Antarctic Odyssey

Our trip then continues north-east to one of the Sub-Antarctic Islands, Macquarie - a World Heritage Site with its endemic Royal Penguins as well as several other species including Erect-crested - before concluding the 31-day expedition in Invercargill on New Zealand's South Island.

Throughout the voyage the scenery and wildlife will be spectacular and the areas we visit are monuments to the great explorers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. All aspects of the experience will be enhanced by knowledgeable and experienced expedition staff who not only guide shore excursions but also give regular lectures on a wide variety of subjects.

The trip is full of highlights, too numerous to mention as are the islands which we will explore which include, among many others, Peter 1st Island and Ross Island with its dramatic mountains - Erebus, Terror and Bird - and famous spots which played such an important role in the British expeditions of the last century.

Working on the principal of "what goes up must come down" the ship will return to Ushuaia by the same route and so, if you prefer, you can join in New Zealand and return from South America.

View details of our Antarctic Peninsula,
Falklands and South Georgia tours

Your Itinerary

This itinerary is for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions, the availability of landing sites and opportunities to see wildlife. The final itinerary will be determined by the Expedition Leader on board. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.

Wednesday 16th January
In the afternoon, we 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.

Thursday 17th & Friday 18th January
At sea.

Saturday 19th January
We arrive in the Antarctic Peninsula and sail in the early morning through the spectacular Lemaire Channel and land on Pléneau Island, where Elephant Seals haulout on the beaches. Gentoo Penguins, Kelp Gulls and South Polar Skuas are confirmed breeders. Pléneau Island was first charted by the French Antarctic Expedition of 1903-05 of Jean-Baptiste Charcot and was named after his expedition's photographer Paul Pléneau. We will also visit Petermann Island with colonies of Adélie and Gentoo Penguins and Imperial Cormorants (Blue-eyed Shags).

Sunday 20th January
Sailing south through the Penola Strait, we cross the Polar Circle and arrive at the Fish Islands. The small islands lying east of Flouder Island are called the Minnows, first charted by the British Graham Land Expedition whilst Detaille Island was discovered by the French. From 1956 till 1959, The British Antarctic Survey had their "Station W" located on Detaille Island. On both locations we may observe Adélie Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags.

Monday 22nd & Tuesday 23rd January
We sail across the Bellingshausen Sea, where we may see our first pack-ice.

Wednesday 24th January
Peter I Island, or in Norwegian Peter I Øy, is an uninhabited volcanic island (19 kilometres long ) in the Bellingshausen Sea. It was discovered by Fabian von Bellingshausen in 1821 and was named after the Russian Tsar Peter I. It is claimed by Norway and considered a territory by its own. It is sporadically visited by passenger vessels. On earlier landings made by an Oceanwide office staff member he saw groups of Elephant Seals and colonies of Southern Fulmars and Cape Pigeons.

Thursday 25 - Wednesday 30 January
These days we sail through the Amundsen Sea along and through the outer fringes of the pack-ice, which - depending of ice-conditions - will give us glimpses of the Antarctic Continent. As we sail along and through the ice we'll be hoping for sightings of single straggling Emperor Penguins, groups of seals on ice-floes, and also Orca and Minke Whales along the ice-edge, often accompanied by different species of petrels. If the sea-ice allows, we will try to land on Shephard Island in Marie Byrd Land among colonies of Chinstrap Penguins and South Polar Skua's.

Thursday 31 January
We approach the Ross Ice Shelf, a floating mass of land-ice, with a front of 30 meters high. In the Bay of Whales at the eastern side of the shelf, close to Roosevelt Island, Roald Amundsen gained access to the Shelf and ventured to the South Pole, where he finally arrived on 14 December 1911. For us it is perhaps a chance to climb on the shelf as well.

Friday 01 February
We spend the day sailing alongside the Ross Ice Shelf.

Saturday 02 - Tuesday 05 February
In the Ross Sea we will visit Ross Island, guarded by Mount Erebus, Mount Terror and Mount Bird with all the famous spots which played such an important role in the dramatic British expeditions of the last century such as Cape Royds with the cabin of Ernest Shackleton. If ice-conditions are favourable, we will also visit Cape Evans with the cabin of Robert Falcon Scott; from Hut Point Scott and his men set out for the South Pole. We will further make attempts to visit the US-station McMurdo and Scott Base (New Zealand). From Castle Rock we will have a great view across the Ross Ice Shelf toward the South Pole. We will have a view into Taylor Valley, one of the Dry valleys, where on our planet you are closest to the conditions on Mars.

Wednesday 06 & Thursday 07 February
Sailing along the eastern west coast of the Ross Sea, we pass by the Drygalski Ice Tongue and the Italian Station in Terra Nova Bay and further Cape Hallet.

Friday 08 February
Cape Adare is the place where people for the very first time wintered on the Antarctic Continent. The hut where the Norwegian Borchgrevink stayed in 1899, is surrounded by the largest colony of Adélie Penguins in the World.

Saturday 09 February
At sea.

Sunday 10 February
We sail along the Balleny Islands, discovered in 1839 by the British captain John Balleny.

Monday 10 & Tuesday 11 February
At sea.

Wednesday 12 February
Macquarie Island is a Tasmanian State Reserve and became in 1997 a World Heritage Site. The Australian Antarctic Division has its permanent base on "Macca". The Australian Frederick Hasselborough discovered the island during a voyage, searching for new sealing grounds. The fauna on Macquarie is fantastic with colonies of King, Gentoo and Southern Rockhopper Penguins. The Royal Penguins (almost one million breeding pairs!) and Macquarie Shags are endemic species. Elephant Seals are also present, as well as various fur seals species such as the New Zealand Fur Seal.

Thursday 13 & Friday 14 February
At sea.

Saturday 15 February
We arrive in Invercargill (New Zealand) where passengers depart for their homebound journey.

Voyage OTL27 ends in Ushuaia on 17 March 2013, Argentina and starts in Invercargill and offers the same itinerary as described above, but in reverse.

Related information:

• M/v Ortelius

More polar holiday destinations:

• Antarctica
• Greenland
• North Atlantic Odyssey
• Spitsbergen (Svalbard)