Antarctic Expedition Cruise

Categories Winter & Spring Cruises Small Ship Cruises Antarctica Cruises Adventure & Eco Travel Cruises

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The Antarctic Peninsula offers you the most dramatic scenery and biggest variety of wildlife in Antarctica. In the southern summer large ice-free areas provide breeding grounds for very large numbers of seabirds and seals.

From King George Island and Penguin Island we will sail down to the beautiful Paradise Bay, where you can go ashore on the Antarctic mainland.

The narrow and spectacular Lemaire Channel is surrounded by mountains and glaciers and a popular passage for several species of whales journeying up and down the sheltered Antarctic Peninsula waterways. In the Antarctic Peninsula Minke Whales, the smallest of the rorqual whales, and ferocious-looking Leopard Seals are common.

Optional excursions available:

Hiking (no additional charge)

During hiking voyages we exceed on our normal shore excursion walking programme. In general we plan to offer 3 possibilities to become active ashore. There will be easy, moderate and more demanding walks on offer in the vicinity of the landing sites. There are walks on offer which suit everybody’s capability. In the Antarctic we are aiming at two hikes per day, each 2 - 3 hours long during morning and / or afternoon landings. The final decision on those hiking options will be met by the Expedition Leader on the day of excursion. We recommend to bring a proper pair of hiking boots and gaiters. Snowshoes will be provided (for hikers only) on board which fit all boot sizes and can be used in combination with rubber boots. Hiking is free of charge, more details in the activity manual and day by day programmes.

Kayaking (additional charge)

In general we plan to offer 4 kayak days at least. Basic kayak experience is required and physical fitness essential. Parallel to all other activities we are aiming at kayak excursions during morning and / or afternoon landings. The final decision on those excursions will be met by the Expedition Leader. Oceanwide will provide kayaks and neoprene wet suits. Kayakers will bring their personal gear. Kayaking is subject to weather and prevailing ice conditions.

Diving (additional charge)

Divers must be advanced and experienced in dry suit and cold water diving. We hope for 1-2 different dives per day parallel to all other activities. Diving depends on local ice and weather conditions. Dive masters and dive guides are responsible for safety during operation. Basic equipment is onboard (scuba tanks, compressors, weights and diving essentials. Divers bring their personal gear.

The February 27, 2012, departure will include "Basecamp Plancius".

“Base camp” is by definition a temporary storing and starting place, from which an activity starts, in this instance a “coast to mountain” expedition. During designated “Basecamp Plancius” voyages the ship will be taken to carefully chosen places in the Antarctic. The vessel will stay for two or three days at specific locations to serve our active passengers as a comfortable hub to allow more time than usual for wide ranging activities: mountaineers (M) and hikers (H) to climb mountain ranges, photographers (P) to explore photo opportunities, campers (C) to enjoy life at shore base camps, kayakers (K) and zodiac passengers to explore near shores where the ship cannot go. Passengers who do not wish to become physically active will enjoy our zodiac excursions and follow the normal shore program and land excursions (easy to moderate walks and hikes with focus on wildlife). We also offer photo workshops. All adventure activities are free of charge.

Itinerary

In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world located at the Beagle Channel and sail through this scenic waterway for the rest of the evening.

During the next two days we will sail across the Drake Passage. When we cross the Antarctic Convergence, we arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling zone. In this area we may meet Wandering Albatrosses, Grey Headed Albatrosses, Black-browed Albatrosses, Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses, Cape Pigeons, Southern Fulmars, Wilsons Storm Petrels, Blue Petrels and Antarctic Petrels. Near the South Shetland Islands, we glimpse at the first icebergs.

A typical itinerary in the Weddell Sea and Antarctic Peninsula could be as follows. This is a sample only, the final itinerary will be determined by the Expedition Leader on board.

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 to see the remains of the Nordenskiöld expedition, Seymour Island, where many fossils have been found, and Snow Hill Island, where polar expeditions as early as 1902 wintered. We might also visit Brown Bluff and further into the Weddell Sea area we may visit Devil Island and Vega Island with a large colony of Adelie Penguins and a magnificent view for those hikers who can make it to the top of the hill. Melting ice sometimes provides spectacular waterfall from the cliffs close to point ‘Well-Met’. Back through the Antarctic Sound we may visit the Argentinean station Esperanza on the Antarctic Continent. Watch out for stray Emperor penguins. There might be a chance to see one on an ice-floe. Onward to the West we’ll sail south and plan to offer a zodiac cruise around the rarely visited Astrolabe Island where Antarctic Fulmars, Chinstrap Penguins, Brown Skuas and Blue-eyed Shags breed and Weddell Seals and Antarctic Fur Seals haul out.

Time and conditions allowing we hope to sail to Neko Harbour and Paradise Bay to reach the southernmost area of our voyage, where we have again the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent in a magnificent landscape of huge glaciers. In this area we have good chances to see Humpback Whales and Minke Whales.

Deception Island is a huge volcano of which the crater opens into the sea, creating a natural harbour for the ship. Here we find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, Cape Pigeons and Dominican Gulls, Brown and South Polar Skuas and Antarctic Terns. Wilson’s Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm Petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay. We continue to Hannah Point, which has a very rich wildlife featuring Elephant Seals, Cape Pigeons, Southern Giant Petrels, Macaroni Penguins and Gentoo Penguins.

In the Drake Passage we have again a chance of seeing many seabirds.

We arrive in the morning and disembark

Notes