Antarctica With The Urban Birder

Today is the first day of our adventure. As we board the vessel, in Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city at the tip of Argentina, and start to become familiar with'our home' for the next 13 days we cannot help but wonder about the exciting journey ahead of us. In the early evening, we set sail and begin our voyage leaving behind Ushuaia and charting a course through the Beagle Channel.

Crossing the Drake Passage, there is so much excitement in the air as we make our way ever closer to the white continent. Guests eagerly soak up the friendly atmosphere onboard, as our numerous Polar experts and educational professionals prepare us for our adventures with presentations and courses on everything Antarctic, from wildlife and history, to first aid and snow safety. Eventually, we will cross the Antarctic Convergence where we notice a distinct drop in temperature as we enter the waters of the Antarctic Ocean. Along the way, we will witness many spectacular sights from icebergs to an array of seabirds and even several whale species some of which are known on occasion to breach from the sea.

In the waterways of the Antarctic Peninsula, we make as much time as possible to explore by inflatable Zodiacs to incorporate our expedition goals and marvel up close at nature's glory. Planned excursions may include Neko Harbour, Wilhelmina Bay and the southerly Petermann Island, where we will observe Weddell, crabeater and elephant seals, skuas and other seabirds as well as a shocking abundance of penguins including some very large colonies of the comical Adelie penguin.

Amongst these varied landing sites and extraordinary bays for cruising, we find ourselves delving into our expedition field photography program as well as our hiking, snow shoeing, sea kayaking, and ski touring. Using the weather as our guide, we endeavour to extend ourselves beyond the standard limits of expedition cruising itineraries. With a flexible hospitality team we are able to spend more time onshore in our chosen environment to meet all of our expeditionary goals.

Once alongside the peninsula we plan to launch our overnight kayaking experience for two nights away from the ship. After packing the kayaks with the necessary gear for our adventure we leave the ship and paddle into our chosen destination. Once we land we expect to spend about 2/3 hours stretching our legs and exploring. Some of you may ascend to a walk-able summit to take in the views, and massive icebergs in every direction. We also look for a possible campsite and assemble our tents for the wonderful experience of overnight kayak camping in Antarctica.

Specifics for our ski touring program will depend on weather and avalanche safety. With our focus on the experience rather than the number of penguins we see, we have the flexibility to take our time to launch our outdoor pursuits in the right area for the required length of duration. We envisage the ability to offer a couple of ski touring options throughout the time in Antarctica.

As we leave this magical place and make our way north, heading again across the Antarctic Convergence and the Drake Passage before rounding Cape Horn, we have no doubt that time will be spent sharing and reflecting on the wonderful experiences of the last few days. This sailing time is optimal for reviewing your new-found 'field photography' skills and learning more from our onboard presentation staff and educational experts. Sailing up the Beagle Channel, we celebrate the conclusion of our Polar expedition with a special dinner onboard.

In the early morning, we will arrive back in Ushuaia. It is time to say farewell to your crew and fellow travellers. Guests will be transported to their hotels or to the airport for return flights home.