Antarctic Odyssey and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in M/V Sylvia Earle

25 days - 24 nights

Day 1 - Ushuaia

Reception at the airport of the city of Ushuaia and transfer to the hotel.

Day 2 - Boarding and departure from the port of Ushuaia, previous visit to the city.

This morning, enjoy a nice breakfast at the hotel before exploring Ushuaia on a half-day tour of the city. Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego, is located on the banks of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains, which gives it a unique landscape in Argentina, which is the combination of mountains, sea, glaciers and forests. On this half-day introductory tour, you will visit the "La Misión" neighborhood, the old Government House and the upper area of ​​the city, which offers beautiful panoramic views of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel. During the tour, you will see the old houses that belonged to the first families settled in Ushuaia. The tour ends with a visit to the End of the World Museum before moving to the pier to embark at approximately 4:00 PM. Please note that the museum's opening hours may change without prior notice, and if the End of the World Museum is closed, we can visit the nearby Old Prison Museum. While the M/V Sylvia Earle moves away from the port, we will meet on the deck to begin our adventure with spectacular views of Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego. You will have time to settle in your cabin before our important informative meetings. Tonight, meet your expedition partners and crew at a welcome dinner to celebrate the start of an exciting adventure in Antarctica. Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch is on your own.

Day 3 - Drake Passage

At the beginning of the crossing of the Drake Passage, we make the most of our time to feel comfortable with the movements of the sea. Our expedition team prepares you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurity procedures and begins our conference program to help you learn more about the history, wildlife and environment of Antarctica. Our experiences with wildlife begin when we enjoy observing and photographing the many marine birds, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels that follow us. They rise and fall skillfully, using the air currents created by the ship to gain momentum.

Day 4 - Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are located 477 kilometers (296 miles) east of southern Argentina, Malvinas is a unique combination of being an access point to wildlife and an advanced town. An archipelago of more than 700 islands, but consisting of two main islands, east and west, only seven of the islands are inhabited. The cold and nutrient-rich waters surrounding the islands make them a privileged place for marine life, including seabirds and seals. Our time in the Falklands includes a short walk through the historic city of Stanley and the Sea Lions Island, located in the south of the East Falklands, to get to know the Natural Reserve of the Sea Lions Island. You will discover how the natural beauty and loneliness of the island make it a refuge for wildlife and visitors. In 2009, the Sea Lions Island was officially declared a National Nature Reserve, with no introduced predators living on the island.

Tussac grass covers much of the island and provides an ideal habitat for elephants and sea lions that can be found on many of the island's spectacular beaches. A large number of birds such as thrush, finches, tussac and magellanics penguins also inhabit the tussac. Killer whale pods, Peale dolphins and leopard seals are regularly seen in the waters around the island. The south giant petrels with a wingspan of two meters, act as a welcome party for the boats when they approach the Sea Lions Island. Rockhopper, Gentoo and Magelllanic penguins come to this island to breed. Macaroni penguins and king penguins are also common on the island.

Day 5 to 6 - At sea

During the trip from Falkland Islands to South Georgia Island, you will be fascinated by the incessant flight of the many seabirds that follow our wake, skillfully using the air currents created by the ship to gain momentum. At this stage, we are usually traveling with some weather dependence, so it is difficult to estimate our precise arrival time to South Georgia Island. Our conference program will continue to highlight all the incredible views we have witnessed in recent days. You will have enough time to enjoy watching seabirds, watching whales from the observation areas or just relaxing with a book. If time and weather conditions permit, we can pass near Shag Rocks, a fascinating group of irregular rocky islets that protrude from the sea, in the vicinity of South Georgia.

The Shag Rocks are also called in Spanish the Aurora Islands, they are a group of ocean sedimentary rocks that we find over the South Atlantic, in the northernmost region of the Southern Antilles Arc. They are 1200 km east of States Island and about 232 km from San Pedro Island that belongs to the South Georgia. They are mountains that have stood out from the Scotia Dorsal, which is the underwater continuation of the Andes Mountains.

Day 7 to 10 - South Georgia Island

Over the next few days, marvel at the incredible scenes of South Georgia, such as the huge and bustling colonies of king penguins, sea lions fighting for space on the beach, amazing mountain landscapes and discover Shackleton's epic rescue trip. On daily departures with Zodiac boats, discover bays full of shrill and playful sea lions and disembark on pebble beaches (beaches with boulders - thick stones) to meet curious penguins. Test yourself with the walks and enjoy dazzling unspoiled landscapes seen by few. South Georgia is a place where you can really feel that you have really escaped from your normal daily life.

