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Itinerary
Antarctica and the Polar Circle by Small Ship
12 days - Feb-Mar - From US $ 6,250
DISCLAIMER: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.
Season: February 2007-March 2007
Day 1: In the afternoon, you will embark in Ushuaia and sail through the Beagle Channel.
Day 2-3: During these two days, the ship will sail across the Drake Passage. After crossing the Antarctic Convergence, you will arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling zone. In this area you may meet wandering albatrosses, grey headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels and Antarctic petrels. Near the South Shetland Islands, you can see the first icebergs.
Day 4-9: The ship may land at Hannah Point, where you can see a nice variety of gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels, and elephant seals that haul out onto the beach. At Deception Island, the ship will try to land at Baily Head, home to a colony of thousands of chinstrap penguins. Deception Island is a sub ducted crater which opens into the sea, creating a natural harbor for the ship. Here, you will find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of cape pigeons, many 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. Good walkers may hike from Baily Head over the ridge of the crater and into Whalers Bay, while the ship makes its entrance into the crater through the spectacular Neptune´s Bellow and into the ring of Deception Island.
On your way south, you will sail through the Gerlache Strait and will have a great chance to see many humpback and minke whales. At Neko Harbor and Paradise Bay, with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, you will have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent. You will also have the opportunity for a zodiac cruise between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords.
The ship will sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island which offers Adelie penguins and blue-eyed shags. An attempt will be made to land at Pleneau Island, home to elephant seals and a fair chance to encounter humpback, minke and fin whales.
The ship will then head south along the Argentine Islands to Crystal Sound, south of the polar circle. The landscape here is very impressive, with high mountains and huge glaciers. At the Fish Islands, the ship will land at one of the southernmost Adelie penguin and blue-eyed shag colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula.
At Detaille Island, south of the Polar Circle in Crystal Sound, you will reach what will probably be the farthest south point of the journey. Sailing north through Neumayer Channel and Gerlache Strait, you will arrive at Inverleith Harbor, where you may have your last zodiac cruise of the voyage.
Day 10-11: In the Drake Passage, you will again have the chance to see many seabirds and to take advantage of the knowledge of the ship’s lecture team.
Day 12: You will arrive in Ushuaia in the morning and disembark.
Season: February 2008-March 2008
Day 1: In the afternoon, you will board the Aleksey Maryshev in Ushuaia and sail through the Beagle Channel.
Day 2-3: During these two days you will sail across the Drake Passage, eventually crossing the Antarctic Convergence and arriving in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. In this area, you may see wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels and Antarctic petrels.
If the winds are favorable, the ship might make its first landing in Antarctic waters during the evening of the third day at Aitcho Island or Penguin Island in the South Shetlands. These volcanic islands are windswept and often shrouded in mist and fog, but do offer subtle pleasures. They contain a nice variety of flora (mosses, lichens and flowering grasses) and fauna such as gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins and southern giant petrels.
Day 4-9: You may start your first day in Antarctica with a landing at Hannah Point, where you will find a nice variety of gentoo and chinstrap penguins, southern petrels, and elephant seals hauling out on the beach.
At Deception Island, the ship will try to land at Baily Head, home to a colony of thousands of chinstrap penguins. Deception Island is a sub ducted crater, which opens into the sea, creating a natural harbor for the ship. Here, you will find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of cape pigeons, many 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. Good walkers will have the chance to hike from Baily Head, over the ridge of the crater, and into Whalers Bay; the ship will make its entrance into the crater through the spectacular Neptune's Bellow and into the ring of Deception Island.
As the ship sails farther south, you will come upon the Orne Islands, with large colonies of chinstrap penguins and a beautiful view across the Gerlache Strait. The ship may also call at Cuverville Island, a small precipitous island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Danco Island. Here, you will find a large colony of gentoo penguins and breeding pairs of brown skuas.
In Neko Harbor and Paradise Bay, with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, you will have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic continent. You will also have the chance to indulge in some zodiac cruising between the icebergs in the inner part of the fjords.
The adventure will continue as you sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island, where you will see Adelie penguins and blue-eyed shags. The captain will try to land at Pleneau Island, home to elephant seals. In this area there will be a good chance to see humpback whales, minke whales, and fin whales.
The ship will then head south along the Argentine Islands to Crystal Sound, south of the Polar Circle. The landscape is very impressive with its high mountains and huge glaciers. At the Fish Islands, you will land at one of the southernmost Adelie penguin and blue-eyed shag colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula. A base visit will also be provided to give you insight about the life of modern Antarcticans working on the White Continent.
At Detaille Island, south of the Polar Circle, in Crystal Sound you will reach the farthest point south.
Sailing north, again, through Neumayer Channel and Gerlache Strait, you will arrive at the Melchior Islands with their beautiful landscape. Again, there will be the possibility of taking a zodiac cruise among the icebergs, where you may encounter leopard seals, crabeater seals and whales.
Day 10-11: You will have the opportunity to see many seabirds as the ship sails through the Drake Passage.
Day 12: You will arrive at Ushuaia in the morning and disembark.
