HIGHLIGHTS
- Step
ashore on the Antarctic Peninsula
- Visit
Point Wild on Elephant Island (weather/conditions permitting)
- South
Georgia's king penguins, seals and seabirds
- Follow
Shackleton's footsteps in South Georgia
- Whale-sighting
while crossing the Scotia Sea
- Wondrous
wildlife breeding cycles at their peak
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | Stateroom Triple | Stateroom Twin | Superior Stateroom Twin | Balcony Stateroom C | Balcony Stateroom B | Balcony Stateroom A | Balcony Suite | Junior Suite | Captain\'s Suite |
|---|
| Oct 26, 2021 | Nov 15, 2021 | 20,795 | 22,995 | N/A | 25,095 | 25,595 | 26,295 | 31,895 | 38,495 | 44,995 |
| Mar 13, 2022 | Apr 02, 2022 | 20,795 | 22,995 | N/A | 25,095 | 25,595 | 26,295 | 31,895 | 38,495 | 44,995 |
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | (Starting from)
Stateroom Triple | (Mid-range)
Balcony Stateroom B | (High-end)
Captain\'s Suite |
|---|
| Oct 26, 2021 | Nov 15, 2021 | 20,795 | 25,595 | 44,995 |
| Mar 13, 2022 | Apr 02, 2022 | 20,795 | 25,595 | 44,995 |
ITINERARY
Day
1: Ushuaia
Arrive
in Ushuaia, where you will be met by a representative and transferred
to your downtown hotel (preferred flights only).
Day
2: Embark ship in Ushuaia
This
morning, enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before exploring
Ushuaia on a half-day city tour.
Ushuaia,
capital city of the province of Tierra del Fuego, is located on the
shores of the Beagle Channel and it is surrounded by the Martial Range,
which offers a unique landscape as a result of the combination of
mountains, sea, glaciers and forest. The city tour will visit The
Mission, Brown and Solier neighborhoods, where you can see old houses
belonging to the first families in Tierra del Fuego, such as the Beban,
the Pastoriza, and the Ramos. Head 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) out of
town to Martial Glacier. The ride in the chair lift to the trails
leading up to the glacier provides wonderful regional views and of
Ushuaia town, the Beagle Channel and its islands. Afterwards, continue
to the End of the World Museum with exhibitions explaining the history
of Tierra del Fuego.
Transfer
to the pier where our expedition team will warmly welcome you on board
the Greg Mortimer at approximately 4.00 pm (final embarkation time will
be provided in your final documentation).
As
the Greg Mortimer pulls away from port, we’ll gather on the
deck to commence our adventure with spectacular views over Ushuaia and
Tierra del Fuego. You’ll have time to settle into your cabin
before our important briefings.
Day
3: Drake Passage
As
we commence the Drake Passage crossing, we make the most of our time
getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. Our expedition team
prepare you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines
and biosecurity procedures, and start our lecture program to help you
learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife and
environment. Our wildlife experiences begin as we enjoy watching and
photographing the many seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and
giant petrels following in our wake. They rise and fall skillfully,
using air currents created by the ship to gain momentum.
Day
4: Drake Passage and South Shetland Islands
Nearing
the tip of the South Shetland Islands on day four, the excitement is
palpable with everyone converging on the bridge watching for our first
iceberg. The ocean takes on a whole new perspective once we are below
the Antarctic Convergence and are surrounded by the surreal presence of
floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting
is likely to remain with you for a lifetime. Weather permitting, we may
attempt our first landing in Antarctica by late afternoon.
Days
5-7: Antarctic Peninsula
Over
the next few days a host of choices are open to us, and depending on
ice and weather conditions, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula
is ours to explore. Our experienced expedition team, who have made
countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design our
voyage from day to day. This allows us to make best use of the
prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities.
Because
we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-20 hours of
daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish. We will generally try
for two landings or Zodiac excursions each day; cruising along
spectacular ice cliffs; following whales that are feeding near the
surface; and landing on the continent and its off-shore islands to
visit penguin rookeries, seal haul outs, historic huts, and a few of
our other favorite spots along the peninsula. There will be plenty of
time for sleep when you get home!
There
are many exciting places we can choose to visit and our itinerary is
deliberately flexible to allow us to pick the best spots on the day
based on ice and weather conditions.
A
sample of some of the types of places where we may cruise through,
land, hike, photograph or view spectacular wildlife include:
Beautiful
protected bays around the Antarctic Peninsula surrounded by magnificent
peaks and spectacular glaciers, areas that are havens for whales as we
keep our eyes open for humpbacks, orcas, minkes, and crabeater seals,
as we explore bays in Zodiacs.
