A TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAY DESIGNED BY SPECIALISTS
At The Ultimate Travel Company, all our holidays are created individually to suit your preferences and the Weddell Sea & Antarctica itinerary can be used for inspiration or as a starting point for your luxury Antarctica holidays. Whether you prefer a different style of accommodation, a greater focus on a particular experience or wish to include extra stops on your journey, our experts will design an itinerary that is entirely unique to you.
ABOUT THE ITINERARY
Your expedition to the Weddell Sea will take you to one of the most remote areas on Earth, a place where huge tabular icebergs flow ceaselessly from the Antarctic Sound and monstrous icebergs are carved into eerie shapes by the biting wind.
You will explore by zodiac and land whenever possible on the Antarctic Peninsula. Discover colonies of penguins and other bird specieis including cormorants, petrels and magnificent black-browed albatross soaring overhead. You may also see humpback whales and leopard seals swimming amongst the pack-ice.
A select few ships operate Weddell Sea itineraries and there are normally only one or two each season (from December to March).
PLEASE NOTE: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. The on-board expedition leader will determine the final itinerary. Flexibility is paramount for Antarctic expedition cruises.
USHUAIA
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.
DRAKE PASSAGE
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.
ANTARCTICA AND THE WEDDELL SEA
Experience memorable wildlife encounters as the Weddell boasts a large Adélie penguin colony just outside of Antarctic Sound, some of which breed on the rocky slopes of a small volcanic island, where a large colony of Antarctic blue-eyed shags jostle for space with nest-building Wilson’s storm petrels. On thrilling Zodiac excursions or slicing a path through the maze of sea ice in your kayak, keep watch for chinstrap and gentoo penguins in and out of the water, as well as humpback, minke and orca whales. Your camera is sure to get a solid workout during your time in the Weddell Sea.
Central to the story of where Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance became trapped in formidable sea ice, the Weddell Sea certainly is high on the list for many polar adventurers.
DRAKE PASSAGE
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.
FLY HOME
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.
PRICE INCLUDES
- One night in Ushuaia pre-cruise
- Full board on the ship
- Activities in Antarctica (not including kayaking)
- All port and landing fees
- Loan of boots and expedition jacket to be worn in Antarctica
PRICE EXCLUDES
- Flights
- Insurance
- Gratuities
PLAN YOUR TRIP
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