Antarctica Cruise

Arrive early and enjoy some tango and empanadas in Argentina’s capital. After exploring this vibrant city of South America, prepare for the expedition ahead.

Today you will trade your land legs for sea legs, meet your fellow travelers and get acquainted with your ship. Your journey ahead is a blank slate, full of possibilities. The Expedition Team will ensure your comfort and safety, while also planning out a daily schedule that will optimize your wildlife viewing and shore landings for the days ahead.

Spend time on deck identifying seabirds, taking in lectures by your Expedition Team or chatting with your new ship friends. Days at sea can be as busy or as relaxing as you desire. During these first few days, the Expedition Team will inform you on procedures for your Zodiac cruises and shore landings.

You will spend these days in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), renowned for their amazing wildlife. Highlights include Flightless Steamer Ducks, Magellanic and Gentoo Penguins and a colony of the rare Black-crowned Night Herons. Peale's and Commerson's dolphins are often seen along the coast. Nearby New Island boasts fantastic Rockhopper Penguin rookeries, along with Black-browed Albatrosses and Blue-eyed Shags. You will also explore Stanley, the charming capital of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Don't miss the chance to visit the small, but interesting museum.

Continuing south, marine mammals and seabirds lure you to the decks as you cross the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar waters sink beneath the warmer waters of the more temperate zones.

Sharing many of the biological characteristics of Antarctica, South Georgia has awe-inspiring scenery with towering, 7,000-foot mountains and mighty glaciers, but also low-lying, grassy areas, deep fjords and beaches. First sighted by Captain James Cook in 1775, the island attracts an astounding concentration of wildlife and is viewed by many as one of the most inspiring places on earth.

Thousands of King Penguins greet you at Salisbury Plain. Wandering Albatrosses nest at Prion Island, where luxurious tussock grass provides a habitat for a variety of seabirds - and camouflage for thousands of breeding fur seals. Huge elephant seals, King and Gentoo Penguins crowd the beaches along the coast at places such as Gold Harbor, while Light-mantled and Sooty Albatrosses nest in the cliffs behind. The island also played a significant role in the story of Shackleton's epic journey after the sinking of his ship, the 'Endurance.' It was here, at the whaling station of Stromness, that he finally arrived after a harrowing voyage in a small boat from Elephant Island across the Scotia Sea and over the never-before-climbed mountain range of South Georgia. You visit his grave at Grytviken, a once-active whaling station.

Two days at sea to relax, as well as to review your adventures in South Georgia. The first icebergs appear on the horizon as you head south to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Approaching the rugged South Shetland Islands, your first landfall could be Elephant Island where Shackleton's men found refuge during the epic 'Endurance' expedition. Places such as King George Island and Livingston Island support huge numbers of nesting penguins while seabirds nest in the cliffs and elephant seals wallow along the shores. Deception Island is still considered an active volcano and sailing through the narrow passage into its huge, flooded caldera is a thrilling experience. Sailing around the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, you navigate the Antarctic Sound, often referred to as ‘iceberg alley.’ Huge tabular icebergs drift north from the Antarctic continent.

Your plans may also include a landing at Port Lockroy where bleached whale bones commemorate its time as a favorite anchorage of the whalers. Sail into Paradise Harbor on the Danco Coast where a series of huge glaciers flow into quiet waters. Zodiacs take you along rugged cliffs with nesting Cape Petrels, Blue-eyed Shags and Kelp Gulls. Keep watch for humpback whales and groups of crabeater seals on the ice and you may land at Almirante Brown, an Argentine research station located on the continent. Lemaire Channel is another narrow passage between towering rock faces and stunning glaciers. This channel is one of the highlights of a visit to the Antarctic Peninsula, but it can be choked with icebergs and pack ice.

Leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. Your expedition staff will review the adventures of your journey as you return to Ushuaia.

After breakfast aboard, you will be transferred to the airport for your homeward flight.