Weddell Sea - In search of the Emperor Penguin incl. helicopters
Member Savings
Sign in to see which companies give additional
savings to Travelstride Members (it’s free)
Overview
Highlights
- Explore Ushuaia
- A beautiful helicopter flight over huge blue icebergs and fast ice can also be made close to View Point in Duse Bay.
- Visit Devil Island and Vega Island with a large colony of Adélie Penguins and a magnificent view for those hikers who can make it to the top of the hill.
- Visit Gourdin Island, with three penguin species; Chinstrap, Gentoo and Adélie.
- Experience Walking on the pack ice in the Weddell Sea
What's this trip about?
Compare to similar trips
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary
- All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
- All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
- Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
- Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
- During voyages Weddell Sea and Ross Sea voyages: ship-to-shore helicopter transfers (with no specific amount of helicopter time guaranteed)
- Luggage transfer from pick-up point to the vessel on the day of embarkation, in Ushuaia.
- Pre-scheduled group transfer from the vessel to the airport in Ushuaia (directly after disembarkation).
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
- Comprehensive pre-departure material.
View Similar Trips
Itinerary
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.
During these two days we will 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 Albatrosses, Cape Petrels, Southern Fulmars, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Blue Petrels and Antarctic Petrels.
A typical itinerary in the Weddell Sea could be as follows. This is a sample only, the final itinerary will be determined by the Expedition Leader on board. We will sail into the Weddell Sea and if the Antarctic Sound is accessible and the ice does not prevent us to ...
In the morning we plan to visit Half Moon Island where we can see Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, various other bird-species as well as a chance for Southern elephant seals and Weddell seals. Early in the afternoon we will sail to Deception Island where we have the last landing of our voyage at Pendulum Cove or Whalers Bay.
On our way north we are again followed by a great selection of seabirds while crossing the Drake Passage.
We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark after breakfast.
The use of helicopters has a great advantage and can support us in our goal to reach the Emperor Penguin colony, but the itinerary is ruled by the forces of nature, ice and weather conditions. If the conditions are favourable, we intend to spend the first two days in ...
Want a tailor-made trip instead?
Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:
- You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
- Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Oceanwide Expeditions.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
Oceanwide Expeditions Reviews & Ratings
Other Oceanwide Expeditions Reviews
Terrible Customer Service for Cancellations
I booked an Antarctic Peninsula trip two years ago through Oceanwide Expeditions that I have been looking forward to for a long time. My goal is to scuba dive on eve...
Seeing Antarctica the Right Way
We dreamed of this trip for 26 years before finally pulling the plug and spending the money. For us it would be a once in a lifetime experience. And it turned out to...
Trip of a lifetime
If I could I would have awarded this 10 stars. I booked this expedition to achieve my lifetime ambition which I had held since I was 12, of visiting Antarctia. At th...
Travelers also viewed
Tour Operator
Oceanwide Expeditions offers since 1996 unique, small-group polar expedition cruises to the Arctic and Antarctica. We own, manage and operate the vessels: m/v Plancius (116 pax), m/v Ortelius (116 pax), s/v Rembrandt van Rijn (33 pax) and s/v Noorderlicht (20 pax). The Dutch ”Plancius Foundation“ (1981-1996) was the predecessor of Oceanwide Expeditions, the first cruise operator ever to organize since 1983 on a yearly basis expedition cruise voyages to and around Spitsbergen.
"Experience true emotions in the polar regions, with Oceanwide Expeditions”
Keeping days at sea short and implementing fast gangway operations allow us to give our guests maximum time ashore to explore. We offer two landings per day, morning and afternoon (weather permitting). Sailing schedules and land programs are flexible, and will always be adapted to local sea ice and weather conditions and wildlife opportunities. Our fleet of inflatable zodiacs are ready in no time for taxi shuttles to shore , and cruises among ice-floes and the local wildlife. While cruising and actively exploring the polar regions, we are sure that you will become increasingly fascinated by these unique wildernesses, places of drama, wildlife, history and true emotion. Welcome aboard!
“Join us for a quality discovery cruise in the Arctic and Antarctica”
Discover the pristine and mysterious polar planet with us! We are pioneers of ship-based exploratory tourism in the Arctic and Antarctica and awarded as ‘World’s Leading Polar Expedition Operator’. We are organising unique expedition cruise programs to the polar regions for guests who want to actively enjoy the spectacular scenery, explore nature and wildlife of some of the world’s most stunning and pristine shorelines, above and below the oceans, at sea and on land.
“Oceanwide Expeditions brings your polar experience to a higher level”
The regions we visit during our wildlife expeditions contain hardly any infrastructure and are almost only reachable by boat. Oceanwide Expeditions operates, so to speak, on the borderline of land and water, where daily guided excursions guarantee intensive and individual nature and wildlife experience in small groups. Our carefully prepared and unique voyages are primarily defined by an exploratory and environmentally friendly travel program, which is flexible and guarantees much time for adventure packed activities, combined with educational lectures on board. For special activities we provide industry leading equipment: tents, sleeping bags, snowshoes, kayaks, diving compressors, scuba tanks and weights, rubber boots with grip sole, polar jackets, sledges (pulkas), mountaineering hard wear.
