Antarctica Cruise : Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctic Peninsula, 20 days/19 nights
This vessel was originally built as a research vessel and has since been transformed into a passenger vessel reinforced for the icy, polar conditions. The ship is home to comfortable amenities and an excellent staff and crew including nature and historical experts which will keep you informed throughout the voyage.
Triple with Shared Facilities
Located on Deck 3 with two lower and one upper berth, a desk, a small washbasin, storage and hanging space and portholes. Shared shower and toilet facilities are conveniently located on the same deck.
This longer voyage will take you to many of the most popular destinations in Antarctica including the surrounding islands and the Antarctic Peninsula itself. You will see a multitude of wildlife with a backdrop of the some of the most breathtaking landscapes on the planet.
Day 01 : Embarkation in Puerto Madryn
In the afternoon, we set sail from Puerto Madryn.
Days 02-03 : En Route to Antarctica
We will sail into the westerlies where the ship will be followed by several species of albatrosses, storm and diving petrels, and shearwaters.
Day 04 : Falkland Islands
We will spend the day on the western end of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). We will take a hike along the shoreline where we will encounter Magellanic and Gentoo penguins as well as water fowl and night herons. On Saunders we will observe Rockhopper penguins, Black-Browed albatrosses, and King Cormorants.
Day 05 : Stanley, Falkland Islands
While in Stanley we will have a chance to enjoy the rich Falkland culture, a mix of both South American and Victorian flares. In the areas surrounding Stanley we will encounter a large number of stranded clippers from a century ago. We will also offer a three hour bird-watching excursion outside of Port Stanley
Days 06-07 : Heading to the Antarctic Convergence
We set sail toward South Georgia crossing the Antarctic Convergence. In as little as a few hours, the temperature will drop as much as 10 degrees Celsius as we enter the Antarctic waters. As we approach the Convergence we will see a large number of southern seabirds near the ship: albatross, shearwaters, petrels, prions, and skuas.
Days 08-11 : Exploring South Georgia
Once in South Georgia we will visit the bay of Elsehul, known for its bustling fur seal breeding beach. We will continue on to Right Whale Bay, Salisbury Plain, Gold Harbour, and Cooper Bay which will provide us with views of a variety of ladscapes and wildlife like reindeer, elephant seals, and king and macaroni penguins. In Fortuna Bay we will attempt to follow the steps of the great British explorer Ernest Shackleton with a hike to Stømness Bay. In Grytviken, we will get a good look at an abandoned fishing village which has been overrun by king penguins and seals which can be found in the age-old streets and buildings. We will also offer a visit to the Whaling History Museum and Shackleton’s grave site in Grytviken. Another exciting stop will be Prion Island home to the important breeding sites of the Wandering albatross, an impressive site to see.
Day 12 : Heading Further South
We set out to see once again followed by the seabirds that we will have gotten to know very well. Eventually we will head into the sea ice and catch a view of such Antarctic species as the Maccormick Skua, snow petrel, and Emperor penguin.
Day 13 : South Orkney Islands
We have a visit planned to the Orcadas station, an Argentinean base located in the South Orkney Islands. The base personnel will provide us with a tour of their facilities as well as some fantastic views of the surrounding glaciers.
Day 14 : At Sea
We will continue sailing toward the Antarctic Peninsula.
Days 15-17 : Exploring the Antarctic Peninsula
We will sail through the ice-clogged waters of the Weddell Sea and Antarctic Sound and will be welcomed to the Antarctic Peninsula by its huge tabular icebergs. Next will be a visit to Paulet Island and its million pairs of Adelie penguins and the remains of the Nordenskiöld expedition. We will walk the Antarctic continent on Brown Bluff and will see Baily Head on Deception Island, home to tens of thousands of Chinstrap penguins. The island itself is a sub ducted crater which opens into the sea creating a natural harbor for the ship. We will find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of Cape pigeons, Dominican gulls, Brown and South Polar Skuas, Antarctic Terns, Storm Petrels, and Black-Bellied Storm Petrels. You will have the option to hike from Baily Head over the ridge into Whalers Bay while the ship enters the crater through Neptune’s Bellow into the ring of Deception Island. In the afternoon, we may land at Half Moon Island, where we can observe Elephant, Weddell and Fur Seals as well as Chinstrap Penguins, Blue-eyed Shags, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Kelp Gulls, Snowy Sheatbills, Antarctic Terns, and Antarctic Brown Skuas. We will continue sailing into Neko Harbour in Andvord Bay as well as through Paradise Bay which will give us a spectacular view of its icebergs and deep cut fjords. We will cruise through on the zodiacs to get even better views and maybe even catch a sight of the region’s giant whales.
Days 18-19 : Returning through Drake Passage
We will start our return journey north toward the Americas and will be followed by various seabirds as we cross the Drake Passage.
Day 20 : Disembarkation
We will arrive in Ushuaia in the morning and disembark.
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