Antarctica with Deception Island

12/11 days 11/10 nights

Day 1 - Ushuaia

The trip begins at the southern tip of South America, on the island of Tierra del Fuego, more precisely, in Ushuaia, the city closest to Antarctica. In the afternoon of the first day, embarkation begins at the port of the homonymous city in order to set sail at sunset in a southerly direction through the waters of the Beagle Channel.

Day 2 to 3 - Going through the Drake Passage

During the next two days in the Drake Passage, we will live the experience that the famous explorers who came to these latitudes of the planet had to define the first cartographies of these Antarctic areas: We find very moving seas, salty and fresh breezes and in the presence of a whale to accompany us on the tour. It crosses the Antarctic Convergence, defined as the Antarctic biological limit, since the temperate waters of the sub-antarctic seas are mixed with the icy waters of the antarctic ocean. You also begin to see the transformation of marine fauna and birds. We begin to see wandering albatrosses, gray-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled albatrosses, checkerboard petrels, storm petrels, blue petrels and antarctic petrels.

Day 4 to 7/8 - Entering Antarctica

During the course of these days we will arrive in Antarctica. The Antarctic Peninsula is the most important geographical accident on the White Continent. Located in the western region of Antarctica, in front of South America, in the west surrounded by the Bellingshausen Sea and in the east by the Weddell Sea. The landscape is made up of snow-covered gray mountains, cracked ice towers of whitish blue, and very dissimilar marine fauna with respect to the sub-antarctic area. We leave behind the snowy peaks of the Melchior Islands and the Schollaert Channel to navigate between the Brabant and Anvers Islands.

Some of the sites you can visit include:

• Danco Island On this island we can see the Papua penguins that nest in this area, but they are not alone, we also see Weddell seals and crabs that inhabit the island.
• Puerto Neko The landscape takes us, the fantastic snow-covered glaciers that look like carved by the wind are truly epic. In Puerto Neko you can navigate in Zodiac boats to disembark near the alpine peaks.
• Paradise Bay In this bay we can sail in the Zodiac boats and have a good chance of observing humpback whales and Minke whales.
• Port Lockroy Once we cross the Neumayer channel, we visit the historic english base, which is currently a museum and works as a postal mail, located on Goudier Island. It is contemplated to carry out activities in the vicinity of the island, in Punta Jougla, to spot Papua penguins and blue-eyed cormorants. This area is ideal for kayaking and also for camping, and if conditions permit us you can go trekking with snowshoes along the coast of the island.

Day 8/9 - In the South Shetland Islands: Deception Island

The South Shetland volcanic islands are whipped by the wind and usually covered by fog but they do not stop offering subtle pleasures. A great variety of flora (mosses, lichens, blooming grasses) and fauna (Papua penguins, chinstrap and giant petrel from the South) inhabit the islands. On Deception Island, the ship passes through the bellows of Neptune to enter the flooded caldera of the volcano. Alternatively it is possible to carry out activities on the neighboring island Media Luna. On the Crescent Island a wide variety of flora, mosses, lichens, leafy pastures and animal species such as papuan penguins and giant petrels from the south grows, in addition to an important colony of chinstrap penguins and Weddell seals that usually bet on the beach.

Deception Island is actually a large submerged crater, which opens to the sea thanks to an ancient explosion that caused that entrance. In turn, due to these characteristics, the island offers hot springs, in addition to showing the abandoned ruins of a whaling station where thousands of doves of the cage, Antarctic seagulls and cook seagulls, common skua, polar skua and brown petrels and the Wilson species. An interesting alternative proposed by the staff is to exercise with a long walk and a kayak excursion, as long as the weather conditions are favorable. The trip continues north, to cross the narrow passage to the open sea in the direction of Ushuaia.

Day 9/10 to 10/11 - Towards the crossing of the Drake

Upon returning to Ushuaia through the Drake Passage, we will feel totally privileged to have stepped on Antarctica. The adventure will always accompany us. They will already be thinking about the next trip, since the attraction of Antarctica is very strong, as many have experienced before. The return trip is far from lonely. During the crossing of the Drake once again the seabirds that accompanied him during the journey to the south receive him.

Day 11/12 - Ushuaia

Every adventure, regardless of its greatness, must eventually come to an end. It is time to disembark at the port of Ushuaia, on the Island of Tierra del Fuego, but with memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure is.