Antarctica Peninsular - 21 days South Georgia and Fauklands - February 2017

Join a small group of curious, like-mined travelers for the trip of a lifetime—an Antarctica cruise aboard the 116-passenger M.V. Sea Spirit. Antarctica is a place like no other in the world—a land of otherworldly icescapes, towering glaciers and amazing wildlife. Come explore it aboard our luxurious expedition vessel, exceptionally designed and outfitted to provide a safe and comfortable cruise to Antarctica. 

Sea Spirit’s ice-certified hull, maneuverability and small size allow her to pursue itineraries not possible aboard conventional cruise vessels. She boasts state-of-the-art navigation and communications equipment, and she meets all SOLAS safety at sea requirements for Antarctic cruises.

Embark in Ushuaia, Argentina. Just 600 miles to the southeast, across the Drake Passage, lies the Antarctic Peninsula. While this is not a great distance, the “White Continent” remains a world apart, a majestic last frontier. Our expedition cruises are scheduled at the height of the Austral summer season – December through February – when waterways are open to navigation and wildlife is most active. 

To fully immerse our guests in the experience and take advantage of the many opportunities to view wildlife ashore, we utilize a fleet of inflatable Zodiac landing craft that can be deployed quickly from the back of the ship. While at the Peninsula, we attempt several landings per day, permitting you maximum exposure to the many wildlife species and huge penguin colonies that make their summer homes in this environment. Or, we use the Zodiacs and kayaks for exploration around stunning icebergs and floes where seals stretch out and seemingly pose for our cameras.

Our expedition leader and diverse team of polar specialists will guide you at landing sites and provide an informative program of onboard lectures, video presentations and discussions. Collectively, our team of naturalists, wildlife biologists, geologists and historians has been on hundreds of cruises to Antarctica, and they know the best locations for both scenery and wildlife. They look forward to sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with you, and are dedicated to providing the best Antarctic cruise experience possible. 

They’ll also ensure that our guests are able to explore this remote and fragile world in an environmentally responsible manner, leaving no mark on one of the last great-untrammeled regions on earth. Remember that the Sea Spirit’s ability to visit specific landing sites during is dependent on weather and sea conditions, with day-by-day itinerary changes often dictated by nature. Ship movements and expedition landings are made at the discretion of the captain and expedition leader, with optimum wildlife viewing and passenger safety always the priority.

RATES INCLUDE

• 1 pre-voyage hotel night in Ushuaia;
• Group transfers from the airport to the hotel in Ushuaia in a day prior to departure;
• Group transfer to the ship on day of embarkation;
• Group transfer to airport or central location upon disembarkation in Ushuaia;
• Shipboard accommodations;
• All scheduled landings/excursions;
• Leadership throughout the voyage by our experienced Expedition Leader & Expedition Team;
• All meals on board throughout the voyage;
• Tea and coffee station 24 hours daily;
• Welcome and Farewell cocktails;
• Rubber boots for shore landings for the time of the cruise;
• Branded Poseidon Expeditions parker;
• All port fees;
• Pre-departure materials;
• Digital Voyage Log.

• Airfare;
• Visa and passport fees (if applicable);
• Luggage and trip cancellation insurance;
• Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages other than those for special events and celebrations;
• Personal expenses such as laundry and onboard communication (telephone calls, faxes, and e-mail service);
• Fuel surcharge may be applied for all bookings;
• Emergency Evacuation Insurance to a minimum benefit of USD 150,000;
• Staff gratuities;
• Pre- or post-cruise travel expenses.

Despite its small size, the city of Ushuaia is the world’s southernmost city, the capital of Tierra del Fuego and the main starting point for voyages to Antarctica.

Admire the surrounded views of Beagle Channel and the Andes Mountains. If you arrived early, you may want to visit Tierra del Fuego National Park, the southernmost on the planet. Stroll along the main street of Avenue San Martin, and pause at one of the many cafes, shops or restaurants.

This afternoon, embark the Sea Spirit and set sail down the picturesque Beagle Channel as the sun sets and dinner is served.

The Сaptain and our Expedition Team will welcome you and raise a toast to success of our expedition.

Day 3-4. Drake Passage.

Through presentations and informal conversations, our team of experts on Antarctic wildlife, history and geology will enlighten you about what we’ll expect to see in the days ahead. Keep a sharp eye out as we cross the Antarctic Convergence, where ocean dynamics create a unique zone of marine life and activity. In the early evening of the fourth day, weather and sea conditions permitting, we plan to have our first landing in the South Shetland Islands.

Day 5-7. The Antarctic Continent and the South Shetlands.

In the region of the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula we get a great variety of opportunities to actively explore the unique wildlife and breathtaking scenery. With nearly 200 recognized sites here we use all our experience to offer you the best places and ways to explore the enchanting world of the Sixth Continent. A flexible planning is a key to successful expedition. 

Our Captain and Expedition Leader will do their best to show you all the faces of Antarctica. We hope to tick off 5 penguin /6 seal / several whale species in Antarctic check-list. While cruising along narrow Antarctic waterways we admire huge icebergs of different shapes, sizes and colours. We visit scientific stations representing several different countries and learn about Antarctic scientific researches straight from the source. Of course setting foot on the actual Antarctic Continent is also on agenda.

Day 8-9. Scotia Sea.

More informative presentations are in store today, as we head northeast toward South Georgia.

Day 10-13. South Georgia.

For many, South Georgia is a not-to-be-missed destination within the Antarctic region. These sub-Antarctic islands are mountain peaks emerging from the Scotia Arc, an underwater mountain chain that extends from the Andes to the White Continent. Shaped like a long and narrow whalebone, the islands are home to:

• Four seal species – southern elephant seal, Antarctic fur seal, Weddell seal, and leopard seal.
• Several whale species – southern right whales, humpbacks, fin whales, sperm whales, killer whales orcas, and southern bottlenose whales.
• Antarctic seabirds, about 46% of the world's breeding population of grey headed albatrosses; northern giant petrels, white chinned petrels and Antarctic prions. Most of the world's population of the South Georgia blue eyed shags live there, some 7,500 pairs.
• Penguins – around half the world's population of macaroni penguins, along with 100,000 pairs of Gentoo penguins and about 6,000 breeding pairs of Chinstrap penguins.
• The most attractive residents of the South Georgia are King penguins with their orange-yellow crowns. The total number of King penguins is around 400,000 breeding pairs.

The Falkland Islands offer an unforgettable vista of moors and rugged coastlines carved by the South Atlantic, where the wildlife and plant life form a link between Patagonia and Antarctica. On the beaches, elephant seals are a spectacular sight when battling among themselves to establish territories or just simply relaxing. Sea lions and fur seals are also common sights. As many as a million penguins nest in the Falklands every summer, representing five of the world’s seventeen species – King, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Magellanic and Macaroni. What’s more, for the Gentoo, the Falklands are home to the largest population on Earth. Look for black-browed albatrosses nesting on grassy hillsides overlooking the sea.

The capital of the Falklands Port Stanley is the southernmost British outpost in the world. With many reminders of its British heritage such as red phone booths and English pubs, the town boasts other unusual sights like a whalebone arch and shipwrecks along the coast.

Day 18-20. Southern Ocean.

Reality begins to set in during this final sea passage separating the magic world we’ve just explored from the rest of the world we’ll soon be rejoining. Refresh your memories through a photo exchange with newfound friends, and bid farewell to seabirds and whales that you can identify more easily now.

Day 21. Disembarkation in Montevideo (Uruguay).