Expedition Antarctica: Weddell Sea Intensive (Christmas Cruise)

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).

The British overseas territory has more than just a turbulent history; discover its impressive birdlife. Experience this unique ecosystem, which is home to around 60 species, during Zodiac landings. Together with your experts, you can observe rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, who share their habitat with kelp geese, striated caracaras, king cormorants as well as black-browed and wandering albatrosses. Natural history walks take you past the island’s typical dwarf shrubs and tall tussock grass. The first human footprints on the Falkland Islands date back to 1690, and it wasn’t until 1764 that the first settlement was established. The small capital city of Stanley has a very British feel to it today. The former whaling and sealing settlement boasts Victorian houses, small gardens and the southernmost Anglican church in the world.

Days of adventure and great experiences lie ahead of you, when rugged peaks on the horizon signal your approach to this unique animal paradise. South Georgia is often referred to as the “cold Serengeti”. Hundreds of thousands of king penguins blanket the island’s coastlines and mountain slopes. On numerous trips and landings with the Zodiacs, you will experience the animal world from a respectful distance. With a little luck, you will see elephant seals fighting over a harem or gentoo and king penguins in their natural habitat. Your experts, who have extensive experience in the Antarctic, will familiarise you with the flora and fauna. The pioneering days of polar research will come to life for you in Grytviken: in the former whaling station, you will visit the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton and commemorate the heroic efforts with which he once saved his crew.

South Georgia is a breathtaking destination of towering snow-covered mountains, mighty glaciers, and low-lying grasslands that attract an astounding concentration of wildlife. It is possible to find Southern fur seals, Southern elephant seals and a variety of albatross species including Black-browed, Light-mantled Sooty, Grey-headed and the spectacular Wandering Albatross, plus thousands of King and Macaroni Penguins. South Georgia is also linked to the early Antarctic explorers. Captain James Cook first stepped ashore in 1775, but perhaps more famous is Ernest Shackleton’s arrival in 1916 following the sinking of his ship Endurance. Shackleton’s grave and the whaling museum at Grytviken are highlights, as would be a visit to one of the King Penguin colonies at Salisbury Plain or Gold Harbour.

The South Orkney Islands, a small group of islands with a surface area of around 620 km² (239 mi²), are located in the Scotia Sea. A lonely, glaciated world with ice deserts – and more animal species than on the Galapagos Islands, as scientists have discovered. Who would guess there are around 1,200 animal species here? The South Orkney Islands are home to numerous varieties of penguin, whale and seal, as well as leopard seals. With luck, you will also see icebergs drifting off the rugged coast. In contrast, the Argentinian Orcadas research station – which has been staffed since 1904 – houses just a few people. Depending on the conditions and approval from the station, you will land in the Zodiacs to gain an impression of the isolated life of the polar researchers in the area.The South Shetland Islands form a long chain in the ocean. The island group opens up exciting chapters of Antarctic exploration and provides expert insights into geology. Here, your small manoeuvrable ship can again prove its expedition capability when it sails into the flooded caldera of the extinct volcano that forms Deception Island. Flanked by rock faces up to 50 m (164 ft) in height, the black sand in front of you gives off steam as a testament to a past eruption – and you in the heart of the scenery. Elephant Island, where history surrounds you, is legendary: polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew spent months here after abandoning their ship in the ice. You, too, will be enchanted by the scenery. Jagged crags loom fiercely on the horizon and the evening sun casts a delicate pink glow over the snowfields.This expedition takes you in a flexible route towards adventure through the Weddell Sea. The ice cracks and crunches around the ship’s reinforced bow, conveying just how challenging the hardships were that the pioneers of polar research had to endure. Where weather and ice conditions dictate the route, the experienced crew reacts flexibly and spontaneously to provide you with unforgettable expedition moments. The Weddell Sea is home to spectacular ice formations – from majestic tabular icebergs occupied by Adelie penguins to ice shelves as tall as white cliffs and dense carpets of pack ice. How far into this region can the expedition ship actually make it?The Antarctic Peninsula, part of the coldest continent on Earth, may seem inhospitable at first glance, but it is actually a paradise for countless animal species that have adapted perfectly. Enjoy unforgettable moments when, for example, you set foot on the Antarctic mainland near to Paradise Bay. Snow-covered peaks, imposing icebergs and towering glaciers surround you. Unbelievable views also await you in the bay of Neko Harbor with its rocky massifs. On Petermann Island, look out for gentoo and Adelie penguins as well as blue-eyed cormorants, which have their breeding colonies here. One of the most impressive shipping passages in the world is the Lemaire Channel: mountains up to 1,000 m (3,281 ft) high line the strait of water.

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).