
Antarctic Peninsula
Why Visit
Leave your known world behind and discover a mind-boggling landscape of glittering ice teeming with wildlife—vast colonies of penguins; countless numbers of fur, leopard and elephant seals; and millions of courting and nesting seabirds. Antarctica travel brings you up close to this superlative landscape and its thriving inhabitants—all in utmost comfort, with little effort, and during the surprisingly mild austral summer. Even for the veteran traveler, a voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula has the power to transform as you count yourself among the lucky few to set foot on its shores.
Imagine walking among thousands of chattering gentoo or chinstrap or Adelie penguins. There’s no end to the mutual admiration when the remarkably fearless fuzzy chicks come close to investigate. Feel the power and majesty—and take the photos!— as you navigate narrow waterways amid towering icebergs that dwarf even your ship. Ride a Zodiac inflatable boat to hidden coves where crabeater, Weddell, and leopard seals take a break in the sun. Hike ashore for an amazingly close-up portrait of that two-ton blubbery breed, the elephant seal. Kayak down a serene passage and witness the graceful fluke of an orca, humpback or minke whale while a glacier calves in slow motion in the distance. Seabirds soar overhead—fulmars, petrels, sooty shearwaters and wandering albatross—seeming to pose in silhouette against the sky. No matter where you go here, or what you choose to do—even simply standing on the deck of your cruise ship—prepare to be wowed by the profusion of wildlife and Mother Nature’s determination to keep it thriving.
For travelers heeding the call of their inner explorer, who dream of visiting one of our planet’s last wild places and walking among the hardy creatures that call it home, Antarctic travel is an experience beyond the borders of your imagination.
History
Only 620 miles separate the world’s southernmost town, Ushuaia, Argentina (where most depart), from the Antarctic Peninsula—the northernmost part of Antarctica and its single finger that pokes out above the Antarctic Circle. The Drake Passage separates the two continents, a body of water legend for its extremes of either flat calm or a wild and woolly ride.
It was those ever-calculating ancient Greeks in about 350 BCE who believed that there must be a southern landmass to counterbalance the northern one, known by the constellation Arktos—The Bear, or Arctic. So they called it Ant- (opposite) Arktos and lo and behold, a couple thousand years later, the theory was confirmed.
In 1772, Captain James Cook left England aboard the Resolution in search of that mythical southern land (after Magellan and Drake had come close, but only as far as the South Shetland Islands). Cook was halted by impenetrable ice at the edge of the then-known world—a mere 150 miles from the Antarctic shore. He did later circumnavigate the continent, however, followed by Russian naval officer Captain Thaddeus Bellingshausen. On January 27, 1820, the Royal Navy’s Edward Bransfield claimed to see an “icefield covered with small hillocks...”—Antarctica for sure, but no one confirmed that this was the elusive continent until American seal hunter John Davis stepped ashore and laid claim to its “discovery” in 1821. Immediately after, sealers and whalers arrived in droves. Endless claim disputes among countries followed, but steady exploration—300 more expeditions to be exact—soon gave Ant-Arktos its permanent place on the world map.
The Antarctic Peninsula stretches across 1,200 miles and is geologically composed of a long continuous mountain range. Because it continues beneath the sea, scientists believe the Andes and the Antarctic mountains are part of the same range and the culmination of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The peninsula’s longer season of mild climate, relative to the rest of the continent, makes it possible for visitors to realize their dream of cruising to Antarctica—for many, the elusive 7th continent.
The coastal peninsula enjoys the most temperate climate, and the austral summer clears the rocks and shores of snow. Wildlife, which survives on food from the sea and not on vegetation, thrives in phenomenal numbers and, along with the magnificent icescapes, is the main reason travelers choose to make the journey.
Approximately 350 million birds comprise the 37 species of seabirds native to Antarctica. Of these, 175 million are penguins. The peninsula’s Petermann Island is home to the world’s southernmost colony of gentoos, and ideal for those picture-perfect penguin poses.
Humpback and minke whales frequent the narrow and scenically dramatic Lemaire Channel. Here crabeater seals repose on chunks of ice. On nearby Pleneau Island, leopard and elephant seals haul out on its shores. The Weddell species seems to prefer Neko Harbour. Hope Bay, home to 120,000 breeding pairs of Adelie penguins, lives up to its nickname, “Iceberg Alley,” for its dazzling array of sculpted icebergs. From Port Lockroy, a former whaling station, cruises often set out to cross the Antarctic Circle at 66.562° latitude. Who can resist sending a postcard home from here with an official Antarctica stamp?
Cruising to Antarctica is no small endeavor, though it’s a bit more comfortable today than it was a century ago. To see the continent for the first time with your own eyes is no less awe-inspiring than it was for those first explorers.
Recognizing that universality of spirit, the first International Geophysical Year was established in 1957. Scientists from 67 countries joined together for 18 months to study Antarctica. Twelve new bases were built, including the Amundsen-Scott base at the South Pole. In 1959 the 12 leading IGY nations signed the Antarctic Treaty in Washington, D.C. Its purpose: that Antarctica “shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.” The treaty, in full effect since1961, guarantees free access for scientific research everywhere on the continent south of 60° latitude. Today at least 28 nations maintain research stations in Antarctica. And 14 have bases on the Antarctic Peninsula or near its offshore islands.
