Antarctica – Discovery and learning voyage
SHIP: M/V PLANCIUS
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH SPEAKING VOYAGE
EMBARKATION: USHUIA
DISEMBARKATION: USHUIA
AVAILABLE CABINS: QUADRUPLE PORTHOLE, TRIPLE PORTHOLE, TWIN PORTHOLE, TWIN WINDOW, TWIN DELUXE , SUPERIOR
PLEASE NOTE:
All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on weatherand wildlife conditions. Landings are subject to site availability, permissions, and environmental concerns per IAATO regulations. Official sailing plans and landing slots are scheduled with IAATO prior to the start of the season, but the expedition leader determines the final plan. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. The average cruising speed for our vessel is 10.5 knots.
IF YOU WISH TO ARRANGE LODGING, TRANSFERS, OR OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR ADVENTURE, JUST LET US KNOW. WE’LL BE HAPPY TO ASSIST YOU!
DAY 1: The end of the world, the start of a journey
Your voyage begins where the world drops off: Ushuaia, Argentina. This gorgeous resort town, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is the capital of Tierra del Fuego. And, while it may be nicknamed “The End of the World,” it marks the beginning of everything for South Adventure travelers!
Starting in the afternoon, you’ll embark from Ushuaia. You’ll take in the breathtaking mountain views as you sail the Beagle Channel into the evening.
DAY 2 - 3: PATH OF THE POLAR EXPLORERS
Over the next two days, you’ll travel along the Drake Passage. There, you’ll get to enjoy some of the same experiences as the great polar explorers who first charted these regions. From feeling the cool salt breezes to searching for spouting fin whales, you’ll become an explorer in your own right.
After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you’ll find yourself in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Here, you can encounter new marine and avian life. Keep your eyes peeled for:
- Wandering albatrosses
- Grey-headed albatrosses
- Black-browed albatrosses
- Light-mantled sooty albatrosses
- Cape pigeons
- Southern fulmars
- Wilson’s storm petrels
- Blue petrels
- Antarctic petrels
- And more!
DAY 4 - 7: ENTER THE ANTARCTIC
As you enter Antarctica, you’ll experience a world of snowy gray stone peaks, towers of broken blue-white ice, and dramatically different wildlife below and above.
After passing the snow-capped Melchior Islands and Schollaert Channel and sailing between Brabant and Anvers Islands,
places you might visit include:
Danco Island – Activities here may focus on the gentoo penguins nesting on the island, in addition to the Weddell and crabeater seals that can be found nearby.
Neko Harbour – An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow, Neko Harbour offers opportunities for a Zodiac cruise and landing that afford the closest views of the surrounding alpine peaks.
Paradise Bay – You may be able to take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling, ice-flecked waters, where there’s a good chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales.
Port Lockroy – After sailing through the Neumayer Channel, you may get a chance to visit the former British research station – now a museum and post office – of Port Lockroy on Goudier Island. You may also be able to partake in activities around Jougla Point, meeting gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags.
There are also great opportunities for kayaking and camping in this area, and when conditions are right, you can even snowshoe around the shore and to the old ski-way at nearby Damoy Point.
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DAY 8: SCENES OF SOUTH SHETLAND
The volcanic islands of the South Shetlands are windswept and often cloaked in mist, but they do offer subtle pleasures. There’s a wide variety of flora (mosses, lichens, flowering grasses) and no small amount of fauna (gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels) to enjoy.
In Deception Island, the ship plunges through Neptune’s Bellows and into the flooded caldera. Here, you’ll find an abandoned whaling station and thousands of cape petrels – along with kelp gulls, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns. A good hike is a possibility in this fascinating and desolate volcanic landscape.
As an alternative, you may be able to engage in activities near Half Moon Island. Here, chinstrap penguins and Weddell seals often haul out onto the beach near Cámara Base, an Argentine scientific research station. Conditions on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure.
DAY 9 - 10: FAMILIAR SEAS, FAMILIAR FRIENDS
Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’ll be greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south.
DAY 11: THERE AND BACK AGAIN
Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You’ll disembark and say your farewells back in Ushuaia, but don’t worry. The memories you’ve made will last a lifetime.
CONTACT US TODAY
Our discovery and learning voyage is your chance to explore the wonders of Antarctica. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity. Contact us today to learn more or book your trip.
