CLASSIC ANTARCTICA WONDERS
Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands
11 Days Itinerary Abord M/V Ushuaia
Ushuaia to Ushuaia
Start: Ushuaia, Argentina Finish: Ushuaia, Argentina
This itinerary is delivered at a comfortable pace. Shore landings will be in the Peninsula. There is an in-depth education program, with an artist-in-residence on selected voyages. Some departures may be operated in the reverse direction.
M/V USHUAIA
Staff & Crew:   30
Guests:   84
Length:   85 m
Breadth:   15.50 m
Engine:   3,200 HP
Bow Thruster:   500 HP
Ice Class:   ABS 1
Registered:   Bahamas
Cabins
Dates and Rates – All rates are per person in US dollars and are subject to change View Cabins & Deck Plans
Ice-strengthened Ship Ushuaia
Cabin & Rate Per Person
Embarkation Disembarkation Days
November 28, 2008 December 8, 2008 11
December 8, 2008 December 18, 2008 11
December 18, 2008 December 28, 2008 11
January 7, 2009 January 17, 2009 11
January 17, 2009 January 27, 2009 11
February 6, 2009 February 16, 2009 11
February 26, 2009 March 08, 2009 11
March 20, 2009 March 30, 2009 11
C B A Superior Suite
$3,990 $5,130 $6,410 $6,780 $7,130
$3,990 $5,130 $6,410 $6,780 $7,130
$4,980 $6,130 $7,700 $8,130 $8,550
$4,980 $6,130 $7,700 $8,130 $8,550
$4,980 $6,130 $7,700 $8,130 $8,550
$4,980 $6,130 $7,700 $8,130 $8,550
$4,980 $6,130 $7,700 $8,130 $8,550
$3,990 $5,130 $6,410 $6,780 $7,130

Itinerary

 Route Map
Day 1 Depart from Ushuaia Classic Antarctic – From Ushuaia to Ushuaia

Embark the USHUAIA in the afternoon and meet your expedition and lecture staff. After you have settled into your cabins we sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass.

Day 2 & 3 Crossing the Drake Passage
Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Frances Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region. The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds.

As we sail across the passage, Antarpply Expeditions’ lecturers will be out with you on deck to help in the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses, which follow in our wake. The USHUAIA’s open bridge policy allows you to join our officers on the bridge and learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view. A full program of lectures will be offered as well.

The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that we have reached the South Shetland Islands, a group of twenty islands and islets first sighted in February 1819 by Capt. William Smith of the brig Williams. With favorable conditions in the Drake Passage our lecturers and naturalists will accompany you ashore as you experience your first encounter with the penguins and seals on Day 3.
Day 4 to 8 Exploring South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula

The South Shetland Islands are a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries, beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals make every day spent in this amazing island group unforgettable. Sailing through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island and the chance to swim in the hot springs of Pendulum Cove is truly amazing. King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands, features colonies of nesting Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Blue-eyed Cormorants, Antarctic Terns and Southern Giant Petrels and is home to scientific bases of many different countries. Macaroni, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins as well as elephant seals await you at Livingston Island.

The Antarctic Peninsula’s remarkable history will provide you with a type of excitement often only associated with the early explorers. You will have plenty of time to explore its amazing scenery, a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways, and an incredible wide variety of wildlife. Apart from penguins and seabirds you are very likely to see Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as Minke, killer (orca) and humpback whales at close range.

We hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways (depending on the ice conditions): the Gerlache Strait, the Neumayer Channel, and the Lemaire Channel, the latter are narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers. We plan to make at least two landings per day. Possible landing sites may include:

Paradise Bay is perhaps the most aptly named place in the world and we attempt a landing on the continent proper. After negotiating the iceberg-strewn waters of the Antarctic Sound, we hope to visit the bustling Adélie Penguin (over 100,000 pairs breed here) and Blue-eyed Cormorant colonies on Paulet Island. The Nordenskjöld expedition built a stone survival hut here in 1903. Today its ruins have been taken over by nesting penguins.

Further exploration may take you to Melchior Island, Cuverville Island, Portal Point, Neko Harbour, Pléneau Island and if ice conditions permit, to Petermann Island for a visit to the southernmost colony of Gentoo Penguins.
Day 9 & 10 At Sea crossing the Drake Passage, northbound

We leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. Join our lecturers and naturalists on deck as we search for seabirds and whales and enjoy some final lectures. Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia.

Day 11 Arrival at Ushuaia

We arrive at Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark the USHUAIA after breakfast.
Important Reminder
The above itinerary is a guide only. Our exact route and program will vary to take best advantage of local weather and ice conditions and opportunities to view wildlife. Changes will be made by the Captain and/or Expedition Leader to facilitate the best results from the prevailing conditions. A daily program sheet will be issued on board. Flexibility is the key to success.
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