15 Nights Falkland, Weddell Sea, Elephant Island & Antarctica Peninsula

15 Nights Falkland, Weddell Sea, Elephant Island & Antarctica Peninsula

$48,098.00 Regular Price
$22,049.00Sale Price
Cap off the year and celebrate by exploring one of the world’s most mystifying destinations on the expedition of a lifetime, following the footsteps of bold explorers and expert scientists, and the currents of humpback whales and elephant seals.
 
Journeying to Earth’s most remote polar regions and faraway destinations, these are true expert-led expedition voyages, combining rugged adventure and Zodiac landings with rare discovery, extraordinary wildlife and stunning landscapes few have ever seen.

  • Day 1 Ushuaia

    Ushuaia lies on the triangular-shaped island of Tierra del Fuego. While Ferdinand Magellan was exploring the straits between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in 1520, he was amazed by the smoke and fires which seemed to appear at every turn. These fires, kept continuously alight by the Yaghan and Ona Indians, became the inspiration for the name "Tierra del Fuego," Land of Fire.

     

    Day 2 South Atlantic Ocean

     

    Day 3 West Point Island & Saunders Island (Falkland Islands)

     

    Day 4 West Port Stanley (Falkland Islands)

    Stanley is the capital of the Falkland Islands – an archipelago long of importance to both scientists and seaman located some 350 miles east of Tierra del Fuego, 1,000 miles north of Antarctica and, as the locals claim, a mere 8,000 miles from Britain. Explore the Historic Dockyard Museum with galleries dedicated to maritime exploration, Antarctic heritage and the 1982 Falklands War. See the whalebone arch near Christ Church Cathedral, and look for magellanic penguins gathering at Gypsy Cove.

     

    Day 5 South Atlantic Ocean

     

    Day 6 Elephant Island

    Named for the elephant seals early explorers spotted on its shores, this rugged, ice-covered island earned its place in history for the role it played in the 1916 survival of explore Ernest Shackleton’s crew of 22 after the loss of his ship, the Endurance.

     

    Day 7-8 Weddell Sea

     

    Day 9 South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

    Boasting extraordinary scenery and wildlife, this archipelago is about 75 miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula, separated by the Bransfield Strait. Notable islands here include King George Island, home to international research stations; Elephant Island, renowned as the spot where 22 crew from Shackleton’s “Endurance” were stranded; and Deception Island, the flooded caldera of a submerged volcano, once a base for sealers and whalers. Adélie, chinstrap, gentoo and macaroni penguins breed here.

     

    Day 10-13 Antarctica Peninsula

     

    Day 14-15 Crossing the Drake Passage

     

    Day 16 Ushuaia Disembarkation

    Ushuaia lies on the triangular-shaped island of Tierra del Fuego. While Ferdinand Magellan was exploring the straits between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in 1520, he was amazed by the smoke and fires which seemed to appear at every turn. These fires, kept continuously alight by the Yaghan and Ona Indians, became the inspiration for the name "Tierra del Fuego," Land of Fire.