Antarctic Explorer is a FLY/SAIL expedition, departing from Punta Arenas to King George Island to continue exploring by sea.
Early Antarctic explorers returned from their voyages to the deep south with tales of a magnificent, ice-covered land teeming with life. Immerse yourself in the unimaginable beauty of the Antarctic Peninsula, where vast glaciers tumble into the sea, penguins are dwarfed by soaring peaks and humpback and minke whales feast on abundant krill. On this voyage, the splendid scenery extends through the Chilean Fjords, with channels flanked by majestic mountains.
Highlights
• Witness extraordinary wildlife including many mammals and birdlife that are unique to this area.
• Zodiac cruise in secluded bays and quiet coves filled with brash ice and photograph enormous glaciers and spectacularly shaped icebergs in various shades of blue.
• Keep a close watch for the tail fluke of whales as they take a deep dive, see porpoising penguins and ice seals such as Weddell and crabeater seals hauled out on ice floes.
• Sail the Chilean Fjords, keeping watch for the many seabirds and marine wildlife including dolphins, sea lions and whales preparing to return to warmer climates for the winter.
Arrive in Punta Arenas, where you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to our hotel. We ask that you arrive no later than 4.00 pm so that you may attend our important briefing this evening.
Please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby between 10.00 am – 6.00 pm to collect your luggage cabin tags. Our team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with information about where to dine or purchase last minute items.
Overlooking the Straits of Magellan, the city sits astride one of the world’s most historic trade routes. Today, Punta Arenas reflects a great blend of cultural backgrounds, from English sheep ranchers to Portuguese sailors. It remains an utterly fascinating testament to Chile’s rich history. Modern day Punta Arenas is home to many popular restaurants, and bars, offering a mix of local and international fare (meals at your own expense today).
At 7.00 pm this evening, meet your fellow expeditioners at a voyage briefing where we will reconfirm your transfer times for tomorrow, explain the procedures for your flight to King George Island and outline important IAATO regulations for visitors to Antarctica.
Accommodation: Hotel Cabo de Hornos (or similar)
This morning we will be transferred to Punta Arenas airport for our charter flight to King George Island, Antarctica (weather permitting). The flight will take approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes.
On arrival into King George Island our expedition team is on hand to greet you for your Zodiac transfer to board the vessel. You’ll have time to settle into your cabin before our important briefings.
Note: King George Island is located at the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands and is one of the most remote places on Earth. A clear sky with perfect visibility is required for safe take-off and landing. We apologise in advance for any delays.
It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.
Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, and we have a host of choices available to us. Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities.
We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You’ll want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts and explore some of our favourite spots along the peninsula.
While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you’ll have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters – conditions permitting!
In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding. This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea, and take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.
Enjoy a final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands before we re-enter the Drake Passage for our return journey to South America.
With lectures and film presentations to complete our Antarctic experience, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and the life that calls it home. There is time for reflection and discussion about what we have seen and experienced. We hope you become ambassadors for Antarctica telling your family, friends and colleagues about your journey to this magical place, advocating for its conservation and preservation so that they might one day visit the region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here.
As we approach the tip of South America, our Captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and time permitting.
As we approach the tip of South America, our Captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and time permitting. Sail through fjords and channels flanked by majestic mountains discovered by European explorers over 500 years ago. Keep a look out for seabirds and marine wildlife including dolphins, sea lions, and whales preparing to migrate to Antarctica to fatten up on plentiful krill.
During the early morning, we are quietly slipping into dock in Punta Arenas, where we begin disembarking at around 8.00 am. Farewell your expedition team and fellow travellers as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature. A transfer to your hotel in Punta Arenas or to the airport is included in the cost of the voyage.
On disembarkation, passengers on flights departing prior to 2.00 pm will be transferred directly to Punta Arenas Airport, while those fortunate enough to be continuing their travels in this spectacular region of the world, will be transferred to their post-voyage Punta Arenas accommodation. Passengers flying after 2.00 pm will have time to explore Punta Arenas, prior to an afternoon airport transfer, the details of which will be provided onboard prior to disembarkation.
Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing Punta Arenas prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.
Inclusions
*Please note we travel to remote regions and therefore the connection can be unreliable.
Exclusions
Sea Kayaking From US$ 1,330 pp
Scuba Diving From US$ 1,295 pp
Snorkelling From US$ 675 pp
Paddling From US$ 640 pp
All prices are subject to availability, quoted per person and expressed in USD. Use our advanced filters to tailor your search by month, year, trip length and/or budget. Find the perfect adventure for you and discover beautiful and exciting destinations!