Discover one of the remote corners of Antarctica as we cross the Polar Circle!
The newly built MS Fram boasts a specially ice strengthened hull and superior manoeuvrability that allows us to go deeper into the Antarctic ice pack past the Polar Circle and into historic Marguerite Bay. Off limits to most other ships, Marguerite Bay has some of the most pristine scenery in the Antarctic Peninsula and opportunities to spot for wildlife not found on other trips such as the emperor penguin and elusive Ross seal. Our journey will take us across the Drake Passage, escorted by albatross and petrels, to Antarctica and its abundant summer wildlife of seals, penguins, and whales. To enrich our experience, MS Fram’s expert team of expedition staff and lecturers will offer presentations on the history, biology, and geology of Antarctica and Marguerite Bay along the way. Travel where few have gone before and come ashore with our team in sturdy polarCirkel boats for a close-up look at penguin colonies, modern research facilities, and historic sites. Marvel at the mountainous scenery and icebergs floating by from the comfort of our unique Passenger Bridge. Join us for a voyage of exploration and discovery on the world’s newest explorer ship – MS Fram!
Day 1: Buenos Aires
Discover the “Paris of South America” and get a taste of what the birthplace of the tango has to offer.
Upon arrival at Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza International Airport you will be met by our local representatives who will transfer you to your downtown hotel. The transfer includes a brief guided tour through the city and orientation information. After check-in at the hotel, you will be at leisure to explore the “Paris of South America”, a city teeming with street life and full of exciting impressions and celebrated architecture. Please be advised that the hotel rooms will be available for check in from approx 15:00h.
Our hospitality desk at the hotel will be available to answer your questions and assist you with booking other excursions such as a tango show in Buenos Aires or a visit to the National Park in Ushuaia. The hospitality desk will also inform you of the details of your flight departure to Ushuaia.
Optional excursions:
1) Buenos Aires City Tour
2) Tango Show with dinner
Day 2: Buenos Aires/Ushuaia
Fly from Buenos Aires to the Island of Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost city in the world – Ushuaia.
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the domestic airport for the flight to Ushuaia. The flight duration is approximately 4 hours during which a light meal will be served.
Our local representatives will greet you at the airport and conduct you on a short sightseeing tour of Ushuaia on the way to the ship for embarkation at 1700.
Once onboard here will be a welcome meeting during which the Captain will present his officers and expedition staff. They will introduce you to the ship’s safety procedures and outline the programme for the coming days.
In the evening we set a course through the scenic Beagle Channel for the Drake Passage and Antarctica.
Optional excursion:
1) Ushuaia National Park
Day 3-4: Drake Passage
The Drake Passage is where the Atlantic and Pacific meet the Great Southern Ocean to create the Antarctic Convergence. During the crossing you can enjoy our onboard lecture series to learn more about the wonders of Antarctica.
The Antarctic Convergence is the where the warmer waters of the north meet the colder, denser, less saline waters of the south. As the colder water sinks, a mixing occurs that brings nutrients to the surface and makes the area particularly rich in marine life.
In addition to spotting for the magnificent wandering albatross and other seabirds, the crossing features our lecture series focusing on the history, environment, and wildlife of Antarctica. Our series includes a thorough introduction to the Antarctic visitor guidelines from the Antarctic Treaty and International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).
The Antarctic Treaty regulates all activities in Antarctica and has created a continent of peace and science. Hurtigruten ASA is committed to meeting and exceeding all Antarctic Treaty and IAATO regulations to ensure that the vulnerable environment will not be disturbed.
We will be on course for the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands where we hope to arrive on the afternoon of Day 4.
Day 4-12: Antarctica
The continent is an endless white wilderness full of fantastic impressions of nature. We will learn the history of the great explorers as we travel in their footsteps and see the landscape as they saw it - unchanged, remote, and awe inspiring.
Weather, wind, and ice conditions will determine our programme and our schedule. Safety is always the first priority and the final sailing itinerary will be decided by the ship’s Captain during the voyage. On this special trip, we plan to cross the Polar Circle at 66°33’ south and travel to Marguerite Bay.
Marguerite Bay
The first wife of French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot objected to his wanderings and divorced him citing abandonment. Charcot’s second wife Marguerite supported his expeditions and encouraged his travels. In return, he did her the honour of naming this most beautiful of bays after her. Rarely visited even by Antarctic standards, Marguerite Bay is dotted with ice-covered islands and surrounded by pristine mountainous scenery. It is home to the only known breeding colony of emperor penguins on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. This rookery itself is specially protected for environmental reasons and cannot be entered but we will have the opportunity to spot for the emperors nearby. There are several bases in Marguerite Bay, both new and old. Rothera Station on Adelaide Island is the British Antarcitc Survey’s largest base and logistics centre for the Antarctic. It has modern laboratories and facilities for a wide range of research. Stonnington Island is home to the 1950’s era British “Base E” and the historic “East Base” of the United States expedition of 1939-41. Rear Admiral Richrad Byrd picked the site of the base himself, naming the island for the hometown of another famous explorer from the United States, Nathaniel Palmer. Visits to these bases are subject to weather and final permission from the base commander at Rothera.