South Georgia is one of the most amazing natural environments in the world. Only one spot in the vastness of the South Atlantic Ocean, and which is entirely within the Antarctic Convergence, the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are a refuge for the life of some of the largest wildlife congregations in the world. The surrounding sea is one of the most productive areas on Earth and supports the lives of millions of seals, whales, penguins and other seabirds. A mountain range forms the backbone of this long and narrow island.

Between the mountains, the shattered glaciers make their way through the weed grass to the coast with deep indentation, a landscape that is synonymous with the epic survival expedition of Shackleton, Worsley and Crean. Rusty and abandoned whale hunting stations and the remains of explorers reflect the passage of time, while summer workers carry out 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 the footsteps of Shackleton, Worsley and Crean and complete the final leg of their walk from Fortuna Bay to Stromness.

A sample of some of the places where we can disembark on South Georgia Island include:

Grytviken: originally a norwegian whale sealing and hunting station, located northeast of San Pedro Island or South Georgia, which was finally closed in 1965. The body of Sir Ernest Shackleton was deposited in Grytviken. The station is currently abandoned, but it was the center of the whaling industry for more than 60 years, from the early twentieth century until 1965. It was a refuge for different antarctic expeditions. Today there are no residents but at the beginning of the summer it opens the museum where they work about eight people who are residents of the British Antarctic Survey in King Edward Point (Coronel Zelaya Point) just 1 km away.

St Andrews Bay: San Andres Bay is a cove north of South Georgia. The beaches are black sand and it faces a wide valley that extends from the sea. This valley is home to the largest king penguin breeding colony in South Georgia, with more than 100,000 specimens. The colonies are always full because the reproductive cycle is very long. Near the bay is the Ross Glacier that is receding as a result of global warming and a gravel beach is being formed.

Godthul: Godthul Bay or Buen Arroyo is a bay that is located on the northwest coast of San Pedro Island, it was one of the main ports of the norwegian whaling companies, its name comes precisely from the Norwegian (Godthul: good stream). It is a bay with sangria lined with bleached whale bones, full of sea lions and penguins that "hang". A careful descent takes us to a magnificent colony of macaroni penguins. The norwegian company Bryde & Dahls Hvalfangerselskap created a factory ship in that bay for whaling in 1908. A group of huts, a dock, a water supply site and a tank for the supply of factory vapors were operating around. In 1917 the factory ship moved to the South Shetland Islands and became inactive, but in 1920 it returned to work with the old equipment that remained but in 1929 it stopped working definitively.

Salisbury Plains: The Salisbury Plain is an extensive coastal plain, located between the mouths of the Grace and Lucas glaciers on the south coast of the bay. It is the breeding place of up to 80,000 king penguins, its beaches are also covered with many southern seals and antarctic sea lions. Its soil is covered with tussok and sparse vegetation such as the Poa Annua that is very resistant to cold. The landing is done in a rocky area, which were underwater seaweed forests.

Fortuna Bay & Stromness Fortuna Bay is surrounded by high mountains with glaciers that descend to end in the open valley that houses a small colony of king penguins. This is where Shackleton, Worsley and Crean descended from the treacherous inland glaciers on their way to the Stromness whaling station that was an old whaling station located on the north coast of San Pedro Island. He became famous because it was the place where Ernest Shackleton arrived in 1916 to request help for his epic rescue on Elephant Island. Stromness operated as a whaling station from 1912 to 1931, then continued as a shipyard until 1961 when it finally stopped operating.

Day 11 to 12 - At sea

As we sail away from the splendid South Georgia Island, enjoy the introductory team introductions to help us prepare for our arrival in the wild South Sandwich Islands. You might want to practice your photo editing skills, stay active in the gym, or just watch seabirds have fun by the ship.

Day 13 to 15 - South Sandwich Islands

On Captain James Cook's second voyage of discovery (1772–1775), he circumnavigated the globe in the high southern latitudes, without seeing land, casting doubt on the existence of the Antarctic continent, which was still unknown at the time. It was during this trip that Cook discovered the South Sandwich Islands and landed on South Georgia Island, describing them as: ‘Lands condemned by nature to perpetual frigidity: you never feel the heat of the sun's rays; whose horrible and wild aspects I have no words to describe. "Called the South Sandwich Islands by Lord Sandwich, they are considered together with South Georgia, as a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, and are uninhabited. Although Cook saw Several islands, several more were not discovered until Bellingshausen visited it in 1819.

