Wild Antarctica featuring the Weddell Sea

Arrive in Punta Arenas, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to ourhotel. We ask that you arrive no later than 2:00pm so that you may attend our important briefing this evening.Please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby between 2:00pm – 6:00pm to collect your luggagecabin tags. Our team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide youwith information about where to dine or purchase last minute items.Overlooking the Straits of Magellan, the city sits astride one of the world's most historic trade routes. Today, PuntaArenas reflects a great blend of cultural backgrounds, from English sheep ranchers to Portuguese sailors. It remainsan utterly fascinating testament to Chile's rich history. Modern day Punta Arenas is home to many popularrestaurants, and bars, offering a mix of local and international fare (meals at your own expense today).At 7.00 pm this evening, meet your fellow expeditioners at a voyage briefing where we will reconfirm your transfertimes for tomorrow, explain the procedures for your flight to King George Island and outline important IAATOregulations for visitors to Antarctica.

Punta Arenas was founded as a penal colony by Chile in 1848. Nestled amid spectacular mountain vistas on the eastern shores of the Brunswick Peninsula, it played host to mariners crossing the continent by ship. Europeans followed, searching for newly discovered gold and establishing vast swaths of sheep farms locally and throughout the surrounding region. Over time, Punta Arenas became one of Chile’s most important ports as, before the opening of the Panama Canal, it laid on the northernmost transcontinental shipping route.

This morning we will be transferred to Punta Arenas airport for our charter flight to King George Island, Antarctica(weather permitting). The flight will take approximately one hour and forty-five minutes. On arrival into King GeorgeIsland our expedition team is on hand to greet you and to prepare you for your Zodiac transfer to the vessel. You willhave time to settle into your cabin before our important safety briefings.Note: King George Island is located at the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands andis one of the most remote places on Earth. A clear sky with perfect visibility is required for safe take-off and landing.A contingency plan will be applied to your itinerary should your flights not proceed today. Your safety is our upmostpriority. We apologise in advance for any delays caused due to this unpredictable situation. Please refer to our termsand conditions for a more detailed explanation.

Punta Arenas was founded as a penal colony by Chile in 1848. Nestled amid spectacular mountain vistas on the eastern shores of the Brunswick Peninsula, it played host to mariners crossing the continent by ship. Europeans followed, searching for newly discovered gold and establishing vast swaths of sheep farms locally and throughout the surrounding region. Over time, Punta Arenas became one of Chile’s most important ports as, before the opening of the Panama Canal, it laid on the northernmost transcontinental shipping route.

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hoursof daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to designyour voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlifeopportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruisesalong spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins.Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic hutsand explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optionalactivity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will havethe chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding.This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet momentto experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, theWeddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers. A small set of islands standing off to the east ofthe Antarctic Peninsula collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley where large icebergs try to escape the Weddell Sea through AntarcticSound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be great. Fossils are a reminder of a moretemperate era – gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to stone.We hope to experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adélie penguin colony justoutside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colonyof Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursionsor slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and outof the water, as well as humpback, minke and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during yourtime in the Weddell Sea.

Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins. The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness. It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked. Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hoursof daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to designyour voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlifeopportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruisesalong spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins.Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic hutsand explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optionalactivity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will havethe chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding.This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet momentto experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, theWeddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers. A small set of islands standing off to the east ofthe Antarctic Peninsula collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley where large icebergs try to escape the Weddell Sea through AntarcticSound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be great. Fossils are a reminder of a moretemperate era – gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to stone.We hope to experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adélie penguin colony justoutside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colonyof Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursionsor slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and outof the water, as well as humpback, minke and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during yourtime in the Weddell Sea.

Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins. The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness. It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked. Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hoursof daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to designyour voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlifeopportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruisesalong spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins.Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic hutsand explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optionalactivity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will havethe chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding.This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet momentto experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, theWeddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers. A small set of islands standing off to the east ofthe Antarctic Peninsula collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley where large icebergs try to escape the Weddell Sea through AntarcticSound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be great. Fossils are a reminder of a moretemperate era – gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to stone.We hope to experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adélie penguin colony justoutside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colonyof Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursionsor slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and outof the water, as well as humpback, minke and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during yourtime in the Weddell Sea.

Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins. The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness. It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked. Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hoursof daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to designyour voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlifeopportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruisesalong spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins.Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic hutsand explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optionalactivity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will havethe chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding.This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet momentto experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, theWeddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers. A small set of islands standing off to the east ofthe Antarctic Peninsula collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley where large icebergs try to escape the Weddell Sea through AntarcticSound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be great. Fossils are a reminder of a moretemperate era – gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to stone.We hope to experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adélie penguin colony justoutside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colonyof Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursionsor slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and outof the water, as well as humpback, minke and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during yourtime in the Weddell Sea.

Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins. The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness. It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked. Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hoursof daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to designyour voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlifeopportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruisesalong spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins.Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic hutsand explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optionalactivity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will havethe chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding.This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet momentto experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, theWeddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers. A small set of islands standing off to the east ofthe Antarctic Peninsula collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley where large icebergs try to escape the Weddell Sea through AntarcticSound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be great. Fossils are a reminder of a moretemperate era – gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to stone.We hope to experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adélie penguin colony justoutside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colonyof Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursionsor slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and outof the water, as well as humpback, minke and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during yourtime in the Weddell Sea.

Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins. The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness. It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked. Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hoursof daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to designyour voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlifeopportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruisesalong spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins.Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic hutsand explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optionalactivity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will havethe chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding.This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet momentto experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, theWeddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers. A small set of islands standing off to the east ofthe Antarctic Peninsula collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley where large icebergs try to escape the Weddell Sea through AntarcticSound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be great. Fossils are a reminder of a moretemperate era – gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to stone.We hope to experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adélie penguin colony justoutside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colonyof Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursionsor slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and outof the water, as well as humpback, minke and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during yourtime in the Weddell Sea.

Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins. The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness. It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked. Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hoursof daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to designyour voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlifeopportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruisesalong spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins.Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic hutsand explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optionalactivity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will havethe chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding.This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet momentto experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, theWeddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers. A small set of islands standing off to the east ofthe Antarctic Peninsula collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley where large icebergs try to escape the Weddell Sea through AntarcticSound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be great. Fossils are a reminder of a moretemperate era – gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to stone.We hope to experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adélie penguin colony justoutside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colonyof Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursionsor slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and outof the water, as well as humpback, minke and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during yourtime in the Weddell Sea.

Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins. The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness. It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked. Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deepbreath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, andwe have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hoursof daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to designyour voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlifeopportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruisesalong spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins.Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic hutsand explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines tovantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optionalactivity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will havethe chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straitsseparating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding.This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep anear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet momentto experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, theWeddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers. A small set of islands standing off to the east ofthe Antarctic Peninsula collectively form the Antarctic Sound – the gateway to the Weddell Sea. With a well-deserved reputation as being an iceberg alley where large icebergs try to escape the Weddell Sea through AntarcticSound, often making navigation difficult. However, the rewards can be great. Fossils are a reminder of a moretemperate era – gastropods, large clams, and spiral-shaped ammonites, all turned to stone.We hope to experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adélie penguin colony justoutside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colonyof Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursionsor slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and outof the water, as well as humpback, minke and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during yourtime in the Weddell Sea.

Remote and otherworldly, Antarctic is irresistible for its spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, and for the possibility of up-close encounters with marine mammals and the iconic penguins. The Antarctic Peninsula – the main peninsula closest to South America – has a human history of almost 200 years, with explorers, sealers, whalers, and scientists who have come to work, and eventually intrepid visitors coming to enjoy this pristine and remote wilderness. It is a region of protected bays, unscaled snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers and a few places where whalers or scientists have worked. Just as irresistible are the many Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin colonies, the seals basking on ice floes, the whales and orcas.

Enjoy a final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands before we re-enter the Drake Passage for our returnjourney to South America.With lectures and film presentations to complete our Antarctic experience, there is still plenty of time to enjoy themagic of the Southern Ocean and the life that calls it home. There is time for reflection and discussion about whatwe have seen and experienced. We hope you become ambassadors for Antarctica telling your family, friends andcolleagues about your journey to this magical place, advocating for its conservation and preservation so that theymight one day visit the region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here.As we approach the tip of South America, our Captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and timepermitting.