How to Choose a Trip
When looking for the perfect trip to Antarctica it’s easy to become confused by the many different options. Several factors come into play when you’re selecting a trip and knowing your preferences in each of these areas will help you narrow the field and select the trip that’s just right for you.
When to Travel
Trips to Antarctica operate between November and March each year. We recommend traveling between December 1 and February 15 for the very best weather and wildlife viewing. Baby penguins are born right around December 15th and then wear their brown furry coats in January. By February, the penguins all look like adults, and come mid-February, the penguins and seals start heading back out to sea.
Some of the best trip rates are offered in November, yet the sea ice can be quite thick at this time so you may not reach as far south as you would later in the year, plus you won’t see any baby penguins. Late February/March is a great time to see whales and dolphins as the sea ice is more open then. Still, the penguins are almost all gone at that time, plus they’ve been on shore all season and left red guano on the once pristine glaciers. November, February and March are great times to be in Antarctica as long as you know what to expect.
If you can travel anytime, we suggest you travel to Antarctica between December 1 and February 15.
Trip Options
As this may be the only time you visit Antarctica (unless you contract “Polar Fever” as many do and find yourself returning again and again), it’s important to consider how much time you would like to spend in the region and which itineraries offer the very best experience.
Trips that visit the Antarctic Peninsula range from 10-14 days while trips that include visits to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia average 18-25 days. If you have enough time available, it’s well worth including all three destinations, particularly South Georgia which is one of the most spectacular wildlife spots on Earth!
Why South Georgia?
Here's a client comment about South Georgia: "South Georgia was without doubt the most memorable part of our expedition. The wildlife, scenery, remoteness all combined to make it an unforgettable experience. In fact, the Antarctic itself was somewhat anti-climactic after that. If it were available I would heartily recommend people consider visiting South Georgia."
Why is South Georgia so special? There are only a handful of places on the planet that offer such an incredible wildlife experience and South Georgia is one of those places. Imagine stepping onto a sandy beach and being welcomed by tens of thousands of king penguins as far as the eye can see. South Georgia offers the chance to see several wildlife species that you will not likely see in Antarctica: king penguins, macaroni penguins, thousands of fur and elephant seals, nesting wandering albatross with 20-foot wingspans, light mantled sooty albatross, and the list goes on..
We consider the longer 18-25 day itinerary that includes South Georgia and the Falklands to be the “gold standard” of trips to Antarctica.
Ship Options
There are essentially two styles of ships that travel to Antarctica: the simple research vessels that offer basic accommodations, and the more attractive and luxurious expedition vessels which are more like floating hotels with large cabins, beautiful furnishings and many amenities. Both styles of ship offer fantastic experiences in the region and the key is to decide which style is right for you.
Research Vessels: These simple ships, some hailing from Russia, have basic furnishings and feel a lot like a college dorm. Some have long tables in the dining room, cabins with shared, dorm-like baths, and lecture halls that are under the waterline with no windows. They also tend to offer more adventurous trips and optional activities like kayaking and camping or even mountaineering and cross-country skiing. These ships attract an active, sometimes younger set of fellow passengers eager for fast hikes and often focus more on exciting shore visits and wildlife viewing than on in-depth education programs.
Expedition Vessels: These beautiful ships are more like floating hotels and have expert service and cuisine as well as the most highly credentialed naturalists and guides onboard. Cabins are often larger with private baths and attractive furnishings. Restaurant-style dining, spa services, elevators, more comprehensive gym equipment and other amenities can be found on these more comfortable ships. Many of these ships offer the kind of first-class experts the world turns to for climate change research or wildlife habitat information. The goal of these ships is to offer a wonderfully comfortable environment as well as exciting shore visits and amazing wildlife viewing. A few expedition vessels offer kayaking and camping as well.
We recommend that you select the style that will feel just right to you. The simpler ships do not necessarily offer lower rates so the style of ship may not determine your best value which varies from ship to ship.
Ship Size
The size of a ship does make a difference in Antarctica where, due to conservation guidelines, only 100 passengers can be on shore at one time. Ships that carry 100 passengers or fewer will take all passengers to shore at one time, while ships starting at 126 passengers are required to take passengers to shore in shifts. This works very well, however, as there's no waiting and you disembark when your group is called.
Half the passengers on a larger ship may have a Zodiac cruise around the shoreline while the other half explores a landing on foot, or vice-versa. This may shorten your shore visits from 2.5-3 hours to 2-2.5 hours per shore visit for the larger ships.
If having as much time on shore as possible to see the most wildlife you can is most important to you, you will want to select a ship carrying close to 100 passengers or fewer.
Let us help you
Planning a trip to Antarctica is exciting yet you may find yourself considering two or more ships that seem right for you. Let ExpeditionTrips take the guesswork out of selecting your Antarctica trip. Our company is a crossroads for information and we can help you select the trip that will offer the kind of experience you are seeking. We’ll help you select the perfect trip for your journey to the great White Continent!