ATLANTIC ODYSSEY – ANTARCTICA TO ST HELENA
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ATLANTIC ODYSSEY – ANTARCTICA TO ST HELENA
ITINERARY SUMMARY
| Day | Place | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Ushuaia | Embark in the southernmost city on the planet and set sail |
| Days 2 - 3 | At Sea | Enjoy the cool salt breezes, rolling seas, and incredible bird and marine life that follows the ship |
| Days 4 - 8 | Antarctic Peninsula | Iconic wildlife above and below the water, mammoth glaciers, incredible scenery |
| Days 9 - 10 | At Sea | Re-cross the Drake Passage to Ushuaia, relax on board |
| Day 11 | Ushuaia | Explore Ushuaia, some guests will disembark here while others will join the cruise |
| Days 12 - 14 | At Sea | Variety of albatrosses and petrels to observe from the deck |
| Days 15 - 17 | South Georgia | Some of the world's top king penguin rookeries, elephant seals, fur seal pups, macaroni penguins, whaling history |
| Days 18 - 22 | At Sea | Make the most of the onboard facilities |
| Day 23 | Gough Island | Northern rockhopper penguins, sub-Antarctic fur seals, splendid scenery |
| Days 24 - 27 | Tristan da Cunha | Plentiful bird populations including the northern rockhopper penguins, exotic wildlife, stunning views |
| Days 28 - 31 | At Sea | Look for seabird and dolphins which may follow the vessel |
| Days 32 - 34 | Saint Helena | Enjoy the local culture, climate and endemic birdlife, before continuing on your onwards journey |
SHIPS OFFERING THIS ITINERARY
Plancius
The Plancius accommodates up to 108 passengers in 53 passenger cabins all with private ammenitiies. Built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy she sailed for the Navy until 2004 when she was used as an expedition vessel. Completely rebuilt in 2009 and later upgrades in 2019, the complies with the latest SOLAS-regulations. Offering a restaurant/lecture room on deck 3, a spacious observation lounge with large windows and a bar on deck 5 and a library on deck 5there is no shortage of places to relax. There are large open deck spaces on the Plancius, especially on Deck 4 with full walk-around possibilities for optimal wildlife spotting and enjoying the scenery. The Plancius carries 10 Mark V zodiacs, with 40 HP 4-stroke outboard engines and 2 gangways on the starboard side, guaranteeing a swift zodiac operation. Whilst the Plancius is comfortable and well equipped, she is in no way a luxury vessel. The focus is in spending as much time on shore as possible with an exploratory educational travel programme with 8 highly knowledgeable expedition staff.
Day 1 Ushuaia, Argentina
Your voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark the Ortelius from this small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening.
Days 2 – 3 The Drake Passage
Over the next two days on the Drake Passage, you will enjoy some of the same experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale spouting up sea spray.
After passing the Antarctic Convergence – Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas – you are in the Antarctic circumpolar current upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the bird life changes too.
Wandering albatrosses, grey-headed albatrosses, black-browed albatrosses, light-mantled sooty albatrosses, cape pigeons, southern fulmars, Wilson’s storm petrels, blue petrels, and Antarctic petrels are a few of the birds you might see.
Days 4 – 8 Antarctic Peninsula
Gray stone peaks sketched with snow, towers of broken blue-white ice, and dramatically different wildlife below and above. You first pass the snow-capped Melchior Islands and Schollaert Channel, sailing between Brabant and Anvers Islands. Sites you may visit include:
Danco Island – Activities here may focus on the gentoo penguins nesting on the island, in addition to the Weddell and crabeater seals that can be found nearby.
Neko Harbour – An epic landscape of mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow, Neko Harbour offers opportunities for a Zodiac cruise and landing that afford the closest views of the surrounding alpine peaks.
Paradise Bay – You may be able to take a Zodiac cruise in these sprawling, ice-flecked waters, where there’s a good chance you’ll encounter humpback and minke whales.
Pléneau & Petermann Islands – If the ice allows it, you could sail through the Lemaire Channel in search of humpback and minke whales, as well as leopard seals.
