ABOUT THE ITINERARY
Explore the Weddell Sea region and you will be struck by a sense of splendid isolation- and the beauty of nature in its most raw, uncompromising state. 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 – monstrous ice giants carved into eerie shapes by the biting wind.
You’ll visit them by Zodiac and walk on the glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula. You’ll find colonies of penguins and any number of cormorants, petrels and magnificent black-browed albatross. You’ll see seals gambolling around the edge of the horizon-wide pack ice. You should spot humpback whales and hunter-killer leopard seals.
You will discover all this and more, on your unforgettable expedition across the Weddell Sea and along the Antarctic Peninsular.
Shore visits are included but depend on weather conditions. Extra excursions vary with different itineraries and weather, and could typically include:
- Exploration of a unique, fragile ecosystem
- Visits to research stations
- Helicopter excursions (dependent on the ship)
A select few ships operate Weddell Sea itineraries and there are normally only one or two each season (from November 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 expedition cruises.
DESIGNED BY SPECIALISTS
Bear in mind, these are just a starting point as all holidays are customised to the specific requirements of our guests. Whether you prefer a different style of accommodation, a greater focus on a particular interest or to go to a different destination all together, every itinerary is created individually around your preferences.
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.
SAILING THE 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, VIA THE WEDDEL SEA
DECEPTION ISLAND
In the morning, you sail to Deception Island for the last landing of the voyage, either at Pendulum Cove or Whalers Bay. Conditions on the Drake Passage determine the exact time of departure.
SAILING THE DRAKE PASSAGE TO USHUAIA
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.
ITINERARY INSPIRATION
PLAN YOUR TRIP
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