South Shetlands, Antarctica & Crossing the Circle

Arrive and embark in Ushuaia, Argentina - the world’s southernmost town.

Explore the quaint city or local countryside. Alternatively, consider a day trip off the beaten path to the raw, natural archipelago of Tierra del Fuego. It's a hiker's paradise with rugged snow-capped mountains, glaciers, flower-filled meadows and boggy quagmires. In the afternoon, we board our ship, Ocean Victory. *or Ocean Albatros depending on departure date

Our journey begins as we navigate through the calms of Beagle Channel, a strait in the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago.

In the Drake, the excitement builds as Antarctic wildlife comes into view with our first sight of seals, penguins, and albatrosses. As well as the first icebergs as we approach the South Shetland chain of islands.

With the unique X-BOW design, the Ocean Victory will offer you a smoother sailing across the Drake passage than conventional expedition vessels – and with a far less carbon emission.

Over the next two days, we will explore to the sub-Antarctic islands of the South Shetland chain.

Projected landfalls could include: King George Island; Deception Island, an extinct volcano; Half Moon Island with nesting Wilson's storm petrels and chinstrap penguins.

The itinerary and activities over the next few days depend on weather and ice conditions. The route and shore landings will be determined by the captain and expedition leader and communicated to guests through regularly scheduled briefings.

As the white shimmer of Antarctica looms on our horizon, the presence of wildlife multiples by tens of thousands with many species of lively penguins, inquisitive seals, nesting birds and the spray of marine mammals.

Wildlife abounds on the Antarctic Peninsula: leopard, fur and Weddell seals of Cuverville Island; humpback whales of Gerlache Strait; Paradise Bay; the dramatic Lemaire Channel's orcas. Explore as far south as possible towards the Antarctic Circle at c. 66 deg 33 minutes south of the Equator. Possible landfall in this wild and seldom visited area could be Pleneau and Petermann Islands, Crystal Sound and Detaille Island. We will also visit research stations if ice conditions allow us.

The itinerary and activities over the next few days depend on weather, swell and ice. The route and shore landings will be determined by the captain and expedition leader and communicated to guests through regularly scheduled briefings.

Today, we depart Antarctica and spend two days at sea on our way back to the calms of Beagle Channel and Ushuaia, Argentina. En-route, we will cross Drake Passage and cruise past Cape Horn, a legendary maritime landmark and the southern tip of South America.

During our time at sea, a variety of activities will be arranged on board, and it provides the perfect opportunity to socialize with fellow travelers.

This morning, we arrive back in Ushuaia where our tour ends.