Exploring the Weddell Sea

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

Vast tabular icebergs dominate this remarkable region, having broken away from the Larsen, Ronne and Filchner ice shelves. Depending on the season, the Erebus & Terror Gulf and Weddell Sea may be filled with one-year and multi-year sea ice, creating an ever-changing panorama of rugged ice scenery and memorable ice navigation. Early mornings on deck can reward you with extraordinary sunrises as Snow Petrels and Pintado Petrels glide over the frozen landscape. Our route may take us through the Antarctic Sound, a 30 mile (48 km) passage that stretches northwest to southeast between 7 and 12 miles (11 and 19 km) wide. Conditions permitting, possible landing sites include Hope Bay, home to the Argentine Station Esperanza, and Brown Bluff on the Tabarin Peninsula. The Weddell Sea is at the heart of the Antarctic Peninsula's Adélie penguin population. Devil Island, Paulet Island and other landing sites offer opportunities to witness impressive penguin colonies, while juvenile Emperor Penguins are occasionally seen resting on drifting ice floes. This region is also rich in Antarctic exploration history. Hope Bay, Paulet Island, Snow Hill Island and Cape Well-Met on Vega Island are all linked to the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901–03, led by geologist Otto Nordenskjöld. After their ship, Antarctic, commanded by Carl Anton Larsen, became trapped in the ice and sank, members of the expedition survived in separate locations and continued significant scientific research. Throughout the voyage, your expedition team will share the remarkable story of this pioneering expedition.

Meals:  B,L,D

The Antarctic Peninsula combines spectacular scenery with a remarkable history that echoes the achievements of the early explorers. You'll have time to experience its pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways while watching for Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins, seabirds, Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals, as well as Minke whales and orcas. During the voyage, we hope to navigate some of the region's most beautiful waterways, including the Gerlache Strait, Errera Channel and Neumayer Channel. Possible landing sites include Paradise Bay, renowned for its impressive glacial fronts and mountain scenery; Cuverville Island, home to the Peninsula's largest Gentoo Penguin colony, surrounded by glaciers and castellated icebergs; and Port Lockroy, home to the British Museum and Post Office. Further exploration takes us to the South Shetland Islands, a volcanic archipelago that is a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries and seals hauled out along the shoreline make every visit memorable. We also plan to sail through the narrow entrance into the flooded caldera of Deception Island, the largest of three recent volcanic centres in the South Shetland Islands. Once inside, you can walk up the black, cinder-covered volcanic rim to a spectacular vantage point. We also aim to visit the crescent-shaped Half Moon Island, at the entrance to Moon Bay between Greenwich and Livingston Islands, where Chinstrap Penguins inhabit breathtaking surroundings.

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