Antarctica Fly/Sail Cruise with Aurora aboard Greg Mortimer

Antarctica is a destination that stirs the imagination — a remote world of towering icebergs, pristine wildlife, and untouched wilderness at the edge of the Earth. Traveling there feels less like a vacation and more like an expedition into the unknown. With Aurora Expeditions’ innovative fly/sail programs, reaching the White Continent becomes both accessible and exhilarating: skipping the long Drake Passage crossing by air, then continuing by ship deep into the heart of the Antarctic Peninsula. This unique approach offers travelers more time among the wildlife and glaciers, more moments of discovery, and a perspective on our planet that is as humbling as it is unforgettable.

Back in February 2025, I was lucky enough to join one of Aurora’s fly/sail departures with my friend and co-worker, Claudia Corona.

This expedition began in Punta Arenas, Chile, where we met the Aurora Expeditions team, prepared for the adventure ahead, and attended important briefings with the knowledgeable local team, who were ready to answer all of our questions about the adventure ahead of us. After settling in the modern “Dreams” Hotel and exploring the city overlooking the Strait of Magellan, we gathered in the evening to review flight details and Antarctic visitor guidelines. This was a very important briefing where we were told that we were set to depart the next morning, very early, to take advantage of the good weather conditions predicted.

The journey continued with a charter flight to King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, a very smooth 2-hour flight towards the end of the world. This flight was operated by DAP Airlines on a 90-seat jet that took us to the southernmost airport in the world. Upon landing in this remote corner of the world, we were greeted by the expedition crew and got on a bus for a 10-minute drive to a beach where we put on our rubber boots and new winter jackets, courtesy of Aurora, and transferred by Zodiac to our beautiful ship, the Greg Mortimer.

The Greg Mortimer is a state-of-the-art polar expedition vessel purpose-built for exploring the world’s most remote destinations in comfort and safety. Named after Aurora Expeditions’ co-founder, the ship features an innovative X-Bow design that reduces ocean slamming and ensures a smoother, more efficient voyage in challenging Antarctic seas. With a small passenger capacity that fosters an intimate expedition experience, it offers spacious observation areas, modern cabins, advanced navigation and safety technologies, and environmentally responsible systems.

Once on board, we settled into our cabins, joined safety briefings, and soon set sail toward the Antarctic Peninsula.

The following days were dedicated to exploring the wonders of Antarctica. Daily Zodiac cruises and shore landings brought us up close to penguin rookeries, dramatic icebergs, historic sites, and breathtaking glacial landscapes, while wildlife sightings filled the long daylight hours:

Day 2 on the ship included an afternoon excursion to Daco Island, a small, popular Antarctic destination in the Errera Channel known for stunning views, abundant Gentoo penguins, seals, and whale sightings. The expedition included a short zodiac cruise through icebergs and our first landing.

On Day 3, in the morning, we got to visit Plenau Island for another zodiac cruise and landing. While in this place, some people had the opportunity to go on a photography-oriented excursion, with the ship’s main photographer, and there was a second zodiac organized for passengers interested in taking place on the cruise’s citizen science programs, led by the expedition team.
In the afternoon, we visited the Yalour Islands, a group of islands and rocks in the southern part of the Wilhelm Archipelago. We got the chance to visit numerous Adelie penguin rookeries, and the kayakers and paddlers on board went on great trips around the archipelago. Also, there was time for a historical visit to Wordie House on Winter Island. First established in 1935, Wordie House has been managed by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust since 2014.

Day 4 meant we had the incredible chance of sailing below the Antarctic Circle. Eventhough this was not supposed to be part of our itinerary, our captain got the most of our great weather conditions to have us sail through this milestone for any Antarctic cruise: few ships venture this far south, and those that do find even more dramatic ice formations, thriving wildlife colonies, and a sense of remoteness that truly highlights the pioneering spirit of polar exploration.

While in the area, we visited Detaille Island and Adelaide Island and, most importantly, our first introduction to sea ice: frozen ocean water that forms, grows, and melts directly on the surface of the sea. Unlike icebergs or glacier ice, which originate on land, sea ice develops when seawater freezes as temperatures drop.

Next, our Expedition leader and the team scouted a massive ice floe before confirming an ‘ice landing’ was indeed possible. The ice floe was huge enough to hold over 60 Expeditioners as well as the Expedition Team, giving us lots of space to walk. We could hear the blows of a nearby minke whale and the thunderous calving of distant glaciers. This was quite possibly my favorite day in the whole expedition, which ended with a special outdoor BBQ during the sunny Antarctic evening.

During Day 5, the morning was spent on board, sleeping in and enjoying some interesting lectures. The afternoon brought us to the narrow passage that is the Neumayer Channel, which happened to be a perfect spot for our post-lunch excursions. When we arrived in Börgen Bay, we could still see its surrounding glaciers towering over the inlet. The Antarctic weather did not disappoint though – soon enough, the only thing we could see was thickening fog accompanied by snowfall.  This meant we got into a funny snowball fight with the other zodiac boats and then returned to the ship for a hot drink and some relaxation before dinner.

Day 6 started with a landing at Hydrurga Rocks, where we walked close to a big chinstrap penguin colony. In the afternoon, we went on a hike to Palaver Point: an amazing viewpoint where we got some of the best views in the entire trip.

During Day 7, we visited Recess Cove and had a lengthy zodiac cruise where we were surrounded by humpback whales. This was an unforgettable day and perhaps the best wildlife encounter of the whole trip.

Day 8: The Greg Mortimer arrived at Portal Point this morning, the gateway to the peninsula, and where we had one of the many continental landings we were blessed with. The main event that afternoon was the famous polar plunge, which took place for about 2 hours, with many passengers being brave enough to try the cold Antarctic waters - not me, though!

On Day 9, we had the opportunity of our last landing, this time in one of the smallest South Shetland islands, the beautiful and rugged Penguin Island. We went for a hike around Petrel Crater and visited a beach inhabited by a colony of Adelie and chinstrap penguins.

After this final landing, the expedition concluded with a return crossing of the Drake Passage to Ushuaia, which took us two days, and thanks to the ship’s technology, we were able to enjoy ourselves with great meals, informative lectures by the great expedition team, and time to mingle with our fellow passengers and talk about the amazing adventure we just shared.

We disembarked on Day 12 in Ushuaia, filled with lasting memories and the joy of having just spent an unmemorable experience that combined the two best ways of transportation to the astonishing Antarctica Peninsula.