Wildlife in Antarctica in the M/V Sylvia Earle

12 days - 11 nights

Day 1 - Departure from the port of Ushuaia

Arrival in Ushuaia, where you will be received by a representative of the shipping company and transferred to your hotel. When you arrive at the hotel (included), remember to ask the hotel staff when you check-in to provide you with your cabin labels, which must be completed with your name and cabin number.

Day 2 - Boarding Day

This morning, make sure your luggage is with cabin tags with your name and cabin number. Bring your luggage to the hotel reception before 8:00 a.m. Please note that this trip includes a charter flight at the end of the trip from Antarctica to Punta Arenas. The baggage allowance is 20 kilograms of checked baggage plus a piece of hand luggage that does not weigh more than seven kilos. Your luggage will be collected from your hotel and transferred directly to the port for authorization and delivered to your cabin before arrival on board. Keep all valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. Once you have left your hotel before 11.00 a.m., you have free time before meeting in the hotel lobby at 2.00 p.m. to start a tour of Ushuaia. Alternatively, enjoy some free time and head to the Prison Museum car park before 3:45 p.m. to meet the group and transfer to the dock to board.

Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego, is close to the Beagle Channel and is 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 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 excursion, you will see the old houses that belonged to the first families settled in Ushuaia. The tour ends with a visit to the Old Prison Museum before moving to the dock to embark at approximately 4:00 p.m.

After boarding, you will have time to settle into your cabin before our important mandatory briefings. As the ship moves away from the port, we will meet on deck to begin our adventure with spectacular views of Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego. Tonight, meet your fellow expeditionaries and the friendly crew and crew of the expedition at a welcome dinner. Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch is on your own.

Day 3 - Crossing the Drake Passage

As we begin to cross 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 wildlife experiences begin as we enjoy viewing and photographing the many seabirds, including the majestic albatrosses and giant petrels that follow us. They skilfully rise and fall, using the air currents created by the ship to gain momentum.

Day 4 - Drake Sea and South Shetland Islands

As you approach the tip of the South Shetland Islands on day four, the excitement is palpable as everyone gathers on the bridge looking at the first iceberg. The ocean takes on a new perspective once we are below the Antarctic Convergence and we are surrounded by the surreal presence of floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting is likely to stay with you for life. If the weather permits, we can try our first landing in Antarctica in the late afternoon.

Day 5 to 10 - Weddell Sea & West Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula

After settling on the ship, we will head through the Antarctic Sound to the east side of the peninsula to reach the Weddell Sea. Access to the Weddell is highly dependent on ice conditions, and our experienced leader will use his experience to design our overnight trip. Our goal is to make landings or excursions in Zodiac boats twice a day. We will spend days navigating spectacular ice cliffs, following whales that feed near the surface, and descending on the mainland and its coastal islands such as the island of Gourdin for example or arriving at Brown Bluff to visit penguin rookies, outings of seals, historical ruins, and some of our other favorite places along the peninsula.

The sounds of Antarctica: Marine scientists have long studied the sound heard in the frozen waters of Antarctica, more precisely in the Weddell Sea. It is a strangely repetitive sound. It is in a series of pulses with an interval of 3.1 seconds in two series. Whales in the Antarctic region (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) make these sounds. Currently the behavior of this species of cetaceans is studied, sensors have been placed to capture the acoustics of the whales.

Day 11 - From King George Island to Punta Arenas

As we approach Frei Base on King George Island, it's time to say goodbye to Antarctica and our incredible adventure before boarding our flight back to Punta Arenas, Chile. Upon arrival at the Punta Arenas airport, you will be transferred to our preferred hotel in the city center.

Note: King George Island is located in the extreme north of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands and is one of the most remote places on Earth. A clear sky with perfect visibility is required to take off and land safely. We apologize in advance if you experience any delay.

Day 12 - Punta Arenas

After breakfast, we will bid farewell to fellow travelers as we all continue our journeys, hopefully with a new sense of the immense power of nature.

Note: Please inform your Argentinian Explorer travel agent if you need an airport transfer, so they can book it in advance. Airport departure transfer is not included in the cost of your trip and will have an additional charge.

Referential itineraries: The detailed itinerary is for reference only, since the exact route, destinations and programs can be modified in order to get the best climatic advantages, watching wildlife and ice conditions present in the zone. All changes are determined by the captain and the expedition leader to guarantee the maximum benefit and take advantage of the result of the trip. Flexibility is the key; the program will be posted daily and distributed to all passengers on board.