Antarctica

December – February, 2023   $9800   215 miles
Route:

Ushuaia, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage, Deception Island, King George Island, Wilhelmina Bay, Orne Harbor, Cuverville Peninsula, Port Lockroy, Melchior Islands, Drake Passage, Ushuaia

We are going to the White Continent again!

This expedition is carried out in partnership with Paganel Studio on Paganel’s own yachts. Experience in conducting expeditions in high latitudes since 2015.

21 days, in Antarctica, in a primeval world of glaciers and shimmering sapphire blue icebergs. Mountains, straits, fjords, whales, penguins, ice shelves sparkling in the rays of the Antarctic sun, icebergs – all this is space on the Promised Land! The expedition will start in the city of Ushuaia (Argentina).

Day 1. Ushuaia

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International flight to the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, then transfer to a domestic flight to Ushuaia. At the airport, you will be met by a member of the yacht’s crew and accompanied to the ship, where we get to know the captain and other members of the expedition team. Accommodation in cabins.

Introduction to the ship. Safety briefing from the captain. Purchasing additional products and snacks in Ushuaia stores: fruits, alcohol, sweets. Final preparations and going to sea when ready.

Day 2. Crossing the Beagle Channel

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Crossing the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia to the Drake Passage.

Day 3-5. Drake Passage

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Crossing the Drake Passage. Crossing the Drake takes at least 4 days, depending on weather conditions.

The Drake Passage is considered one of the most severe trials for sailors in the world. A powerful “Current of the West Winds” passes through the strait – the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

Strong storms often occur in the strait, and Drake Passage storms are the strongest on the planet – winds of more than 35 m / s and waves above 15 meters are not uncommon here.

Day 6. Deception Island

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Arrival at Deception Island.

The first island off the coast of Antarctica is Deception, of volcanic origin. We will stop at the lagoon – a flooded crater.

From this moment, our exploration of the western coast of Antarctica (Antarctic Peninsula) begins, with visits to polar stations, numerous glaciers, fjords, feeding places for humpback whales, elephant seals and maneuvering between icebergs.

Regular landings on the glacier and long sailing trips. In total, 10-12 days are allotted for exploring the coast of Antarctica, after which the yacht will head back to Cape Horn with the crossing of the Drake Strait.

Day 7. King George Island

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Today we are approaching King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. King George Island is the largest of the South Shetland Islands. It is the least isolated and least typical place in Antarctica. King George Island, the unofficial “capital of Antarctica” with research stations from 12 different countries. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Poland, South Korea and Uruguay have year-round bases on the island. We will walk around the picturesque surroundings of the stations. If we are lucky with the weather, then we will open the holiday season on King George.

The thermometer here rarely shows temperatures below -7 ° C. However, the picture of the “resort” is beautiful because in the Antarctic summer the land here is almost completely free of snow. In addition to all kinds of mosses, lichens and coastal algae, there are many representatives of the fauna.

We will go to the other side of the island through the Chilean station and look for sea lions and seals, and on the way we will probably see seals lounging lazily on the shores of the island. For avid ornithologists, here, of course, is paradise! Incredible numbers of albatrosses and gulls, and seasonal petrels, terns, skuas and cormorants.

In the afternoon, we head to Yankee Harbor and Half Moon Island, where we will make short trips with inspiring views of the Antarctic bays.

Day 8. Wilhelmina Bay

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In these places, you can often see a unique phenomenon – the feeding of humpback whales with the patterns they create from air bubbles. The bay is named after Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.

The mountains and tall glaciers that surround the bay are the cause of many dramatic scenery as an ice sculpture of small ice shards collides with a huge floating ice block.

Here you can see whales, crabeater seals, leopard seals, Weddell seals and giant starfish.

Day 9. Orne Harbor

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Today we will make trekking, which will give us an incredible view of the cozy Orne Harbour. The depths here are so great that it is difficult to find a place to drop the anchor.

The water surface shimmers and sparkles on sunny Antarctic days. Glaciers on the rocks, surrounding the bay from three sides, and the blue of the sea will delight us again and again with their originality.

Day 10, 11. Cuverville Peninsula

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We come to the Cuverville Peninsula, home to the largest colony of Gentoo penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Cuverville differs from many peninsulas in the neighborhood with an abundance of snow, and hundreds of penguin nests are located on all the rocks that are free from it …

We get into the real kingdom of penguins! We disembark from our motor boats on a patch free from penguins, walk and enjoy the living world of the peninsula.

Day 12. Lemar Strait – Akademik Vernadsky Station (Ukrainian Antarctic Station)

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The Lemar Strait is one of the most beautiful places in Antarctica and on our trip.

The eleven-kilometer corridor that separates But Island from the Kyiv Peninsula (yes, it is named after the Ukrainian capital) is surrounded by picturesque icebergs of the most bizarre shapes and incredible shades of blue and on clear days is Antarctica in miniature.

