Itinerary

Day 1 - Ushuaia, Argentina
Arriving in Ushuaia the day before departure is highly recommended. We can assist with hotel arrangements if you need it. Transfer on your own to the dock. Boarding begins at 4pm from the southernmost city in the world nestled in the shadow of the Andes and right at the base of the Beagle Channel. We’ll sail through this scenic waterway during the afternoon.

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: dinner

Day 2 - The Southern Ocean
At sea, the ship is followed by several species of albatrosses, storm petrels, shearwaters and diving petrels.

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 - The Falkland Islands
In the Falkland Islands we plan to spend the whole day on the fascinating western side of the archipelago. A hike along the shore of Carcass Island will give us views of Magellanic and Gentoo-penguins, as well as close encounters with water fowl and night herons. In addition, on Saunders Island we will be able to observe rockhopper penguins, black-browed albatrosses and king cormorants.

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - Stanley, Falklands
In Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, we can experience true Falkland culture, which has some South American characteristics as well as Victorian charm. In the surrounding area we can see a number of stranded clipper ships from a century ago. Especially for the birders, we will also offer a three hour excursion outside Port Stanley.

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Days 5 & 6 - The Antarctic Convergence
At sea, on our way to South Georgia we will cross the Antarctic Convergence. Entering Antarctic waters, the temperature will drop as much as 10 degrees C in the time span of only a few hours. Near the Convergence we will see a multitude of southern seabirds near the ship: several species of albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, prions and skuas.

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Days 7-10 - South Georgia
In South Georgia we shall visit the bay of Elsehul, with its very active fur seal breeding beach, and then make our way to Right Whale Bay, Salisbury Plain, Gold Harbor and Cooper Bay to give you a good opportunity to see a wide spectrum of landscapes and wildlife such as elephant seals, king and macaroni penguins. At Fortuna Bay we might try to follow in the footsteps of the great British Explorer Ernest Shackleton and hike over to Stømness Bay. There and at Grytviken we’ll see abandoned whaling villages, where king penguins now walk in the streets and seals have taken over the buildings. At Grytviken we’ll also offer a visit to the Whaling History Museum as well as to Shackleton´s grave. One of the highlights might be our visit to Prion Island, where we will witness the breeding efforts of the huge Wandering Albatross.

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 11 - The Southern Ocean
At sea, we might encounter sea-ice, and it is at the ice-edge where we might have a chance to see some high-Antarctic species like the Maccormick skua, snow petrel and the elusive emperor penguin.

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 12 - South Orkney Islands
We are aiming for a visit at Orcadas station, an Argentinean base located in the South Orkney Islands. The friendly base personnel will show us their facilities and we can enjoy the wonderful views of the surrounding glaciers.

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 13 - Southern Ocean - Weddell Sea
At sea

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Days 14–16 - Antarctic Peninsula
We will sail into the Weddell Sea through the ice-clogged Antarctic Sound. Huge tabular icebergs will announce our arrival to the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. We plan to visit Paulet Island with a million pairs of adelie penguins and the remains of the Nordenskiöld expedition. At Brown Bluff we can put our feet on the continent of Antarctica!

At Deception Island, we will try to land at Baily Head, home to a colony of chinstrap penguins. Deception itself is a subducted crater, which opens into the sea, creating a natural harbor for the ship. Here we find hot springs, and an abandoned whaling station. Good walkers may hike from Baily Head over the ridge of the crater into Whalers Bay, while our ship braves its entrance into the crater through the spectacular 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 sheathbills, Antarctic terns and Antarctic brown skuas.

On our way west, we sail to Cuverville Island, a small precipitous island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula. It contains a large colony of gentoo penguins and breeding pairs of brown skuas. From there we sail to Neko Harbour in Andvord Bay and through Paradise Bay with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, with the chance of seeing whales. We will have opportunities for zodiac cruising between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords.

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Days 17-18 - The Drake Passage
The journey continues back across the Drake where we have time to reflect on what we have experienced, looking through our photos and talking with the naturalists about all the wildlife and history of Antarctica.

Accommodations: M/V Plancius or M/V Ortelius
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 19 - Ushuaia, Argentina
We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast

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