Antarctica in Depth by Swan Hellenic

Live out your Antarctica dream on this exceptional 18-day voyage aboard Swan Hellenic's luxury ice-class expedition ship, the SH Minerva. Your journey to this icy wilderness starts with the notorious two-day Drake Passage sea crossing. Following in the footsteps of legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton, you'll visit South Georgia. Both here and in the Falkland Islands you will clamber onto beaches crammed with millions of penguins and take home everlasting memories. Get ready for fabulous photo opportunities of magnificent icebergs as we sail around the Antarctic Peninsula. This immersive cruise is the ultimate Antarctica journey that will make for the trip of a lifetime.

Highlights

• Celebrate your inner strength as you brave the Drake Passage
• Marvel at an array of incredible wildlife from whales breaching the surface to albatross' flying overhead
• Discover the island where Ernest Shackleton spent his last days
• Pop into a post office and buy stamps from islanders who call this remote part of the world home
• Mingle on beaches with thousands of rockhopper, Gentoo and king penguins

Quick Itinerary

Day 1: Ushuaia
Day 2: At sea
Day 3: West Point Island & Saunders Island
Day 4: Port Stanley
Days 5 & 6: At sea
Days 7 - 9: South Georgia
Days 10 & 11: At sea
Day 12: Elephant Island
Days 13 & 14: Antarctic Peninsula
Day 15: South Shetland Islands
Days 16 & 17: At sea
Day 18: Ushuaia

Secure your space today by calling one of our Travel Specialists on 0203 196 1000 or enquire here

Departures and Prices

Day 1 – Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia is the gateway to the White Continent. Found at the southernmost tip of South America in Argentinian Patagonia, the city is often described as “the End of the World”. The city’s mountain backdrop rises above the harbour and entrance to the Beagle Channel. The town itself is walkable and has a few small museums as well as pubs, restaurants and cafes - a good place to try Patagonian lamb cooked over open fire pits.

Day 2 - At sea

Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by as you traverse the Drake Passage. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to the ship's library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of the onboard lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from a team of onboard professional photographers.

Day 3 - West Point Island and Saunders Island

Site of bloody battles in the 1982 war, this westerly Falklands Island is now overrun with flora and fauna. Living alongside a small population who welcome you with ‘smoko’ - tea and cakes - are black-browed albatross and king cormorants who nest in the cliffs. As your ship drops anchor, keep an eye out for dolphins and orca whales in the water, as well as elephant seals, sea lions and five species of penguin lounging on the beaches.

Birdlife is the big draw on Saunders Island, a lush sheep-farming island, where thousands of rams and ewes roam. Settled by British explorers in 1765, the island’s unique scenery includes the beaches at The Neck filled with the cacophony of rockhopper, Gentoo and king penguin colonies, and you might spot the pillar-shaped nests of black-browed albatross. Nine of the Falklands’ 14 endemic plants, including silvery buttercup and hairy daisy, grow here and are a real treat.

Day 4 - Port Stanley

Anyone familiar with Britain’s trademark red post boxes might spot a resemblance in this British outpost. Port Stanley, on East Falkland, is the tiny capital of the Falkland Islands and is small enough to get around on foot. You can visit The Historic Dockyard Museum devoted to maritime history and exploration or pop into the post office. Magellanic penguins gather in hordes at nearby Gypsy Cove, and sea lions and dolphins frolic in the harbour.

Days 5 & 6 - At sea

As you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring the ship’s facilities and learning about your destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some downtime in your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the options are numerous.

Days 7 - 9 - South Georgia

Often called the “Galapagos of the Poles”, South Georgia has a number of landing sites where you get up close to half a million king penguins or three million breeding pairs of macaroni penguins, making up the largest population in the world. If you are lucky you will also see harrumphing elephant seals - from a distance! You'll also visit Grytviken, the historic whaling station where legendary British explorer Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) is buried.

Days 10 & 11 - At sea

As you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring the ship’s facilities and learning about your destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some downtime in your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the options are numerous.

Day 12 - Elephant Island

Elephant Island, named for the elephant seals that call this place home, is a harsh, glacier-covered and volcanic island on the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands. It was here that legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew from the Endurance were stranded for months in 1914. At Point Wild, his monument overlooks a colony of gentoo penguins. Chinstrap and macaroni penguins gather at Cape Lookout alongside the island’s main residents, elephant seals.

Days 13 & 14 - Antarctic Peninsula

Among captivating glaciers, majestic icebergs and snowy islands, the Antarctic Peninsula is where most visitors to the White Continent will live out their Antarctica dream. The Antarctic Peninsula, the most accessible area of the continent, hosts several scientific bases and some of the most interesting wildlife scenery, such as the extremely photogenic Lemaire Channel. Shore excursions might include Petermann Island, where among Adelie penguins, blue-eyed shags and skuas, huge, lumbering elephant seals haul out.

Day 15 - South Shetland Islands

While the South Shetlands’ proximity to Antarctica makes the ice-bound sea impassable during winter (April to November), these are the first islands to see snowmelt in spring (March) and the slightly warmer temperature means that the fauna is also different from what you see in Antarctica proper. As you go ashore by Zodiac, notice ferns, grasses, lichens and native flora that have more in common with Patagonia than they do with Antarctica.

Days 16 & 17 - At sea

Spend the next couple of days enjoying the many amenities of your ship as you cruise towards Argentina

Day 18 - Ushuaia

Disembark in Ushuaia and begin your onward journey

Secure your space today by calling one of our Travel Specialists on 0203 196 1000 or enquire here