The strait was discovered by a German expedition in 1873-74, but was not passed until the end of 1898. The head of the Belgian expedition, Adrien de Gerlache, named the strait in honor of Charles Lemaire, a Belgian explorer of the Congo, who has nothing to do with Antarctica.

Thanks to the picturesque cliffs and calm waters of the strait, this place has become popular among tourists and has received the nickname “Kodak Gap”, because as soon as the ships approach the strait, the polar silence is broken by the harmonious crackle of camera clicks that accompanies photography.

Visit to the Ukrainian Antarctic station “Akademik Vernadsky”. This is the southernmost point of our expedition.

Station “Akademik Vernadsky” is the friendliest station in Antarctica. We are always welcome here, they will always help, give us the opportunity to take a hot shower and take a steam bath.

We, for our part, are also always preparing to visit this beautiful place. We bring gifts – lard, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Now the expeditions that winter at the station include 10-12 people. In recent years, women have also appeared in the teams.

At the station there is the southernmost bar of the planet Earth – “Faraday”, where we will spend the evening with polar explorers under the Antarctic stories.

Day 13. Port Lockroy (British Antarctic Station).

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We start moving north. We drop anchor in Port Lockroy.

Port Lockroy is a natural harbor on the Antarctic Peninsula, which belongs to the British Antarctic Territory. It was discovered in 1903 by the French Antarctic Expedition and named Port LaCroix after Edouard Lacroix, who financed the expedition.

Until 1962, there was an Antarctic station and a base for whaling ships, after which they were closed as unnecessary.

And in 1996, a British team completely renovated the buildings and opened a museum in them, which has a souvenir shop and the only post office in the entire Antarctic Peninsula, from where we can send greeting cards to friends and family!

In addition to people, many penguins live at the station and there is complete harmony between all the inhabitants. Actually, the current inhabitants of Port Lockroy are engaged in the study of the penguin population and their interaction with humans. Therefore, the territory is divided in half. People live on one, to whom penguins come to visit and tourists come, and on the second – only penguins and outsiders are not allowed to enter there.

Day 14 – 15. Melchior Islands

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On this day we will sail on our expedition yacht from Dorian Сove to the Melchior Islands.

Rest on the Melchior Islands. Daredevils bathe in crystal clear water. Getting ready to cross the Drake Passage.

Day 16 – 18. Drake Passage

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Return passage through the Drake Passage.

We go around Cape Horn, to which we can come closer, in case of good weather.

Day 19. Archipelago Tierra del Fuego

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Arrival to the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. We anchor in Martial Cove or Lennox Cove.

DAY 20.

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We recover, rest and recover after crossing the Drake Passage (reserve day).

DAY 21.

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We arrive in Ushuaia. We say goodbye to the already familiar expedition yacht, captain and crew. The expedition is over!

Travel conditions:

  • Prepayment of 50%
  • Full payment 1 month before departure.
ATTENTION:
  • The deposit is NOT refundable.
  • We pay for rent of yachts, air tickets, train tickets, transfers and other expenses in advance, long before the trip. Therefore, the prepayment or payment for the trip made by you is not refundable in case of your cancellation of the trip. We just can’t bring it back…
  • The only exception is if you transfer the right to travel to another person who will travel instead of you.

Yacht "Wind Dancer"

  • 4 toilets with shower;
  • autonomous heating system for all residential interior spaces;
  • independent air conditioning system for each room;
  • television;
  • washer dryer;
  • satellite connection.

INCLUDED in the price

  • Yacht charter for 21 days;
  • Professional team and ship cook services 3 meals a day on board;
  • Life jacket (PSP);
  • Bed linen including cozy duvet;
  • Fuel according to the route;
  • All necessary fees and permits, including a special permit from the;
  • National Antarctic Committee.

NOT included in the price

  • International and local flights
    Alcoholic drinks
    Accommodation in hotels before and after the expedition
    Tests for COVID 19
    Insurance and costs associated with personal evacuation
    Costs for the use of satellite communications
    Personal clothing and equipment

F.A.Q.

With whom can you go on a sea voyage? Can one?

It’s great if there are two of you, but if you go alone, you will definitely make new friends.

Will it be necessary to participate in the management of the yacht or do some work on board?

Optional. Our skipper will teach you everything you need if you want. And you want!

Is sea travel dangerous?

It’s not dangerous, but responsible! CREW on board. One for all and all for one!

Do you need a visa?

We need a visa of the country in whose waters we sail. For our European travels, a biometric foreign passport is sufficient.

Is it possible to take children on a sea voyage?

You can, a lot of people go with children.

Do you need insurance?

For all trips in Europe, we provide you with insurance for the duration of our trip. We are talking about sports insurance for yachting.

Do I need to pay the entire amount at once? If prepaid, how much?

Prepayment – 50%. Balance one month before departure. The prepayment is non-refundable (due to payment for the yacht rental at the time of booking). In the event of force majeure, such as the closure of borders due to quarantine, the payment is returned or the trip is rescheduled for another time.

How far in advance is it best to plan a trip?

Of course, it is better to plan 1-2-3 months before the trip.

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