your voyage as your time spent in Antarctica comes to a close. Just north of the Peninsula, the South Shetlands offer landings where you can see the vegetation of Antarctica - tiny mosses, lichens and algae. You’ll want to give your cameras a final workout here too, as this will be your last day to photograph the seals and penguins of Antarctica.

As you cross the Drake on the way back to Ushuaia, the lecture program continues. Armed with a collection of new memories and stories, reminiscing about the sights and sounds of Antarctica is inevitable. Share photos with your newfound friends, or, weather permitting, spend time on deck and enjoy your last days at sea.

After breakfast aboard the ship, our staff will transfer you and your luggage to the airport for your homeward flights.