We also plan to visit some of the places below, among others:
Deception Island, South Shetland Islands
When British merchant William Smith was rounding Cape Horn in February 1819 in his brig Williams, a powerful storm drove the ship southward and brought about the discovery of the South Shetland Islands. Together with British naval officer Edward Bransfield, Smith sailed even farther south was initially credited with the discovery of Antarctica. It was later discovered by historians however that an ethnic German in the Russian Navy named Thaddeus von Bellingshausen had seen Antarctica a mere three days before.
One of the highlights of the South Shetlands is Deception Island. The island is a distinctive ring-shaped volcanic caldera approximately 12 km (7 mi) in diameter. A portion of the caldera wall has collapsed and created a navigable opening into the flooded interior. The natural harbour inside the island includes Whalers Bay, home to an abandoned whaling station known as Hektor and a derelict British base. The Norwegian manned Hektor operated from 1912 to 1931 processing the meat and bones of whales left as refuse by nearby factory whaling ships. The British base was established in 1941 and destroyed when the island erupted in the late 1960’s. We are free to visit the relics at Whalers Bay if weather conditions permit.
Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands
A small 2 km (1.2 mi) long island in the shadow of picturesque Livingston Island, Half Moon is a jewel of diversity in the polar landscape. The serrated and crevassed cliffs are home to a large colony of chinstrap penguins as well as Antarctic terns, kelp gulls, snowy sheathbills, Wilson’s storm petrels, and several species of seals are regular visitors. There is a derelict wooden boat rotting on the beach and farther along the western end is Teniente Camara station with its huge Argentine flags emblazoned on the orange buildings. Half Moon presents many photographic opportunities with its varied wildlife posed against scenic backgrounds and Antarctic highlights.
Yankee Harbour, South Shetland Islands
Early sealers to the area used Yankee Harbour on Greenwich Island as frequent base of operations because of its remarkable natural haven created by a spit nearly one kilometre long (0.6 mi). The spit is a favoured haul out for tired Weddell, crabeater, fur, and elephant seals now that the hunters are gone. Remnants from the sealing era can still be found including an old trypot on the beach. The main attraction for many visitors however is Yankee’s terraced gentoo penguin colony with an estimated 4000 breeding pairs. Predatory skuas also nest here and travelers are often witness to the struggle between a penguin protecting its young and a skua trying to feed theirs. Yankee Harbour offers views across the McFarlane Strait to Livingston Island and out into the Bransfield Strait, a common feeding area for whales.
Cuverville Island
Situated in the scenic Errera Channel, Cuverville Island boasts the largest known colony of gentoo penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula. The island was discovered by Adrien de Gerlache’s 1897 Belgian Antarctic expedition and named for a Vice-Admiral in French navy. The narrow Errera Channel offers a spectacular passage to and from Cuverville as icebergs become trapped and grounded on its shallow bottom. Watching from the observation decks as our expert navigators weave the ship carefully between the icebergs is as exciting as being surrounded by the throngs of nesting penguins onshore.
Neko Harbour
The deep, fjord-like Andvord Bay stretches so far into the Antarctic Peninsula that its end is a mere 50 km (31 mi) from the east side of the Peninsula and the Weddell Sea. Neko Harbour, with its gentoo penguin colony and small Argentine refuge hut, lies nestled in Andvord Bay surrounded by the mountains and high glacier walls of the Peninsula. A favoured feeding ground for shy Minke whales, the harbour is perfectly situated to appreciate the grandeur of Andvord Bay and Antarctic Peninsula scenery. Named for a factory whaling ship in the early 1900’s, Neko is one of the rare places in the Antarctic Peninsula area where we may land on the Antarctic mainland.
Paradise Harbour
The harbour is paradise not only in name but in splendour and scenery as well. Protected from the winds of the nearby Gerlache Strait, Paradise Harbour offers another rare opportunity for a mainland landing and some of the finest vistas the Peninsula has to offer. Here we can find the Argentine base Almirante Brown and the Chilean base Gonzalez Videla with their neighbouring penguin colonies. Gonzalez Videla is situated at Waterboat Point, so named for the two members of a failed expedition that spent the cold winter of 1922 living there underneath a small upturned boat. Named for the Irish-born founder of Argentina’s navy, Almirante Brown had to be rebuilt after the crazed base doctor set fire to the buildings in 1984.