Enjoy a final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands before we re-enter the Drake Passage for our returnjourney to South America.With lectures and film presentations to complete our Antarctic experience, there is still plenty of time to enjoy themagic of the Southern Ocean and the life that calls it home. There is time for reflection and discussion about whatwe have seen and experienced. We hope you become ambassadors for Antarctica telling your family, friends andcolleagues about your journey to this magical place, advocating for its conservation and preservation so that theymight one day visit the region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here.As we approach the tip of South America, our Captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and timepermitting.

During the early morning, we cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where wewill be free to disembark around 8.00 am. Farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as we all continueour onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.Upon disembarkation, for those continuing their travels in the region, transportation to the hotel will be arrangedexclusively for guests who have booked their accommodations through Aurora or for those staying in downtownareas near the port. Expeditioners departing on flights prior to 12:30 pm will be directly transferred to UshuaiaAirport, those with flights after 12:30 pm will have the opportunity to explore Ushuaia before an afternoon airporttransfer, and the transfer procedures and details will be communicated onboard before disembarkation.Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing Ushuaia prior to 12.00 pmon the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.

At 55 degrees latitude south, Ushuaia (pronounced oo-swy-ah) is closer to the South Pole than to Argentina's northern border with Bolivia. It is the capital and tourism base for Tierra del Fuego, the island at the southernmost tip of Argentina.Although its stark physical beauty is striking, Tierra del Fuego's historical allure is based more on its mythical past than on rugged reality. The island was inhabited for 6,000 years by Yámana, Haush, Selk'nam, and Alakaluf Indians. But in 1902 Argentina, eager to populate Patagonia to bolster its territorial claims, moved to initiate an Ushuaian penal colony, establishing the permanent settlement of its most southern territories and, by implication, everything in between.When the prison closed in 1947, Ushuaia had a population of about 3,000, made up mainly of former inmates and prison staff. Today the Indians of Darwin's "missing link" theory are long gone—wiped out by diseases brought by settlers and by indifference to their plight—and the 60,000 residents of Ushuaia are hitching their star to tourism.The city rightly (if perhaps too loudly) promotes itself as the southernmost city in the world (Puerto Williams, a few miles south on the Chilean side of the Beagle Channel, is a small town). You can make your way to the tourism office to get your clichéd, but oh-so-necessary, "Southernmost City in the World" passport stamp. Ushuaia feels like a frontier boomtown, at heart still a rugged, weather-beaten fishing village, but exhibiting the frayed edges of a city that quadrupled in size in the '70s and '80s and just keeps growing. Unpaved portions of Ruta 3, the last stretch of the Pan-American Highway, which connects Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, are finally being paved. The summer months (December through March) draw more than 120,000 visitors, and dozens of cruise ships. The city is trying to extend those visits with events like March's Marathon at the End of the World and by increasing the gamut of winter activities buoyed by the excellent snow conditions.A terrific trail winds through the town up to the Martial Glacier, where a ski lift can help cut down a steep kilometer of your journey. The chaotic and contradictory urban landscape includes a handful of luxury hotels amid the concrete of public housing projects. Scores of "sled houses" (wooden shacks) sit precariously on upright piers, ready for speedy displacement to a different site. But there are also many small, picturesque homes with tiny, carefully tended gardens. Many of the newer homes are built in a Swiss-chalet style, reinforcing the idea that this is a town into which tourism has breathed new life. At the same time, the weather-worn pastel colors that dominate the town's landscape remind you that Ushuaia was once just a tiny fishing village, snuggled at the end of the Earth.As you stand on the banks of the Canal Beagle (Beagle Channel) near Ushuaia, the spirit of the farthest corner of the world takes hold. What stands out is the light: at sundown the landscape is cast in a subdued, sensual tone; everything feels closer, softer, and more human in dimension despite the vastness of the setting. The snowcapped mountains reflect the setting sun back onto a stream rolling into the channel, as nearby peaks echo their image—on a windless day—in the still waters.Above the city rise the last mountains of the Andean Cordillera, and just south and west of Ushuaia they finally vanish into the often-stormy sea. Snow whitens the peaks well into summer. Nature is the principal attraction here, with trekking, fishing, horseback riding, wildlife spotting, and sailing among the most rewarding activities, especially in the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego (Tierra del Fuego National Park).