Please note that some dates of travel allow for the opportunity to scuba dive in the Antarctic waters. Please check the dates and prices section for more information.
Season: February 2007-March 2007
Day 1: In the afternoon, you will embark in Ushuaia and sail through the Beagle Channel.
Day 2-3: During these two days, the ship will sail across the Drake Passage. After crossing the Antarctic Convergence, you will arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling zone. In this area you may meet wandering albatrosses, grey headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels and Antarctic petrels. Near the South Shetland Islands, you can see the first icebergs.
Day 4-9: The ship may land at Hannah Point, where you can see a nice variety of gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels, and elephant seals that haul out onto the beach. At Deception Island, the ship will try to land at Baily Head, home to a colony of thousands of chinstrap penguins. Deception Island is a sub ducted crater which opens into the sea, creating a natural harbor for the ship. Here, you will find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of cape pigeons, many 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. Good walkers may hike from Baily Head over the ridge of the crater and into Whalers Bay, while the ship makes its entrance into the crater through the spectacular Neptune´s Bellow and into the ring of Deception Island.
On your way south, you will sail through the Gerlache Strait and will have a great chance to see many humpback and minke whales. At Neko Harbor and Paradise Bay, with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, you will have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent. You will also have the opportunity for a zodiac cruise between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords.
The ship will sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island which offers Adelie penguins and blue-eyed shags. An attempt will be made to land at Pleneau Island, home to elephant seals and a fair chance to encounter humpback, minke and fin whales.
The ship will then head south along the Argentine Islands to Crystal Sound, south of the polar circle. The landscape here is very impressive, with high mountains and huge glaciers. At the Fish Islands, the ship will land at one of the southernmost Adelie penguin and blue-eyed shag colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula.
At Detaille Island, south of the Polar Circle in Crystal Sound, you will reach what will probably be the farthest south point of the journey. Sailing north through Neumayer Channel and Gerlache Strait, you will arrive at Inverleith Harbor, where you may have your last zodiac cruise of the voyage.
Day 10-11: In the Drake Passage, you will again have the chance to see many seabirds and to take advantage of the knowledge of the ship’s lecture team.
Day 12: You will arrive in Ushuaia in the morning and disembark.
Season: February 2008-March 2008
Day 1: In the afternoon, you will board the Aleksey Maryshev in Ushuaia and sail through the Beagle Channel.
Day 2-3: During these two days you will sail across the Drake Passage, eventually crossing the Antarctic Convergence and arriving in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. In this area, you may see wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels and Antarctic petrels.
If the winds are favorable, the ship might make its first landing in Antarctic waters during the evening of the third day at Aitcho Island or Penguin Island in the South Shetlands. These volcanic islands are windswept and often shrouded in mist and fog, but do offer subtle pleasures. They contain a nice variety of flora (mosses, lichens and flowering grasses) and fauna such as gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins and southern giant petrels.
Day 4-9: You may start your first day in Antarctica with a landing at Hannah Point, where you will find a nice variety of gentoo and chinstrap penguins, southern petrels, and elephant seals hauling out on the beach.
At Deception Island, the ship will try to land at Baily Head, home to a colony of thousands of chinstrap penguins. Deception Island is a sub ducted crater, which opens into the sea, creating a natural harbor for the ship. Here, you will find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of cape pigeons, many 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. Good walkers will have the chance to hike from Baily Head, over the ridge of the crater, and into Whalers Bay; the ship will make its entrance into the crater through the spectacular Neptune's Bellow and into the ring of Deception Island.
As the ship sails farther south, you will come upon the Orne Islands, with large colonies of chinstrap penguins and a beautiful view across the Gerlache Strait. The ship may also call at Cuverville Island, a small precipitous island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Danco Island. Here, you will find a large colony of gentoo penguins and breeding pairs of brown skuas.
In Neko Harbor and Paradise Bay, with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, you will have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic continent. You will also have the chance to indulge in some zodiac cruising between the icebergs in the inner part of the fjords.
The adventure will continue as you sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island, where you will see Adelie penguins and blue-eyed shags. The captain will try to land at Pleneau Island, home to elephant seals. In this area there will be a good chance to see humpback whales, minke whales, and fin whales.
The ship will then head south along the Argentine Islands to Crystal Sound, south of the Polar Circle. The landscape is very impressive with its high mountains and huge glaciers. At the Fish Islands, you will land at one of the southernmost Adelie penguin and blue-eyed shag colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula. A base visit will also be provided to give you insight about the life of modern Antarcticans working on the White Continent.
At Detaille Island, south of the Polar Circle, in Crystal Sound you will reach the farthest point south.
Sailing north, again, through Neumayer Channel and Gerlache Strait, you will arrive at the Melchior Islands with their beautiful landscape. Again, there will be the possibility of taking a zodiac cruise among the icebergs, where you may encounter leopard seals, crabeater seals and whales.
Day 10-11: You will have the opportunity to see many seabirds as the ship sails through the Drake Passage.
Day 12: You will arrive at Ushuaia in the morning and disembark.
Please note that some dates of travel allow for the opportunity to scuba dive in the Antarctic waters. Please check the dates and prices section for more information.