“What makes us different”
Oceanwide Expeditions own and operate a modern fleet of small ice-strengthened expedition vessels which comply with highest international safety standards and allow our professional crew to navigate safely through pack-ice and remote narrow waterways. The size, capacity and capability of our small ships have proven to be a successful formula for exploring the remote regions for many years. Our expedition vessels offer a comfortable, friendly, intimate and informal atmosphere. Oceanwide Expeditions is known for exceptional standard of service offered to all passengers on board the ships. Our ships provide cosy and comfortable accommodation and on-board life. Our chefs prepare excellent international and well balanced international cuisine. Our friendly international crew, expedition and hotel staff, most of whom have been with the company for many years, will be anxious to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with their guests. Qualified and experienced expedition guides share their knowledge in lectures on board during sea days and during field excursions; our guides come from all over the world and speak several languages.
About Travelstride
Find your perfect trip
Save time
Save money
Travel confidently
Logistics
What's excluded
- Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights
- Pre- and post- land arrangements.
- Passport and visa expenses.
- Government arrival and departure taxes.
- Meals ashore.
- Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is mandatory).
- Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges.
- The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).
History of Ortelius “Ortelius” was built in Gdynia, Poland in 1989, was named “Marina Svetaeva”, and served as a special purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Science. The vessel is re-flagged and renamed “Ortelius”. “Ortelius” is classed by Lloyd’s Register in London and flies the Cyprus flag. As Plancius, Ortelius was a Dutch / Flemish cartographer. Abraham Ortelius (1527 – 1598) published the first modern world atlas, theTheatrum Orbis Terrarum or Theatre of the World in 1570. At that time, the atlas was the most expensive book ever printed. Perfect for any expedition The vessel has the highest ice-class notation (UL1 equivalent to 1A) and is therefore very suitable to navigate in solid one-year sea ice and loose multi-year pack ice. “Ortelius” is a great expedition vessel for 116 passengers with lots of open-deck spaces. The vessel is manned by 22 highly experienced international nautical crew, 19 international hotel crew, 8 expedition staff (1 expedition leader, 1 assistant expedition leader and 6 guides/lecturers), and 1 doctor. Ortelius: a vessel with comfort and character ”Ortelius” offers a comfortable hotel standard, with a u-shaped, a bar and a lecture room. Our voyages are primarily developed to offer our passengers a quality exploratory wildlife program, trying to spend as much time ashore as possible. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 116 on the “Ortelius”, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities. “Ortelius” carries 10 zodiacs. The zodiac engines are 60hp Yamaha.
Passengers: 116 in 53 cabins Staff & crew: 50 Length: 90.95 meters Breadth: 17.20 meters Draft: 5.4 meters Ice class: UL1 (Equivalent to 1A) Displacement: 4090 tonnes Propulsion: 6 ZL 40/48 SULZER Speed: 14.5 knots maximum
In the case of cancellation by the contracting party, OE is entitled to charge the following cancellation fees to the contracting party:
- up to and including 90 days prior to departure: 20 % of the total price;
- from 89 days up to and including 60 days prior to departure: 50 % of the total price;
- from 59 days up to and including the day of departure: 100 % of the total price .
Other (deviating) cancellation policies / fees (for example in the case of group charters, block charters or whole boat charters) may be applicable; these are valid only if confirmed by OE in writing (in e.g. the original offer made, travel confirmation, (block) charter agreements or in communication sent later) and these cancellation policies shall prevail over those of the cancellation policy
In the case of flight and hotel reservations, a 100 % cancellation fee will apply for those involved costs unless this is a non-refundable ticket / hotel accommodation; in that case the terms and conditions of the related airline company / hotel will apply.
If the contracting party after booking wishes to introduce changes into the booked trip, this is considered a cancellation and the cancellation costs. In case of minor changes, OE is entitled to charge reservation costs of at least 50 EURO per alteration.
OE STRONGLY RECOMMENDS the contracting party in the case of a (travel) organisation: the client(s) of the (travel) organiser to take out a cancellation insurance to cover the costs of any cancellation of the trip
PLEASE NOTE:
Your unique chance to be part of a true expedition voyage! The Emperor Penguin rookery (ca. 4,000 breeding pairs) is situated south of Snow Hill Island. Although we will probably not be able to reach that far south through the ice (less than 50 % chance based on our voyages in the last three seasons), the idea is mainly to situate ourselves in or between the Antarctic Sound and James Ross Island, close to the ice-edge and observe the emperor penguins on their way to the open water. We will use our helicopters in our attempts to search for individual emperor penguins, to make scenic flights and to make helicopter landings in places otherwise inaccessible so early in the season. If ice-conditions are favorable and the route to Snow Hill Island is free of multi-year pack-ice, we will reschedule our voyage and offer ship-to-shore helicopter transfers to Snow Hill Island (as carried out successfully in 2013) at approx. 45 minutes walking distance from the emperor penguin Rookery. If we succeed, this will be a fascinating and a once-in-a lifetime experience. However, we made attempts to reach Snow Hill Island during our voyages in 2012, 2013 and 2014. We only succeeded in 2013; therefore the chances to reach Snow Hill Island are indeed less than 50 %. A typical itinerary to the Weddell Sea is illustrated below. 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.
Become a member
- Save up to $700 per person
- Access members-only specials
- Personalize trip recommendations