Wildlife-rich
islands where glaciers and mountains dominate the vista and we can see
large chinstrap penguin colonies tucked in between basaltic turrets
colored by yellow and orange lichens, and where often fur seals and
elephant seals are hauled out on the pebble beaches.
Harbors
home to gentoo penguins, and that regularly host Weddell seals. The
scenery is dramatic towering peaks and calving glaciers surround the
harbor. The thundering crack of the glaciers as they calve is sure to
stop you in your tracks.
Lemaire
Channel - If ice conditions allow, standing on the observation deck of
the Greg Mortimer quietly as the ship sails along the narrow Lemaire
Channel could certainly be one of the highlights of our voyage. Cliffs
tower 700 meters / 2,296 feet straight out of the ocean on either side
of the ship. The water can sometimes be so still that perfect
reflections are mirrored on the surface and it is clear to see why this
Channel is often called “Kodak Alley”. Gigantic
icebergs may clog the channel, creating navigational challenges for our
Captain and crew; occasionally they may even obstruct our passage.
Day
8: Elephant Island
Today,
if weather permits, we set course for Elephant Island, a half-submerged
mountain cloaked with an ice sheet at the outer limits of the South
Shetlands. We’ll learn the story of Shackleton and hear how
his ship, the Endurance, was crushed in pack ice in the Weddell Sea,
before him and his men climbed into three open boats, spending 16
months at sea, before finally making landfall on this tiny toe of rock
and ice in the vastness of the Southern Ocean on 14 April, 1916.
We
plan to sail past Cape Valentine to see the beach where the men first
put ashore over 100 years ago. Weather permitting; we hope to follow
the coastline six miles west to Point Wild, where the men eventually
set up camp under two of their upturned open boats and some old tents.
If weather permits, we’ll attempt to make a landing on
historic Point Wild, Elephant Island.
Days
9-10: Scotia Sea
En
route for South Georgia we’ll head across the Scotia Sea,
following the route that Shackleton and five of his men took in order
to find help for the rest of their crew. On 24 April, 1916, they piled
into the James Caird, the most seaworthy of their open boats, to
attempt this perilous journey to South Georgia, some 1290 km (802
miles) distant. Shackleton hoped to reach South Georgia in two weeks.
There he would enlist the help of the whalers to return to Elephant
Island and rescue the men who had been left behind. As excitement
builds for South Georgia, catch up with fellow expeditioners in the
bar, keep watch for wildlife alongside our naturalist from the open
bridge, or learn more of the Shackleton story from our historian.
Days
11-14: South Georgia
Over
the next few days, marvel at South Georgia’s incredible
scenes such as enormous and bustling king penguin colonies, fur seals
jostling for space on the beach, jaw-dropping mountain landscapes and
learn of Shackleton’s epic rescue journey. On Zodiac-cruises,
discover bays filled with raucous and playful fur seals, and land on
pebble beaches to meet curious penguins. Challenge yourself on hikes
and enjoy dazzling pristine landscapes seen by few. South Georgia is a
place where you can truly feel like you’ve really escaped
from your normal daily life.
South
Georgia is one of the world’s most amazing natural
environments. Just a speck in the vastness of the South Atlantic Ocean,
and lying wholly within the Antarctic Convergence, South Georgia and
the South Sandwich Islands are a life-sustaining haven to some of the
world’s largest congregations of wildlife. The surrounding
sea is one of the most productive areas on Earth and supports the life
of millions of seals, whales, penguins and other seabirds. A mountain
range forms the spine of this long, narrow island.
Between
the mountains, shattered glaciers carve their way through tussock grass
to the deeply indented coastline – a landscape that is
synonymous with the epic expedition of survival by Shackleton, Worsley,
and Crean. Abandoned rusting whaling stations and remnants of explorers
reflect a time of long ago, while summer workers conduct scientific and
regeneration projects.
As
we explore South Georgia, we will have the opportunity to reflect on
Shackleton’s epic journey. If conditions permit, we plan to
follow in Shackleton, Worsley, and Crean’s footsteps and
complete the final leg of their walk from Fortuna Bay to Stromness.
A
sample of some of the places where we may land in South Georgia include:
Grytviken -
originally a Norwegian sealing and whaling station, it was finally
closed in 1965. Sir Ernest Shackleton’s body was laid to rest
at Grytviken.
St Andrews Bay - the
long black sandy beach fronts a broad valley that stretches well back
from the sea. This valley shelters the largest king penguin colony on
South Georgia.
Godthul - imagine
indented bays lined with bleached whale bones, teeming with fur seals
and penguins just ‘hanging about’. A careful
descent leads us to a magnificent Macaroni penguin rookery.
Salisbury Plains -
Salisbury Plain has one of the largest king penguin colonies on South
Georgia. With about 100,000 pairs, the shore and beach can be
completely crammed with penguins. Along the beach you will also find
fur and elephant seals in the mix.
