The unique highlight of this voyage to the Weddell Sea is the chance to visit, by helicopter, an emperor penguin colony, situated south of Snow Hill Island.
The remote eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the white continent’s hidden gems. A deeply incised, 2,000-kilometre wide bay takes its name from British sailor, James Weddell. Famed for its huge ice shelves and flat-topped icebergs, the Weddell Sea is the site of an upwelling of cold water from the ocean depths that provides food for any creature hardy enough to withstand the intense cold.
Once at the Weddell Sea, your vessel will be positioned to enable ship-to-shore helicopter transfers to Snow Hill Island, home of an emperor penguin colony. The landing point of the helicopters will be carefully chosen to ensure that the emperors are not disturbed or stressed by helicopter noise, and then you will walk around 45 minutes to the colony, culminating in a memorable rendezvous with these magnificent penguins.
Before making your way back through the Drake Passage to Ushuaia, you pay a visit to Deception Island, with its distinctive horse-shoe shape and large flooded caldera.
A typical Emperor Penguins itinerary is shown below, on board Ortelius. There is a slightly longer itinerary on board the Ultramarine, which is 14 days in duration and includes additional time to reach Snow Hill Island and see the remote emperor penguin colony. Please contact us for details.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Embark Ushuaia & set sail through the Beagle Channel
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Days 2-3
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Cross the Drake Passage & Antarctic Convergence
Over the next two days you will sail across the Drake Passage. When you cross the Antarctic Convergence, you arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling 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.
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Day 4:
Weddell Sea
Today should see you sailing into the Weddell Sea where you will see the huge tabular icebergs on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Subject to local conditions, the plan is to land on the Antarctic Continent at Brown Bluff.
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Days 5-6
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Weddell Sea: emperor penguins
The use of helicopters has a great advantage in the attempt to reach the emperor penguin colony, however as always the itinerary is ruled by weather conditions and ice. If conditions are favourable, you will spend the first two days in the emperor penguin rookery. The landing point of the helicopters will be carefully chosen and we will make sure that the emperors are not disturbed or stressed by helicopter noise. Therefore, after landing, you will continue your expedition on foot, and after around 45 minutes’ walking, you will experience the most memorable rendezvous with the magnificent emperor penguins.
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Day 7:
Weddell Sea
If conditions were favourable on both days 5 and 6, and visits to the emperor penguins were successful, today you visit Devil Island, home to a large colony of Adelie penguins and Brown Bluff, possibly the most scenic location in the entire northern tip of the Antarctic Continent, with its sheer canyon walls and volcanic landscape capped with ice. Other possibilities include Esperanza Base, an Argentine research station or Gourdin Island - chinstrap, gentoo, and Adélie penguins love this island!
If you did not reach the colony on one or two of the previous days, then an attempt will be made again today to do ship-to-shore helicopter flights to Snow Island.
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Day 8:
Deception Island
In the morning, sail to Deception Island, where the last landing of the voyage will be at Pendulum Cove or Whalers Bay. Deception is a sub-ducted crater, which opens into the sea, creating a natural harbour for the ship. Here you can find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of Cape pigeons and 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.
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Days 9-10
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Sail back across the Drake Passage
On the way north, the ship will again be followed by a great selection of seabirds while crossing the Drake Passage.
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Day 11:
Arrive in Ushuaia & disembark
Please note: Helicopters have a great advantage in being able to reach the emperor penguin colony, however their use is ruled by the forces of nature, ice and weather conditions. You will be in one of the world’s most remote areas and there are no guarantees - conditions may change rapidly, having an impact on helicopter operation.
OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS
To enhance your Antarctic adventure, why not extend your journey and discover more of South America’s natural and cultural wonders? Soak up the vibrant energy of
Buenos Aires, feel the spray of the mighty
Iguazú Falls, or explore the windswept wilderness of Patagonia. You could search for elusive pumas in
Torres del Paine or embark on a self-drive adventure through jaw-dropping Andean landscapes.
Ask us for ideas or more information on how to make the most of your time in the region.
EXPEDITION VESSEL
LUXURY VESSEL
