Classic Antarctica

In the afternoon, you board the USHUAIA and meet your expedition and lecture team. After settling into your cabin, you sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the picturesque Mackinlay Pass.

The Drake Passage, named after Sir Francis Drake, marks the Antarctic Convergence, where cold polar water sinks beneath warmer water, supporting the biodiversity of this region. Here, a variety of albatrosses follow the ship. The USHUAIA’s open bridge policy allows you to follow the officers during navigation and observe whales. The lecture program additionally offers interesting insights. With favorable conditions, you reach the South Shetland Islands on the third day, discovered by Captain William Smith in 1819, and encounter penguins and seals.

The South Shetland Islands are a true animal paradise with huge penguin colonies, sea otters, and elephant seals. Particularly impressive is the journey through the narrow Deception Island Passage. King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands, is home to Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins as well as seabirds and research facilities. There are also penguins and elephant seals on Livingston Island. The Antarctic Peninsula impresses with snow, ice, mountains, and waterways. Here you encounter penguins, seabirds as well as Weddell, Crabeater, and Leopard seals, and various whales. Depending on ice conditions, the Gerlache Strait, Neumayer Channel, and Lemaire Channel will be navigated. Daily landings offer exploration opportunities, e.g., in Paradise Bay and on Paulet Island. Further explorations could include Cuverville Island, Neko Harbour, and Petermann Island.

You leave Antarctica and head northward through the Drake Passage. Enjoy the final lectures and the search for seabirds and whales while you relax and reflect on the adventures of the past days.

You reach the port of Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark from the USHUAIA after breakfast.