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Antarctica Expedition

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DAY 1          ARRIVE AT BUENOS AIRES

Arrive and transfer to your hotel. Depending on arrival time, you can relax before an afternoon city tour. The spirit of Buenos Aires is evident in its diverse neighborhoods.


DAY 2          BUENOS AIRES

A day of leisurely walking about the city.


DAY 3          FLY TO USHUAIA

Today, we arrive in Ushuaia, a small town at the "end of the world" surrounded by rugged peaks and glaciers, then a transfer to your conveniently located hotel.  Enjoy sightseeing (time permitting) or a traditional Patagonian barbecue.


DAY 4         EMBARK ANTARCTICA SHIP

Embark in the afternoon and meet your expedition and lecture staff. After you have settled into your cabins we sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass.


DAY 5 - 6    CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE

The southward journey toward Antarctica is an exciting one. As you travel in the comfort of your luxury cruiser, enjoy several enriching lectures by leading experts on topics spanning Antarctica birdlife to photography.

Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Francis Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region. The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds. As we sail across the passage, Antarpply Expeditions' lecturers will be out with you on deck to help in the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses, which follow in our wake. The USHUAIA's open bridge policy allows you to join our officers on the bridge and learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view. A full program of lectures will be offered as well.

The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that we have reached the South Shetland Islands, a group of twenty islands and islets first sighted in February 1819 by Capt. William Smith of the brig Williams. With favorable conditions in the Drake Passage our lecturers and naturalists will accompany you ashore as you experience your first encounter with the penguins and seals.


DAY 7 - 11     SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS + ANTARCTIC PENINSULA

Day-to-day itineraries depend on the weather, water and wildlife conditions, but two excursions are carefully planned for each day by the captain and expedition leader. Each cruise day begins with an early breakfast. Afterward, venture out in swift Zodiacs, guided by expert drivers and accompanied by lecturers, to a number of sites. After a morning exploring native species and terrain, return to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon, set out for the day’s second excursion. Return to the cruiser for cocktails and dinner. Afterward, recap the day’s discoveries with your naturalist guides.

The South Shetland Islands are a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries, beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals make every day spent in this amazing island group unforgettable. Sailing through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island is truly amazing. King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands, features colonies of nesting Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Blue-eyed Cormorants, Antarctic Terns and Southern Giant Petrels and is home to scientific bases of many different countries. Macaroni, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins as well as elephant seals await you at Livingston Island.

The Antarctic Peninsula's remarkable history will provide you with a type of excitement often only associated with the early explorers. You will have plenty of time to explore its amazing scenery, a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways, and an incredible wide variety of wildlife. Apart from penguins and seabirds you are very likely to see Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as Minke, killer (orca) and humpback whales at close range.

We hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways (depending on the ice conditions): the Gerlache Strait, the Neumayer Channel, and the Lemaire Channel, the latter are narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers. We plan to make at least two landings per day. Possible landing sites may include:

Paradise Bay is perhaps the most aptly named place in the world and we attempt a landing on the continent proper. After negotiating the iceberg-strewn waters of the Antarctic Sound, we hope to visit the bustling Adélie Penguin (over 100,000 pairs breed here) and Blue-eyed Cormorant colonies on Paulet Island. The Nordenskjöld expedition built a stone survival hut here in 1903. Today its ruins have been taken over by nesting penguins. Here, you may set foot on the ‘White Continent’ itself.

At Port Lockroy, you will find thriving colonies of penguins and shags and a former British scientific station that has recently been renovated and serves as a fascinating museum.

Further exploration may take you to Melchior Island, Cuverville Island, Portal Point, Neko Harbour, Pléneau Island and if ice conditions permit, to Petermann Island for a visit to the southernmost colony of Gentoo Penguins.


DAY 12 - 13     CRUISE THE DRAKE PASSAGE

We leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. Join our lecturers and naturalists on deck as we search for seabirds and whales and enjoy some final lectures. Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia.


DAY 14           ARRIVAL AT USHUAIA

Ship docks at Ushuaia this morning, where after breakfast, you bid farewell to staff and crew and disembark. Transfer to the airport to board your flight home via Buenos Aires.


DAY 15           INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT out BUENOS AIRES