The South Sandwich Islands are located about 740 km / 460 miles southeast of South Georgia, the islands form a chain about 350 km / 220 miles long, comprising 11 large and several smaller islands with a total area of approximately 600 km2 / 230 square miles. Most are covered in ice, and the highest peak, on the island of Montagu, reaches 1,370m / 4,500ft. The weather is cold, with frequent snowfalls and strong winds. The islands are of volcanic origin and some remain active. Zavodovski Island, for example, appears in constant eruption and smells of rotten eggs (the volcano itself is called Mount Asphyxia), while the islands of Visokoi, Candlemas, Saunders and Bellingshausen show definitive signs of activity. Bristol, Cook and Thule islands are very glacial and show no signs of heat or activity. All of the islands are steep over water and quickly fall into deep water (over 1,500 m / 5,000 ft).

In our Zodiac boats or kayaks we explore the coast of some of the islands if conditions allow. Little is known about these islands, although the British Antarctic Survey has done limited biological and geological work there, mainly in the 1960s. Vegetation is sparse. But there is at least one extraordinary wildlife spectacle: Zavodovski Island supports a chinstrap penguin colony that has around a million penguins on its steep volcanic slopes. Those who have seen this massive penguin colony speak of it in awe.

Day 16 to 17 - At sea

As we sail the Antarctic Peninsula at our last destination to visit on the Antarctic voyage, the expedition team can give you photographic advice or learn about the white continent, and be on the lookout for your first iceberg as we sail to the Peninsula.

Day 18 to 22 - Antarctic Peninsula

During the next few days, we have a large number of options available, and depending on the ice and weather conditions, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula is ours to explore. Our experienced expedition team, which has made countless trips to this area, will use their experience to design our day-to-day trip. This allows us to take full advantage of the climate, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities.

Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18 to 20 hours of natural light and the days can be as busy as you want. Generally we will try two landings or excursions in zodiac boats. We will sail along spectacular ice cliffs, watching whales that feed near the surface and disembarking on the mainland and its islands on the coast to visit penguin colonies, historical ruins and some of our other favorite places along the peninsula.

There are many interesting places we can choose to visit and our itinerary is deliberately flexible to allow us to choose the best places of the day according to the ice and weather conditions. A sample of some of the types of places we can navigate, disembark, walk, photograph or see the spectacular wildlife include: Beautiful protected bays around the Antarctic Peninsula surrounded by magnificent peaks and spectacular glaciers, areas that are shelters for whales while we keep our eyes open to see humpback whales, killer whales, mink and crabeater seals, while we explore bays in Zodiacs.

Islands rich in wildlife where glaciers and mountains dominate the view and we can see large colonies of chinstrap penguins caught between basaltic turrets colored by yellow and orange lichens and where we often find sea lions and sea elephants on pebble beaches. It houses the home of Gentoo penguins and Weddell seals. The landscape is dramatic, the high mountains and glaciers looming around the harbor. The thundering crack of the glaciers as they open will surely stop you along the way.

Lemaire Channel: if the ice conditions allow it, stand on the observation platform of the M/V Greg Mortimer in silence while the ship sails along the narrow Lemaire Channel, could be one of the highlights of our trip. The cliffs rise to 700 meters / 2,296 feet that leave the ocean on both sides of the ship. The water can be so still that the mountain is reflected on the surface and it is clear why this channel is often called "Kodak Alley". Gigantic icebergs can clog the canal, creating navigation challenges for our Captain and crew, occasionally they may even obstruct our passage.

Day 23 to 24 - Crossing the Drake Passage

Today our landings end when we enter the Drake Passage for our return trip to South America. With lectures and movie presentations to complete our Antarctic experience, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and its wildlife. There is time to reflect and debate on what we have seen and experienced, and the impact this journey has had on our outlook on life. As we get closer to the tip of South America, our Captain can sail near the legendary Cape Horn, if time and weather permit.

Day 25 - Ushuaia

During the early morning, we sail along the Beagle Channel. We arrive at the dock of the port of Ushuaia, where we begin to disembark around 8:00 am. We say goodbye to the expedition team and fellow travelers while we all continue our future trips, hopefully with a new sense of the immense power of nature. The cost of the trip includes a transfer to the center of Ushuaia or to the airport.

Note: At the end of the trip, we do not recommend booking flights that leave Ushuaia before 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case of delays.

Sample itinerary: All the itineraries described are only presented for reference. Programs may vary depending on the weather and ice conditions in the area, as well as accessibility to landings and the opportunity to observe local wildlife. The final route will be determined by the leader of the Expedition. Flexibility is the fundamental principle to enjoy the cruise expedition.