Antarctica
Weddell Sea
Antarctica
Antarctica
Free polar activities (kayaking, hiking, photo workshop)
The best activity voyage in the iconic Weddell Sea
Duration: 13 days
Starts: Ushuaia
Ends: Ushuaia
Language: English Speaking Voyage
Ask about optional activities available for different dates.
A fuel surcharge of €25 (EUR) or $29 (USD) per passenger and per night will apply to all existing and new bookings.
Shore Excursion More info about this activity
Shore excursions are the backbone of almost all itineraries, with most ships making landfall at least once every day once they reach their destination. The weather plays a huge role in your daily itinerary, although given the sheer array of fantastic landing sites all over there are plenty of options your Captain and Expedition Leader can choose from. On-shore excursions allow you to visit scientific research stations, communities, prominent wildlife colonies and take hikes to elevated viewing points for fantastic photography.
Zodiac cruising More info about this activity
On board the Zodiac you will discover a world of possibilities; accessing the most exclusive landing sites, cruising the coast in search of wildlife or simply enjoying a tour in the calm of the polar regions in search of marine wildlife or bird colonies.
The blue ice an its intimate presence is experienced at its best on zodiac tours.
It is not uncommon to meet curious seals, or humpback whales feeding.
Enrichment Program More info about this activity
Expedition cruising must be one of the most incredible ways of travelling. Not only for the amazing places you visit and the unforgetable wildlife but for the wildlife, the sensory overload and the unimaginable memories.
But all of this needs a context in order to understand where you are and what you are experiencing.
On board your expedition vessell you will find a group of experts, naturalists, zodiac drivers and guides that that will translate the language of nature for you, telling you the stories of the places you are visiting, reviewing the historical, biological, ecological and geological aspects of your trips.
You will experience first hand what surrounds you and arrive back home wiser and loaded with new knowledge.
Ship Cruise More info about this activity
Not only we travel from one point to another and find our shelter on board the ship we chose. We also enjoy from incredible scenery, landscapes and interactions that only our noble vessel can provide.
Everyday the Bridge Team navigates the ship to position ourselves on the best posible spots, looking for unique opportunities.
Many times, this includes sainig through narrow passages, on the vicinity of glaciers or entering bays and fjords only approachable from the ship.
Enjoy this incredible places from the comfort of the common areas on board, open decks or your own private balcony!
Photo Workshop More info about this activity
The photography workshops are composed of onboard lectures and practical activities led by dedicated expedition guide. Each session is meant to give you additional skills you can put into immediate practice out in nature.
You'll become more familiar with your own camera equipment while also learning best practices for taking pictures of moving wildlife and wide-open terrain in typical polar conditions, such as dim lighting and falling snow.
Snow Shoeing More info about this activity
This popular alpine activity is easy to learn. No experience is necessary – all you need is a willingness to try. All training is provided and our team of guides will have you trained and ready to go in no more than half an hour.
Participants should be confident in their footing and have an average level of fitness – outings may be up to three hours in duration. Those who enjoy hiking trails or taking long walks at home will possess enough fitness to enjoy this activity. As with any other activity, you will get more enjoyment out of it with some preparation in advance, such as long walks with uphill sections or bike riding.
In Antarctica, the longest hike can be 2-3 hours long, while in the Arctic it can be a full day tour.
Camping More info about this activity
Camp ashore in Antarctica!
After dinner, you’ll leave your cruise ship and zip ashore via a Zodiac. An experienced guide will choose the campsite spot and instruct everybody in how to set up their tents and sleeping bags. The next morning everybody will help to break down the camp, making sure that no gear or garbage gets left behind, and clean the camping gear. The location for camps and the number of camp nights offered depends on the operator, weather and location of the ship.
Kayaking More info about this activity
The experience of sea kayaking in the humbling wilderness of Antarctica or the Arctic is guaranteed to stir your soul.
Sea kayaking is one of the highlights for any Polar Traveller, providing ice and weather conditions are assessed as safe by your Expedition Team.
This activity requires previous kayaking experience.
Mountaineering More info about this activity
Most of the alpine peaks we climb are non-technical and can usually be attempted by people with limited experience, although some degree of knowledge is usually needed.
Climbing sessions can go from 4 to 10 hours long, and all of the needed gear will be provided by the operator. (ropes, crampons, ice axes, etc. Personal gear is not included)
Hiking More info about this activity
Hiking options include very easy beach hikes (good for photographers who need time for photography), easier short hikes, medium-difficulty extended hikes, and more challenging long hikes.
The Weddell Sea Explorer Basecamp voyage offers you a myriad of ways to explore and enjoy the wildlife-rich Weddell Sea. During this expedition in one of the most remote regions of the world, we will do all kinds of activities such as kayaking and a photography workshop. We also hope to hike and even mountaineering or camping if possible. Given the location and time of year, all these activities depend on weather, ice and wildlife conditions. If some activities prove impossible, they will be replaced by other activities and landings. This trip is a true expedition for the real adventurers.
PLEASE NOTE: All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. Landings are subject to site availabilities, permissions, and environmental concerns per IAATO regulations. Official sailing plans and landing slots are scheduled with IAATO prior to the start of the season, but the expedition leader determines the final plan. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. The average cruising speed of our vessel is 10.5 knots.
Day 1: End of the world, start of a journey
Our voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening.
Day 2 – 3: Path of the polar explorers
Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, we enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale spouting sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape petrels, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.
Day 4-10: Entering the Weddell Sea
The great Weddell Sea features massive tabular icebergs, wildly dramatic landscapes, and fascinating historical sites. It is also one of the best places in Antarctica for viewing iconic wildlife like whales, seals, and rarely seen seabirds.
