Antarctic Circle and Deep South

Antarctic Circle and Deep South 12 days

Prices From £9,579pp

20 FEB, 2018 | Up to 10 nights

Antarctic Circle and Deep South 12 days

This Antarctic expedition plans to achieve the objective of the Antarctic Circle in just a few days. We use our time efficiently, by flying the Drake and embarking at King George Island .On the way south, we then enjoy days of off-ship exploration along the Antarctic Peninsula, visiting a large number of landing sites and cruising among the ice floes in our Zodiac boats. Crossing south to Antarctica we witness the magnificent pelagic seabirds of the southern region, including the giant wandering albatross.

Highlights

Cross the Antarctic Circle
Spectacular scenery
Amazing marine wildlife
Myriad birdlife
Fly the Drake

What's Included

Flight from Punta Arenas
Full board accommodation on board ship
Loan of waterproof boots
All zodiac excursions and landings
Programme of expert lectures

So much to experience

Our popularitinerary Suggestions

All our itinerary holidays are fully customisable

1Day

Punta Arenas to King George Island

Our journey commences this morning in the southern Chilean port city of Punta Arenas. We gather at a central location and transfer to the airport for the two-hour flight across the Drake Passage to Antarctica (this is included in the price of your voyage). Upon arrival at King George Island, we embark our ship via Zodiac. After settling into our cabins and exploring our new surroundings, we meet our expedition team and set sail

2-6Days

Antarctic Peninsula

Having crossed the broad expanse of the Bransfield Strait overnight, we wake to see the towering peaks of the Antarctic continent for the very first time. We push southwards, navigating to our ultimate objective below the Antarctic Circle. There is much to see and experience on our way south. We will be opportunistic, making shore landings in locations that provide great wildlife encounters, or the chance to stretch our legs on a short or long hike, such as Port Charcot. There are several locations in the Fish and Argentine Island archipelagos, which allow for Zodiac cruising and potential shore landings. We hope to visit a working scientific base (Vernadsky Station), to learn of the important climate-related research, which is ongoing. A hike over the snowy saddle of nearby Winter Island allows us to hike and explore the old British Antarctic Survey hut - Wordie House – situated on the site of Rymill’s BGLE Northern Base from the 1930’s. Petermann Island is home to a substantial Adelie penguin rookery. The view to the north, of Mount Shackleton and Mount Scott is impressive. These towering granite sentinels mark the southern entrance to the Lemaire Channel. Nearby Pleneau Island offers more opportunities for shore landings. Just off shore, in the shallow waters of the Penola Strait, massive icebergs run aground. Constant wind and wave action sculpt these gargantuan chunks of ice into fantastic shapes, revealing more shades of blue than you could ever imagine. For many, a Zodiac cruise here will be a highlight of the voyage. It is somewhere in this vicinity we hope to spend a night ashore camping for those interested, if weather conditions permit.

7- 9Days

Detaille Island, Martha Strait, Marguerite Bay

Given optimal ice conditions, we aim to sail south of the Antarctic Circle. A favoured landing site here is Detaille Island, home to an abandoned British science hut. We are at the mercy of prevailing ice conditions navigating even further south. Years of experience tell us that late February gives us our best chance of reaching Marguerite Bay. We may take the ‘shortcut’, through a narrow channel known as 'the Gullet' if the passage is ice-free. Otherwise, we could navigate around the outside of Adelaide Island - which will take more time, yet bring us to the same destination. Marguerite Bay is home to several important science bases - Rothera (UK), San Martin (Argentina), Carvajal (Chile) and features rich history. We hope to make a visit to at least one of these locations.

10-11Days

Drake Passage

As we make our way back to South America, the educational presentations continue and we enjoy an

entertaining and memorable voyage recap by our Expedition Leader. Join our photography experts in the

multimedia room and download and back up your precious images. If weather conditions allow, we hope to make a rounding of Cape Horn. This fabled stretch of water is home to legendary tales of exploration and early navigation. It’s a fitting place to reflect on a wonderful expedition.

12Day

Ushuaia

Arrive in the morning and disembark. Transport to airport or city hotels.

See All Itinerary

A view from Above

All Aboard

Adventure vessel

Akademik Sergey Vavilov

Built in Finland in 1988 as a Russian polar research vessel, the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, was operating as One Ocean Voyager until recently, is a comfortable, stable, ice-strengthened ship with all the facilities for modern expedition cruising. There is a mixture of suites and cabins, all with windows or portholes and some with private facilities. Public areas include dining room, lounge, bar, library with forward facing windows, multi-media room with Apple Mac computers and photo management software, presentation room, mud room, passenger lift and gift shop. There is also a wellness centre, sauna, spa, salt-water plunge pool, fitness room and infirmary. Along with plenty of open deck space, there is a top deck with 360degrees views and a small observatory with spotting scope. The ship has an open-bridge policy.

we work hard to earn passionate reviews from our clients.

4.9

44 Google reviews

Now that I am back from my odyssey voyage, I thought I would let you know that after all that planning it really did exceed my expectations – we managed landings everywhere even on Tristan da Cuhna and had great bird sightings. The guides all knew what they were talking about too and made sure I got some great photos – still sorting them all out! Thanks for everything and see you at Birdfair!

Dave Martin

I want to thank you for all you did to make my recent Falklands trip run so smoothly and comfortably. Thank you for all your help over the diet too.

Dr Lorna Mairs

Just a quick note to express my sincere thanks to you and all your staff for making this an epic adventure of immense proportions. Everything went smoothly, pickups, hotels and most of all the expedition itself. Truly a mind blowing experience unlike any I have ever taken.

Mr J Borg, Malta

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Take advantage of our vast experience, passion and expertise to help you hand craft the perfect Antarctica adventure for you.

Amy Lucas Travel Specialist

Having amassed a host of extraordinary adventures in destinations all over the world, Amy’s experience, skills and enthusiasm for helping clients plan their ideal itinerary will help make your holiday unforgettable, action packed and life-changing.

Simon Rowland Senior Travel Expert

With a lifetime of unforgettable nature and adventure based travel under his belt, Simon shares his passion, enthusiasm and hands-on experience to help create the perfect itinerary for every client.

Michael Gardiner Senior Travel Expert

Mike has more than 15 years of experience in the travel industry and continues to be inspired by the people, places and wildlife he discovers. His in-depth personal knowledge of a diverse range of destinations ensures your adventure itinerary will be a holiday like no other.

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Antarctic Circle and Deep South