Port Lockroy – After sailing through the Neumayer Channel, you may get a chance to visit the former British research station – now a museum and post office – of Port Lockroy on Goudier Island. You may also be able to partake in activities around Jougla Point, meeting gentoo penguins and blue-eyed shags.
Wilhelmina Bay & Guvernøren – This is a great place to spot humpback whales. You also may embark on a Zodiac cruise ending at the ghostly wreck of the Guvernøren, a whaling vessel that caught fire here in 1915. Around the Melchior Islands, amid a frozen landscape peopled with icebergs, you may encounter even more whales, leopard seals, and crabeater seals.
Charlotte Bay – Encounter a variety of wildlife, including gentoo penguins, Weddell seals and possibly some migrating whale species such as humpback whales or minke whales.
Days 9 – 10 Drake Passage
Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.
Day 11 Ushuaia, Argentina
Return to Ushuaia to allow some guests to disembark here while others will join for the remainder of the voyage.
Days 12 – 14 At Sea
Today, you are en route to South Georgia. After passing the Antarctic Convergence, which is a natural boundary formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic waters, enter the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only does the marine life change, the bird life changes, too: a variety of albatrosses and petrels show up, along with Cape pigeons and southern fulmars.
Days 15 – 17 South Georgia
Visit some of the world’s top king penguin rookeries. This time of year you have a good chance of seeing these animals nesting on eggs, with their chicks nearby. The rookeries are sometimes overflowing, with penguins traveling to and from the beach. Possible visits in this region include:
Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay, Gold Harbour – Here you can see not only the massive king penguin colony, but also elephant seals and limitless fur seal pups playing in the surf.
Grytviken – Check out this abandoned whaling station, where king penguins walk the streets and elephant seals lie around like they own the place – because they basically do! Visit the South Georgia Museum as well as Shackleton’s grave here.
Cooper Bay – This is a fine place for a Zodiac cruise, and this bay also houses a rookery of macaroni penguins. King penguins, pintails, and giant petrels may also appear here.
Moltke Harbour – Located in Royal Bay, this scenic spot gives you the chance to see the huge king penguin colony that lives here.
Days 18 – 22 At Sea
A pleasant tailwind often accompanies the vessel through the westerlies, and on both sides of the Antarctic Convergence, you might see large numbers of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabirds.
Day 23 Gough Island
Today, approach Gough Island for a Zodiac cruise in Quest Bay, if the weather permits. Here you might see northern rockhopper penguins and sub-Antarctic fur seals. In previous years, it has been possible for us to circumnavigate most of Gough Island’s 33-mile circumference, taking in this area’s splendid scenery and abundant wildlife.
Days 24 – 27 Tristan da Cunha
The remote islands of Tristan da Cunha are famed for their plentiful bird populations, which include rockhopper penguins, several species of albatross, petrels, skuas, terns, and many others. Visit the small settlement on the west side of the main island, land at Seal Bay on the south side of Tristan da Cunha or at Sandy Point on the east side.
In these stunning locations, you could encounter such exotic wildlife as yellow-nosed albatrosses and sub-Antarctic fur seals, all while exploring a rarely visited spot. Land at Nightingale Island and Inaccessible Island, both of which offer great views of beautiful seabirds ranging from yellow-nosed albatrosses to brown noddies.
Two days are reserved at Tristan da Cunha in case of bad weather, but please remember that nature determines the itinerary here.
Days 28 – 31 At Sea
On the way to Saint Helena, seabirds and dolphins indigenous to this region often follow the vessel.
Days 32 – 24 Saint Helena
Land at Jamestown on Saint Helena Island and enjoy the area’s local culture, pleasant climate, and endemic bird life. You can pay a visit to Longwood House, where Napoleon died in exile; walk the 699-step Jacob’s Ladder, if you’re feeling ambitious; or snorkel the shallows offshore, seeing multitudes of tropical and subtropical fish.
Please note: You have the option to disembark and fly home from Jamestown, if flights are available. In the evening, we will depart for Praia, Cape Verde, where you can also disembark.