Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina - Sail on the MS Fram with 400 other passengers. Or go instead on a expedition vessel with up to 100 passengers - contact our office for the latest offers.
Arrive in Ushuaia and you are transfered to the pier. Explore at your leisure in this frontier port overlooked by the rugged Martial Mounts. In late afternoon, your Expedition Team welcomes you aboard your ship as we sail into the scenic Beagle Channel to begin your Antarctic adventure.
Drake Passage and South Shetland Islands We cross the famed Drake Passage, named for the 16th-century English navigator Sir Francis Drake, looking out for wandering albatross and other seabirds from the ship’s spacious decks and promenades. We also cross the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar waters sink beneath warmer waters from the temperate zones. Expect to sight the South Shetland Islands, lying just to the north of the Antarctic Peninsula.
On our planned landings you will explore penguin colonies and have chances to spot Antarctic fur seals and Southern elephant seals on the beaches or hunting their prey. We may also visit one of the many research bases in the archipelago. And keep an eye out for Antarctica’s only two flowering plants, which thrive here during the short southern summer. On many visits the ship is able to sail through a narrow passage leading into the sunken volcanic caldera of Deception Island. Here, if the tide allows, you may wish to strip down to your bathing suit and take a dip in the thermal waters of Pendulum Cove.
Antarctic Peninsula The centrepiece of our expedition is the Antarctic Peninsula, the most readily accessible part of the White Continent, with its vast snow-covered landscapes ringed by jagged mountains, its spectacular waterways choked with glacial ice cascading into the sea. Count on seeing extensive colonies of gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins, plus a wide diversity of other bird life, including blue-eyed shags, kelp gulls, snowy sheathbills, Cape petrels and Antarctic terns. You may also encounter Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals, as well as orcas, and humpback and Minke whales. Our exploration of the Peninsula typically begins with a visit to Paradise Bay or nearby Neko Harbour, both offering unforgettable views of calm, iceberg-filled waters.
We visit the thriving gentoo penguin colonies at Port Lockroy, site of the secret British scientific station established in World War II by James Marr, who as a young Boy Scout visited Antarctica with Shackleton. The base has been transformed into one of the most isolated museums in the world (with a post office where you can mail cards home). Back aboard the comfortable ship, we make use of the ice-strengthened hull to navigate some of the most breathtaking waterways in the world. If pack ice and icebergs allow, we pass through the Neumayer and Lemaire Channels, dramatically narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers.
On some voyages we sail south of the Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island, where Adélie and gentoo penguins, skuas and blue-eyed shags nest close to our landing site. Our expedition may also round the northern tip of the Peninsula to navigate Iceberg Alley, where huge tabular icebergs drift northward into the Antarctic Sound. We’ll also try to land on Paulet Island to see its vast Adélie penguin colony – again, if weather and ice conditions permit.
Back across the Drake to Ushuaia
We leave Antarctica behind, returning north across the Drake Passage. But the adventure is not over – there are still plenty of opportunities to view whales and myriad species of sea bird while strolling the ample decks.
En route to Ushuaia, enjoy a last series of illustrated talks by our Expedition Team in the ship’s comfortable lounge and presentation room. After the final morning’s breakfast, transfer to town for further exploring or directly to the Ushuaia airport to catch your outbound flight.
Rates include: 12 night package (9 nights on the ship)From A$9000.00 per person for a outside twin bed cabin with private facilities/meals/shore excursions. Suites and inside cabins are also available. Season is from November to March.
Contact our office for a fare to South America or purchase a round world ticket and continue on to europe after your cruise.
All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on board.
Shore landings and Zodiac excursions
Presentations by our Expedition Team and guest speakers
A pair of rubber expedition boots on loan for shore landings
Comprehensive pre-departure information package
Airfare from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and return - 3 nights hotel accommodation in Buenos Aires with transfers/all meals on ship.
Contact our office for the latest airfares from Australia to South America - or Lan or Aerolineas Argentina.
All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges
To Book or Enquire
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