Remote Weddell Sea Explorer incl. South Georgia – South Sandwich Islands – Neuschwabenland – Larsen Ice Shelf – Paulet and Devil Island – Elephant Island, incl. helicopters

Your journey begins in Ushuaia and continues to South Georgia.

Upon approaching South Georgia, one of the world’s largest marine protected areas, you pass the Shag Rocks located 240 km to the west, home to thousands of South Georgia shags. On South Georgia, you have the opportunity to visit places like Fortuna Bay, where a variety of king penguins and seals live and you can follow Shackleton’s historic path. Other highlights include observing the largest king penguin colonies on Salisbury Plain and the curious young fur seals in February. In Grytviken, an abandoned whaling station, you can explore the South Georgia Museum and Shackleton’s grave among freely roaming king penguins and elephant seals. Depending on the weather, you continue towards the South Sandwich Islands in the afternoon of the sixth day.

Days at sea.

Although landing on the South Sandwich Islands is not possible, conditions may allow exploring the spectacular landscape of this volcanically active region by Zodiac. The islands, located between Thule and the Cook Islands, impress with their remoteness and size. They offer good chances to observe humpback and minke whales, as well as brown skuas and penguins such as Chinstrap or Adélie species. Various albatross species, including grey-headed, black-browed, and wandering albatrosses, might also be sighted.

You sail towards the Antarctic continent, aiming for Queen Maud Land and New Swabia on the northeastern side of the Weddell Sea.

The first destination in Antarctica is New Swabia, between 20°E and 10°W in Queen Maud Land. The area was explored by Germany in early 1939 (The Third German Antarctic Expedition 1938-1939) under the leadership of Alfred Ritscher. The main goal was to find an area in Antarctica for a German whaling station and to explore a possible location for a German naval base. To claim the region, German flags were placed on the sea ice along the coasts and survey flights dropped aluminum arrows with swastikas on the ice.

On your journey through the Weddell Sea, you have good chances to see Weddell seals, crabeater seals, leopard seals, and even emperor penguins as well as humpback whales, minke whales, and orcas, accompanied by a diverse bird life. The trip reveals the impressive wilderness and beauty of Antarctica, leading you around the Brunt Ice Shelf and along the Luitpold Coast named by Wilhelm Filchner. Opportunities for Zodiac rides and ice floe landings increase the adventure. You sail west to the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf and then follow the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula, near the place where Shackleton’s Endurance was trapped in the pack ice. The discovery of the Endurance wreck and the proximity to emperor penguin colonies offer unique experiences, as does the chance to spot more emperor penguins on Snow Hill Island and possibly land on James Ross Island, depending on ice conditions.

Brown Bluff reveals a breathtaking landscape with steep cliffs, scattered boulders, and volcanic formations under an ice cover. During a planned landing there, you encounter a dramatic scenery at the northernmost point of the Antarctic continent, surrounded by extensive colonies of Adélie and Gentoo penguins as well as nesting snow petrels. On the other side of the Antarctic Sound, Kinnes Cove awaits you, an ideal place to explore the uniquely red-tinted Madder Cliffs and the nearby gentoo penguins.

In 1916, Shackleton set out from Elephant Island in a small boat, the James Caird, on a daring voyage. He and his five companions crossed the sea to rescue 22 stranded comrades who had survived four months on the inhospitable Elephant Island. The island with its steep cliffs is difficult to access. If the weather cooperates, you can travel by small boats, the Zodiacs, to the place where the stranded crew endured.

Crossing Drake Passage.

Arrival in Ushuaia