HIGHLIGHTS
- Explore
the spectacular Antarctic wilderness in a casual atmosphere of
like-minded travelers
- Experience
abundant wildlife including immense penguin colonies and other
seabirds, seals and even some of the great whales at close range
- Sail
south of the Antarctic Circle
- Cruise
in comfort along towering icebergs, serrated maritime mountains and
luminous glaciers
- Zodiac
landing craft allow visitation on remote shorelines and otherwise
inaccessible areas
- Ship
allows an "open bridge policy" to observe its sophisticated navigation
equipment and provides an excellent location to view wildlife and the
landscape (subject to weather and critical navigation maneuvers)
- Expert
naturalist guides
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Mar 23, 2025 | Apr 03, 2025 | 7,700 |
8,000 |
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Mar 23, 2025 | Apr 03, 2025 | 7,700 |
8,000 |
ITINERARY
Day
1: End of the world, start of a journey
Your
voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to
be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern
tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this
small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of
the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for
the remainder of the evening.
Day
2-3: Path of the polar explorers
Over
the next two days on the Drake Passage, you enjoy some of the same
experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted
these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale
spouting up sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence
– Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when
north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas
– you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only
does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. 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
are a few of the birds you might see.
Day
4-9: Sights of late summer Antarctica
Options
for Antarctic Peninsula activities are many, and no less great during
the late summer. Humpback whales are prolific in this region, gorging
themselves on krill before their migration north. The penguin chicks
are also fledging, stirring up activity on the beaches while sleek
leopard seals lie in wait, poised to attack the less fortunate ones.
Sites
for your Antarctic adventures may include:
Livingston Island
– Here you find a wide variety of gentoo and chinstrap
penguins on Hannah Point, as well as southern giant petrels and
elephant seals hauling out onto the beach.
Deception Island
– Actually a subducted crater, this island opens into the sea
and creates a natural harbor for the ship. Hot springs, an abandoned
whaling station, and multiple bird species – cape petrels,
kelp gulls, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns
– can be seen here. Wilson’s storm petrels and
black-bellied storm petrels also nest in the ruins of the whaling
station in Whalers Bay.
Cuverville Island
– A small precipitous island nestled between the mountains of
the Antarctic Peninsula and Rongé Island, Cuverville houses
a large colony of gentoo penguins and breeding pairs of brown skuas.
Neko Harbor
– An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless
wind-carved snow, Neko Harbor offers opportunities for a Zodiac cruise
and landing that afford the closest views of the surrounding alpine
peaks. You might also be able to set foot on the continent here.
Paradise Bay
– You could take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling,
ice-flecked waters, where you have a good chance of seeing humpback and
minke whales.
Pléneau &
Petermann Islands – If the ice allows it, you
may sail through the Lemaire Channel in search of Adélie
penguins and blue-eyed shags. There’s also a good chance
you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales as well as leopard
seals.
Crystal Sound
– Your journey takes you south along the Argentine Islands to
this ice-packed body of water, and from here across the Polar Circle in
the morning.
Detaille Island
– You may make a landing at an abandoned British research
station here, taking in the island’s lofty mountains and
imposing glaciers.
Fish Islands
– Further north you encounter one of the southernmost
Adélie penguin and blue-eyed shag colonies in the Antarctic
Peninsula.
Melchior Islands
– These islands offer a beautiful landscape rich with
icebergs. Leopard seals, crabeater seals, and whales are found here,
and there are excellent opportunities for kayaking and diving.
Conditions
on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure.
Day
10-11: Familiar seas, familiar friends
Your
return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake,
you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered
from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you
now, and you to them.
Day
12: There and back again
Every
adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end.
It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that
will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.
Plancius (Expedition, 108-guests)
MV Plancius offers a restaurant/lecture room on deck 3 and a spacious observation lounge (with bar) on deck 5 with large windows, offering full panorama view. The vessel has large open deck spaces (with full walk-around possibilities on deck 4), giving excellent opportunities to enjoy the scenery and wildlife. She is furthermore equipped with 10 Mark V zodiacs.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Voyage
aboard the designated vessel as indicated in the itinerary
- All
meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee
and tea
- Free
use of rubber boots
- Pre-scheduled
group transfer from the vessel to the airport in Ushuaia (directly
after disembarkation)
- All
shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac
- Program
of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced
expedition staff
- All
miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program
- Comprehensive
pre-departure material
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
- Kayaking:
USD 470
- Camping:
USD 195
- Diving:
USD 535
