Polar Circle Antarctic Peninsula Expedition
12 Days - 11 Nights
- Based on Double Occupancy
Pass through waters traveled by Humpback, Minke and Fin whales – and hike, kayak, and dive for 12D/11N starting at $9,650.00 per person.
M/V Plancius was built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy and was named Hr. Ms. Tydeman.
M/V Plancius can accommodate 110 passengers in 53 passenger cabins with private toilet and shower: 26 twin cabins with window, 2 twin deluxe cabins, 10 superior cabins, 9 twin porthole cabins, 2 triple porthole cabins, 4 quadruple porthole cabins.
All cabins offer lower berths (either two single beds or one queen-size bed), except for the 4 quadruple cabins (2 bunk beds), and 2 triple cabins (1 bunk bed plus 1 lower bed). The vessel offers a restaurant/lecture room and a spacious observation lounge with large windows, offering full panorama view.
The ship has large open deck spaces, giving excellent opportunities to enjoy the scenery and wildlife. She is furthermore equipped with 10 Mark V zodiacs, including 40 HP 4-stroke outboard engines.
Voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic regions are primarily defined by an exploratory educational travel program, spending as much time ashore as possible. The vessel is ice-strengthened and was specially built for oceanographic voyages.
The ship is manned by 17 nautical crew, 19 hotel staff (6 chefs, 1 hotel manager, 1 steward-barman and 11 stewards / cabin cleaners), 8 expedition staff (1 expedition leader and 7 guides-lecturers) and 1 doctor.
Lost World Adventures itineraries can be tailor-made according to your plans and preferences: budget, hotel selections, travel dates, optional excursions, length of trip, etc.
Day 1 : Ushuaia
In the afternoon, embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world located at the Beagle Channel and sail through this scenic waterway for the rest of the evening.
Days 2 – 3 : Drake Passage
During today and tomorrow we sail across the Drake Passage. When we cross the Antarctic Convergence, we arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling zone.
In this area we may meet 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. Near the South Shetland Islands, we glimpse at the first icebergs.
The Master of the vessel may decide to sail the narrow English Strait between Robert Island and Greenwich Island or McFarlane Strait between Greenwich Island and Livingston Island if the conditions are favourable. Then we might be able to enter Antarctic coastal waters in the late evening of the third day and see Aitcho Island at the South Shetlands.
If the conditions do not allow us to manoeuvre through the English Strait then we continue sailing South of Livingston. These volcanic islands or the South Shetlands are windswept and often shrouded in mist and fog, but do offer subtle pleasures.
There is a nice variety of flora (mosses, lichens and flowering grasses) and fauna, such as Gentoo Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins and southern Giant Petrels.
Days 4 – 9 : Antarctic Peninsula
We may start our first day in Antarctica with a landing at Hannah Point, where we will find a nice variety of Gentoo Penguins, Chinstraps and southern Giant Petrels, as well as Elephant Seals hauling out on the beach. At Deception Island is a subducted crater, which opens into the sea creating a natural harbour for the ship.
Here we find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of Cape Petrels and many Kelp Gulls, Brown and South Polar Skuas and Antarctic Terns. Wilson’s Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm Petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay.
On our way further South we call at Cuverville Island, a small precipitous island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Rongé Island. It contains a large colony of Gentoo Penguins and breeding pairs of Brown Skuas. In Neko Harbour and Paradise Bay with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, we have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent.
We aim for a for zodiac cruise between the icebergs in the inner parts of the amazing water way of Paradise Bay. We sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island offering Adélie Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags.
We also try to land at Pléneau Island with a fair chances to encounter Humpback and Minke Whales. Overnight we head south along the Argentine Islands to Crystal Sound, and cross the Polar Circle in the morning. We aim to make a landing at the abandoned British station on Detaille Island which is likely to be our furthest south.
The landscape is very impressive with very high mountains and huge glaciers. We may reach the Fish Islands on the way northwards were we encounter one of the southernmost Adélie Penguin and Blue-eyed Shag colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula.
Sailing north again through Neumayer Channel and Gerlache Strait, we arrive at the Melchior Islands with a very beautiful landscape with icebergs, where we may encounter Leopard Seals, Crabeater Seals and whales. Throughout this area offers excellent opportunities for kayaking and diving in the pristine Antarctic environment.
- Additional activities (at additional cost):
- Kayaking – Paddle your way through the Polar waters.
An optional activity, kayaking is a fantastic way to explore the shorelines of the Polar Regions. You’ll set out from your mother ship in the calm waters of a secluded bay, exploring the coastline at your own pace. Paddling your way through the quiet of the scenery you’ll be able to fully enjoy the serene beauty of the Arctic or Antarctic landscapes that surround you. - Polar Diving – Dive into the beautiful deep blue.
If you’re searching for a way to expand your diving experience, join us on one of our diving cruises. Experienced divers will have the chance to glide through the amazing blue waters of the Arctic or Antarctic.
Days 10 – 11 : Drake Passage
Return voyage across the Drake Passage where we again have a chance of seeing many seabirds.
Day 12 : Ushuaia
Morning arrival in Ushuaia. Disembark after breakfast.
Scan this QR code to visit this page with your mobile device:
Panama Discovery Tour
Journey to a land where ancient history collides with modern marvels, and breathtaking natural beauty unfolds at every turn. This is Panama, a country of staggering contrasts, where you can stand in awe of a 21st-century engineering feat one day and immerse yourself in the rich traditions of an indigenous community the next.
Arequipa and Colca Canyon Peru
Arequipa is Peru's second largest city and was founded in 1540. The buildings in the center have been built almost exclusively of the volcanic material called 'sillar,' a white, porous rock, giving Arequipa its nickname of 'The White City'. The place is tranquil yet delightful, all set in a rich green valley at the foot of the mighty El Misti Volcano.
Andean Explorer Train – Andean Plains and Islands of Discovery
Evening departure from Arequipa with a cocktail reception followed by dinner before you tuck into your sumptuous cabin where you let the scenery lull you to sleep. Awake to the sunrise at Lake Titicaca and an early breakfast. A full day at Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, awaits.
Guyana in Living Color Travel Package
Guyana rewards curiosity. It’s a country that has managed to keep its wild heart intact—an expanse of rainforest, rivers, and savannahs that remains more lived-in than overrun. This journey traces its contrasts: the creole pulse of Georgetown’s markets, the ancient calm of the interior, and the thundering solitude of Kaieteur Falls.
