Antarctic Odyssey

Embark the MV Ushuaia in the afternoon and meet your expedition and lecture staff. After you’ve settled into your cabin, join your fellow travellers for a welcome cocktail as we set sail along the iconic Beagle Channel, passing through the scenic Mackinlay Pass.

Meals:  D

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. As we sail across the passage, our lecturers will be out with you on deck to help in the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses, which follow in our wake. The MV Ushuaia's open bridge policy allows you to join our officers on the bridge and learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view. A full program of lectures will be offered as well. 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 on Day 3.

Meals:  B,L,D

The South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula offer an extraordinary combination of dramatic landscapes, remarkable wildlife and unforgettable expedition cruising. Towering glaciers, rugged mountain peaks and drifting icebergs create a spectacular backdrop as you explore one of the world's last great wildernesses. Sailing through breathtaking waterways such as the Gerlache Strait and the Lemaire Channel reveals ever-changing Antarctic scenery, while each day presents opportunities to encounter the region's abundant wildlife. Whether observing from the deck of the MV Ushuaia or during exhilarating Zodiac excursions, you are likely to see penguins, seals, whales and a wide variety of seabirds in their natural habitat. If conditions permit, we may visit the flooded volcanic caldera of Deception Island, while landings at remarkable locations such as Paradise Bay and Livingston Island allow you to experience Antarctica's pristine landscapes up close. We also hope to step ashore on the Antarctic continent itself, adding another memorable highlight to your journey. King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands, features colonies of nesting Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Blue-eyed Cormorants, Antarctic Terns and Southern Giant Petrels, and is home to scientific research stations operated by many different countries. Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins, along with southern elephant seals, await you on Livingston Island. The Antarctic Peninsula's remarkable history provides a sense of adventure often associated with the great polar explorers. You will have ample time to experience its spectacular scenery, a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways and to discover its incredible diversity of wildlife. Alongside penguins and seabirds, you are very likely to encounter Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals, as well as minke, killer (orca) and humpback whales at close range.

Meals:  B,L,D

We leave the Antarctic Peninsula behind and begin our voyage north across the Drake Passage towards Ushuaia. As we retrace the route of the early explorers, there will be plenty of time to relax on deck, reflect on the extraordinary experiences of the past days and continue searching for seabirds and whales that accompany the ship on its journey. Join our expedition team for a final series of engaging lectures and naturalist presentations, bringing your Antarctic adventure to a memorable conclusion before arriving back in Ushuaia.

Meals:  B,L,D

During the early morning we cruise up the Beagle Channel before quietly slipping into the port of Ushuaia. We arrive in the early morning and, after breakfast, disembark the MV Ushuaia, bringing our Antarctic expedition to a close. It is a busy time, with people saying farewell to our crew and to those who have shared the intensity of exploring this magnificent white wilderness. We head off in our different directions, hopefully with a newfound sense of the power of nature and memories of an extraordinary journey to the world's last great wilderness.

Meals:  B