Ushuaia - Ushuaia Expedition Antarctica: Weddell Sea intensive (Christmas cruise)

The British overseas territory has more than just a turbulent history; discover its impressive birdlife. Experience this unique ecosystem, which is home to around 60 species, during Zodiac landings. Together with your experts, you can observe rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, who share their habitat with kelp geese, striated caracaras, king cormorants as well as black-browed and wandering albatrosses. Natural history walks take you past the island’s typical dwarf shrubs and tall tussock grass. The first human footprints on the Falkland Islands date back to 1690, and it wasn’t until 1764 that the first settlement was established. The small capital city of Stanley has a very British feel to it today. The former whaling and sealing settlement boasts Victorian houses, small gardens and the southernmost Anglican church in the world.

Days of adventure and great experiences lie ahead of you, when rugged peaks on the horizon signal your approach to this unique animal paradise. South Georgia is often referred to as the “cold Serengeti”. Hundreds of thousands of king penguins blanket the island’s coastlines and mountain slopes. On numerous trips and landings with the Zodiacs, you will experience the animal world from a respectful distance. With a little luck, you will see elephant seals fighting over a harem or gentoo and king penguins in their natural habitat. Your experts, who have extensive experience in the Antarctic, will familiarise you with the flora and fauna. The pioneering days of polar research will come to life for you in Grytviken: in the former whaling station, you will visit the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton and commemorate the heroic efforts with which he once saved his crew.

The South Orkney Islands, a small group of islands with a surface area of around 620 km² (239 mi²), are located in the Scotia Sea. A lonely, glaciated world with ice deserts – and more animal species than on the Galapagos Islands, as scientists have discovered. Who would guess there are around 1,200 animal species here? The South Orkney Islands are home to numerous varieties of penguin, whale and seal, as well as leopard seals. With luck, you will also see icebergs drifting off the rugged coast. In contrast, the Argentinian Orcadas research station – which has been staffed since 1904 – houses just a few people. Depending on the conditions and approval from the station, you will land in the Zodiacs to gain an impression of the isolated life of the polar researchers in the area.

The South Shetland Islands form a long chain in the ocean. The island group opens up exciting chapters of Antarctic exploration and provides expert insights into geology. Here, your small manoeuvrable ship can again prove its expedition capability when it sails into the flooded caldera of the extinct volcano that forms Deception Island. Flanked by rock faces up to 50 m (164 ft) in height, the black sand in front of you gives off steam as a testament to a past eruption – and you in the heart of the scenery. Elephant Island, where history surrounds you, is legendary: polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew spent months here after abandoning their ship in the ice. You, too, will be enchanted by the scenery. Jagged crags loom fiercely on the horizon and the evening sun casts a delicate pink glow over the snowfields.

This expedition takes you in a flexible route towards adventure through the Weddell Sea. The ice cracks and crunches around the ship’s reinforced bow, conveying just how challenging the hardships were that the pioneers of polar research had to endure. Where weather and ice conditions dictate the route, the experienced crew reacts flexibly and spontaneously to provide you with unforgettable expedition moments. The Weddell Sea is home to spectacular ice formations – from majestic tabular icebergs occupied by Adelie penguins to ice shelves as tall as white cliffs and dense carpets of pack ice. How far into this region can the expedition ship actually make it?

The Antarctic Peninsula, part of the coldest continent on Earth, may seem inhospitable at first glance, but it is actually a paradise for countless animal species that have adapted perfectly. Enjoy unforgettable moments when, for example, you set foot on the Antarctic mainland near to Paradise Bay. Snow-covered peaks, imposing icebergs and towering glaciers surround you. Unbelievable views also await you in the bay of Neko Harbor with its rocky massifs. On Petermann Island, look out for gentoo and Adelie penguins as well as blue-eyed cormorants, which have their breeding colonies here. One of the most impressive shipping passages in the world is the Lemaire Channel: mountains up to 1,000 m (3,281 ft) high line the strait of water.