We may visit the following locations, depending on local conditions:
Antarctic Sound - Antarctic Sound is nicknamed “Iceberg Alley,” as we often see enormous tabular icebergs here.
Brown Bluff - Possibly the most scenic location in the northern Antarctic Continent, Brown Bluff is characterized by sheer canyon walls, fallen boulders, and beautiful volcanic creations capped with ice.
Herbert Sound - We will focus our attention on the visually impressive areas of Naze Peninsula and Comb Ridge.
Devil Island - This island offers a magnificent vantage point for hikers willing to foot it to the top of the hill. Melting ice sometimes forms a waterfall dropping from the cliffs close to Cape Well-met.
Erebus and Terror Gulf - Here we look for new activity opportunities and may visit Vega Island, experiencing the wilderness of Antarctica in its most remote places.
Day 11 – 12: Familiar seas, familiar friends
Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, we are again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.
Day 13: There and back again
Every adventure, no matter how great, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia with memories that will accompany you wherever your next journey leads.
Day 1: End of the world, start of a journey
Our voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening.
Day 2 – 3: Path of the polar explorers
Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, we enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale spouting sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape petrels, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.
Day 4-10: Entering the Weddell Sea
The great Weddell Sea features massive tabular icebergs, wildly dramatic landscapes, and fascinating historical sites. It is also one of the best places in Antarctica for viewing iconic wildlife like whales, seals, and rarely seen seabirds.
We may visit the following locations, depending on local conditions:
Antarctic Sound - Antarctic Sound is nicknamed “Iceberg Alley,” as we often see enormous tabular icebergs here.
Brown Bluff - Possibly the most scenic location in the northern Antarctic Continent, Brown Bluff is characterized by sheer canyon walls, fallen boulders, and beautiful volcanic creations capped with ice.
Herbert Sound - We will focus our attention on the visually impressive areas of Naze Peninsula and Comb Ridge.
Devil Island - This island offers a magnificent vantage point for hikers willing to foot it to the top of the hill. Melting ice sometimes forms a waterfall dropping from the cliffs close to Cape Well-met.
Erebus and Terror Gulf - Here we look for new activity opportunities and may visit Vega Island, experiencing the wilderness of Antarctica in its most remote places.
Day 11 – 12: Familiar seas, familiar friends
Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, we are again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.
Day 13: There and back again
Every adventure, no matter how great, must eventually come to an end. It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia with memories that will accompany you wherever your next journey leads.
INCLUSIONS
Cruise aboard the vessel specified in the itinerary
All meals during the cruise, including snacks, coffee and tea.
All shore excursions and activities during the Zodiac trips.
A programme of talks led by leading naturalists and experienced expedition guides.
Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
Luggage transfer from the collection point to the ship on the day of embarkation in Ushuaia.
Pre-arranged group transfer from the ship to the airport in Ushuaia (immediately after disembarkation).
All service charges and port fees throughout the programme.
Full pre-departure briefing materials.
On our ‘Basecamp’ departures, all activities on offer (including camping, kayaking, snowshoeing/hiking, mountaineering and photography workshops), as well as our standard shore excursions and Zodiac cruises, are free of charge.
EXCLUSIONS
Any airfares, whether for scheduled or charter flights
Arrangements before and after arrival on land.
Passport and visa fees.
Government arrival and departure taxes.
Meals ashore.
Luggage, cancellation and personal insurance (strongly recommended).
Excess baggage charges and all personal expenses, such as laundry, bar and beverage charges, and telecommunications charges.
The customary tip at the end of the trip for waiters and other on-board service staff (guidelines will be provided).
A fuel surcharge of €25 (EUR) or $29 (USD) per passenger and per night will apply to all existing and new bookings.
This cabin is suitable for families traveling with children, or passengers who do not require a twin or more luxurious cabin.
This cabin is suitable for families traveling with children, or passengers who do not require a twin or more luxurious cabin
Cabin size between 12,4 m² and 14,1 m²
2 portholes
2 upper / lower berths
Private shower & toilet
Desk & chair
Flatscreen TV
Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
Hair dryer
Safe deposit box
Ample storage space
2 portholes
2 lower berths
Private shower & toilet
Desk & chair
Flatscreen TV
Telephone
Hair dryer
Ample storage space
Cabin size between 11,4 m² and 15,1 m²
2 portholes
2 lower berths
Private shower & toilet
Desk & chair
Flatscreen TV
Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
Hair dryer
Safe deposit box
Ample storage space
Cabin size between 17,5 m² and 17,7 m²
2 windows
2 lower berths
Private shower & toilet
Desk & chair
Flatscreen TV
Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
Hair dryer
Safe deposit box
Ample storage space
Cabin size 17,7 m²
3 windows
2 lower berths
Private shower & toilet
Desk & chair
Small sofa
Refrigerator
Coffee & tea maker
Flatscreen TV
Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
Hair dryer
Safe deposit box
Ample storage space
Cabin size between 18,4 m² en 20,4 m²
2 windows (minimum)
1 double bed
1 single (sofa) bed
Private shower & toilet
Desk & chair
Flatscreen TV
Telephone & WiFi (supplemented)
Refrigerator
Coffee & tea maker
Hair dryer
Safe deposit box
Ample storage space
* The prices are per person in US Dollars, unless expressly specified in a different currency. In that case, payment will be in US dollars at the exchange rate of the day.
** Rates are correct at the time of publication. All prices will be re-confirmed by email at the time of booking.
NOTE: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy—and excitement—of expedition travel. When traveling in extremely remote regions, your expedition staff must allow the sea, the ice and the weather to guide route and itinerary details. This itinerary is a tentative outline of what you’ll experience on this voyage; please be aware that no specific itinerary can be guaranteed.
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USA
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Email:
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