Expedition cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands
12 Días / 11 Noches
Ushuaia - Antarctica Cruise - Drake Passage - Shetland Island
USD 5475
Our itineraries are expertly planned to take best advantage of the amazing wildlife and spectacular scenery during each part of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic season.
Arrival at Ushuaia airport and transfer to your accommodation. Rest of the day at leisure.
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.
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.
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.
Exquisite beauty and pristine landscapes await you on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. We hope to navigate through some of the most stunning waterways in the region, including the Gerlache Strait, Errera Channel, Neumayer Channel, and the incredibly narrow Lemaire Channel.
Potential landing sites may include Paradise Bay and Cuverville Island, home to the largest colony of Gentoo penguins on the Peninsula.
As our exploration takes us further south beyond the Lemaire Channel in search of the Antarctic Circle, we may also visit the Ukrainian Vernadsky Station, the former British Faraday Base, where the ozone hole was first detected, the rugged Yalour Islands, and Detaille Island, located south of the Antarctic Circle.
On our way north, we plan to explore the South Shetland Islands.
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.
We arrive at the port of Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark after breakfast.
After arrival transfer to your accommodation.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to board your return flight.
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