Antarctica Holiday Information

The Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are less than two days’ sailing across the Drake Passage from mainland South America and Ushuaia, the southernmost town in Argentina. The Drake Passage is named after the 16th century British explorer, Sir Francis Drake. It is one of the most notorious stretches of water in the world, where the relatively warm waters of the Atlantic meet the colder waters of the Southern Ocean. Weather here is unpredictable and the sea can be calm or whipped up to gale force, even in the summer months. Crossing the passage can be a memorable adventure in its own right.

The Peninsula has relatively mild weather conditions with temperatures as high as 15 degrees Celsius and, in the summer, up to 24 hours daylight. This mild climate, combined with rich, cold seas, leads to a proliferation of wildlife in the spring and summer months with countless birds, pinnipeds and cetaceans taking advantage of the wealth of food resources from the sea.

Antarctica Wildlife

Antarctica offers fantastic possibilities for viewing wildlife. Whales and dolphins can be seen in all the region’s waters and, for those sailing out of the Beagle Channel, the first will be encountered during the Drake Passage crossing. There are good chances of seeing whales at any time, but later in the season, more can be found as they come south to feed. Penguins are Antarctica’s iconic birds and several varieties can be found on land, on the ice and often swimming miles from anywhere. Apart from penguins, the region is a birdwatcher’s paradise, with scores of rare and even unique species.

More information about Antarctica wildlife can be found on our wildlife pages and also on the British Antarctic Survey website

Activities, Adventure & Excursions

The more adventurous of you may want to enjoy the Antarctic in a more personal and 'up-close' manner. If you fall into this category, then we offer the following Antarctic excursions:

• Sea Kayaking in Antarctica
• Scuba Diving in Antarctica
• Camping in Antarctica
• Antarctic Shore Excursions
• Antarctic Photography Excursions
• Antarctic Group Excursions

Antarctica Expeditions

Our vast experience in the Antarctic cruise and expedition market enables us to provide you with the information you require before you start your adventure. Read our 'Essential Information' section which offers a complete guide to create the perfect Antarctic expedition. If you want to know about what you can expect during A 'Typical' Day On Board, please read our 'Life on Board' section.
Essential Info Life on board Luxury

• Cook, 1770-1775: Circumnavigated Antarctica and crossed the Antarctic Circle three times.
• Palmer and Powell, 1820: Mapped and explored the South Shetland Islands and the South Orkney Islands.
• Bellingshausen, 1819-1821: Second man to circumnavigate Antarctica.
• Weddell, 1820-1824: Reached a new record south, to later have the Weddell Sea named after him.
• Biscoe, 1830-1832: Explored the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.
• D’Urville, 1837- 1840: The first to sail to the continent from Europe.
• Wilkes, 1838-1841: The first investigator to insist Antarctica was a continent.
• Ross, 1839-1843: Discovered an enormous cliff of ice, with walls up to 60 metres above the sea, later called the Ross Ice Shelf.

• De Gerlache, 1897: Ship became imprisoned in the ice, the first winter humans spent in Antarctica.
• Scott’s Discovery Expedition, 1901.
• Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition, 1908-1909: Managed to reach a point within 180 kms of the pole.
• Amundsen, 1910: Reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911.
• Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition, 1910: Reached the South Pole on January 17, 1912, to find Amundsen had beaten them by 33 days.
• Shackelton’s Endurance Expedition, 1914: After their boat sank, Shackleton and his men lived on the floating pack-ice for 5 months, but not one soul was lost.

There are few places on Earth where there has never been war, where the environment is fully protected, and where scientific research has priority. The whole of the Antarctic continent is like this. A land which the Antarctic Treaty parties call a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science.

The Treaty covers the area south of 60°S latitude. Its objectives are simple yet unique in international relations.
They are:

• To demilitarise Antarctica, to establish it as a zone free of nuclear tests and the disposal of radioactive waste, and to ensure that it is used for peaceful purposes only;
• To promote international scientific cooperation in Antarctica;
• To set aside disputes over territorial sovereignty.

The treaty remains in force indefinitely. The success of the treaty has been the growth in membership. Forty six countries, comprising around 80% of the world’s population, have acceded to it. Consultative (voting) status is open to all countries who have demonstrated their commitment to the Antarctic by conducting significant research.

With the signing of the Protocol of Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty it is hoped that Antarctica will remain a wonder for those who set foot there, a dream for those who have yet to venture there and a source of inspiration and hope for humans. The Antarctic Treaty came into force on 23 June 1961 after ratification by the twelve countries then active in Antarctic science.

More information on Antarctica and the Antarctic Treaty can be found online on the website of the British Antarctic Survey

Antarctica - Quick Facts

• Geographic Size: 14,000,000 sq. kilometres
• Contains nearly 70% of the world’s fresh water
• Has the highest average elevation of all continents, around 2,250 metres (mainly due to the thick layer of ice)

Further information on Antarctica can be found on Wikipedia and a number of other online sources, including the British Antarctic Survey Website