Lemaire Channel
Lemaire Channel was discovered by German explorer Eduard Dallman in 1873 but not traversed and charted until 1898 by Adrien de Gerlache, who named it after his Belgian colleague Charles Lemaire. This 11 km (7 mi) long and 1.6 km (1 mi) wide channel is commonly known as one of the most beautiful passages in Antarctica. The reason for this reputation cannot be described in words or captured on film. It bestows upon the traveler a glimpse into what fascinates us about Antarctica; that it is at once sublime and imposing, delicate and daunting, inviting and inhospitable. On a clear day, the Lemaire Channel is the entire Antarctic experience writ small.
Petermann Island
Also discovered by Dallman and named for German geographer August Petermann, the island is better known for its association with Jean-Baptiste Charcot and the French Antarctic Expedition of 1908. Charcot and the crew of the Pourquoi Pas? wintered here among the Adélie penguins and imperial cormorants (blue-eyed shags). It’s location in the picturesque Penola Channel makes Petermann a great spot for iceberg and whale spotting and offers spectacular views across the channel to the Antarctic Peninsula. The island is also home to an Argentine refuge hut, a commemorative plaque from the French expedition, and a cross erected in the memory of three men from a nearby British base.
Port Lockroy
The British base on Goudier Island in Port Lockroy was built in 1941 and abandoned in 1962. It then lay empty until 1996 when it was refurbished as a museum by the Antarctic Heritage Trust. It has since become one of the most popular sites in Antarctica and offers a peek into life on an Antarctic base in the 1950’s. Pemmican and tinned custard line the old cupboards and 1950’s books and magazines can be found in the lounge. The nesting gentoo penguins surrounding the main building have become accustomed to the frequent human visitors. The museum operates a post office and souvenir shop with caps and shirts and postcards. In addition to postal service, the shop offers first-day covers and rare Antarctic stamps. All mail sent from Port Lockroy has a special Antarctic stamp and frank.
Wilhelmina Bay
The mountains and high glaciers around Wilhelmina Bay ensure plenty of dramatic scenery and sculpted ice from tiny brash to large bergs. The bay is a choice feeding ground for whales and seals and therefore was a choice hunting ground the whalers of the past. As evidence of this, the partially submerged wreck of the Norwegian whaling ship Guvernøren lies in a tiny harbour of the bay. If weather and ice conditions permit, we may take a closer look at the wreck from our polarCirkel boats. The 3433 ton ship caught fire in 1915 and was run aground in order to rescue men and supplies. It now provides a perch for tired terns and an occasional mooring for passing sailboats.
Antarctic Sound
The huge ice shelves of the Antarctic continent give birth to mile-long tabular icebergs. The strong currents of the Weddell Sea conspire to bring these massive flat-topped bergs north into the Antarctic Sound at the northeast end of the Antarctic Peninsula. Dubbed “Iceberg Alley” by expedition staff, the sound is a startling assortment of floating ice in shapes and sizes that strain the imagination. The area takes its name from Otto Nordenskjöld’s 1903 Swedish South Polar Expedition and their ship Antarctic, captained by legendary Norwegian C.A. Larsen. The fate of the Antarctic and her men is one of the most harrowing and hard to believe tales of the continent. Our staff will be happy to share the tale as we cruise between the icebergs. The 48 km (30 mi) sound is also home to an estimated half million Adélie penguins as well as gentoo penguins, leopard seals, and killer whales.
Brown Bluff
Brown Bluff lies on the coast of the Antarctic Sound at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. As the name suggests, the landscape is dominated by an ominous 745 m (2450 ft) cliff. The towering, rust-coloured bluff is volcanic in origin and the beach is peppered with lava “bombs”. Adélie penguins, gentoo penguins, kelp gulls, and Cape petrels can be found breeding here and Weddell seals are regular visitors. If the weather permits, we may land to stroll along the beach among the penguins. Experienced staff will tell you however that the best way to experience Adélie penguins is just to sit quietly and watch nature’s cutest comedians at work.
We plan to leave Antarctica in the afternoon of day 12.The final departure time depends on the weather forecast and is decided by the ship’s Captain.
Day 12-13: Drake Passage
With our bow pointed north and unforgettable images and experiences in our souls, we are invited to a new understanding of the Antarctic.
The voyage from the Antarctic Peninsula to Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina is roughly 950 km (600 mi) or 40 hours sailing time in good weather. During the voyage north, we will continue our lecture series and recap our experiences of Antarctica.
Day 14: Ushuaia/Buenos Aires
Argentina’s charming and proud capital welcomes you back from your voyage of discovery and bids you a safe journey home!
Transfer to the airport and flight to Buenos Aires. There will be a short sightseeing tour en route to the hotel.
Optional Excursion:
1) Escondido Lake
Day 15: Buenos Aires
Breakfast will be served in the hotel before your transfer to the airport. You continue your journey home with new pages full of experiences added to your life’s book of memories.
Optional Excursion:
1) Tigre Excursion
The above is subject to availability at time of booking and subject to the terms and conditions of ITT (International Travel & Tours CC). The above is based on current air-fares and exchange rates. Fluctuations in air-fare and/or exchange rate will be calculated at time of payment.
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