Fortuna Bay & Stromness
- Fortuna Bay is surrounded by high mountains with glaciers pushing
down from the high country to terminate in the open valley that is home
to a small king penguin colony. This is where Shackleton, Worsley, and
Crean descended from the treacherous glaciers of the interior on their
way to Stromness whaling station.
Days
15-17: At Sea
Between
South Georgia and the Falklands Malvinas, you will be entranced by the
ceaseless flight of the many seabirds that follow our wake, skillfully
using the air currents created by the ship to gain momentum. On this
leg, we are usually travelling into the prevailing weather so it is
difficult to estimate our arrival time in the Falklands Malvinas. Our
lecture program will continue and highlight all of the amazing sights
we have witnessed over the past few days. We’ll have ample
time to enjoy the rest of our time observing the sea birds, whale
watching from the bridge, or simply relaxing in the bar with a book.
If
time and weather conditions permit, we could pass close to Shag Rocks,
a fascinating group of jagged rocky islets protruding from the sea, in
the proximity of South Georgia.
Days
18-19: Falklands Malvinas
Located
477 kilometers/296 miles east of southern Argentina, the Falklands
Malvinas are a unique mix of wildlife hotspot and inhabited outpost. An
archipelago of over 700 islands, but consisting of two main islands,
East and West, only seven of the islands are inhabited. The cold
nutrient-rich waters surrounding the islands makes them a prime
location for marine life including seabirds and seals. Our time in the
Falklands Malvinas includes a short walk in historic Stanley town, and
Sea Lion Island located in East Falkland’s south, where you
can get insight into the unique experience of Sea Lion Island Nature
Reserve. You will discover how the raw beauty and solitude of the
island makes it a haven for wildlife and visitors alike. In 2009, Sea
Lion Island was officially declared a National Nature Reserve, with no
introduced predators living on the island.
Tussac
grass covers much of the island providing an ideal habitat for elephant
seals and sea lions that can be found on many of the island’s
spectacular beaches. A plethora of birds such as thrushes, finches,
tussac birds and Megallenic penguins also inhabit the tussac. Pods of
orcas, Peale’s dolphins and leopard seals are regularly seen
in the waters around the island.
The
island’s southern giant petrels, with a wingspan of two
meters, act as a welcoming party to ships as they approach Sea Lion
Island. Rockhopper, gentoo and Magellanic penguins come to Sea Lion
Island to breed. Macaroni, king penguins and Striated and Crested
Caracaras are also common seen on the island.
Day
20: At Sea
You
may choose to spend the sea days returning to Ushuaia editing your
photos, enjoying the onboard facilities, or listening to an informative
lecture.
Day
21: Disembark Puerto Williams, fly to Punta Arenas
During
the early morning, we slip into dock in Puerto Williams. Farewell your
expedition team and transfer to the airport for your flight to Punta
Arenas. Transfer to your hotel for your overnight stay.
Day
22: Punta Arenas
Bid
new friends goodbye as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully
with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.
Greg Mortimer (Luxury Expedition, 120-guests)
Capable of negotiating the strongest winds and waves, the Greg Mortimer is built to world-class polar standards. It is designed in close consultation with expedition specialists, taking advantage of Auroras more than 25 years of experience.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Arrival
transfer from airport to hotel on Day 1 (preferred flights only)
- One
night’s hotel accommodation with breakfast in Ushuaia on Day 1
- Half
day city tour in Ushuaia on Day 2 prior to embarkation
- Luggage
transfer from your hotel in Ushuaia to ship on Day 2
- Transfer
from pier to airport in Puerto Williams on Day 21
- Flight
from Puerto Williams to Punta Arenas on Day 21
- One
night’s hotel accommodation with breakfast in Punta Arenas on
Day 21
- On-board
accommodation during voyage including daily cabin service
- All
meals, snacks, tea and coffee during voyage
- Beer,
house wine and soft drinks with dinner
- Captain’s
Welcome and Farewell reception including four-course dinner, house
cocktails, house beer and wine, non-alcoholic beverages
- All
shore excursions and Zodiac cruises
- Educational
lectures and guiding services from expedition team
- Access
to our onboard doctor and basic medical services
- A
3-in-1 waterproof polar expedition jacket
- Complimentary
use of muck boots during the voyage
- Comprehensive
pre-departure information
- A
printed photo book produced with photos from your voyage
- Port
surcharges, permits and landing fees
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
ADVENTURE
OPTIONS
- Sea
Kayaking: USD 1,470 per person
- Snowshoeing:
USD 370 per person
- Snorkelling:
USD 740 per person
- Ski/Snowboarding:
USD 1,470
per person
- Shackleton
Crossing on Skis:
USD 2,220 per person
- Photography:
FREE
