HIGHLIGHTS
- An
extraordinary opportunity to see the largest species of
penguin—the regal emperor penguin—in its natural
habitat
- Cruise
the seldom-visited Weddell Sea on the east side of the Antarctic
Peninsula
- See
several other penguin species including chinstrap and Gentoo as well as
a variety of seals, whales and seabirds
- Travel
with expert naturalist guides who help you interpret the wildlife and
natural history
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | Quad Porthole | Triple Porthole | Twin Porthole | Twin Window | Twin Deluxe | Superior |
|---|
| Nov 11, 2025 | Nov 21, 2025 | 12,900 | 14,750 | 14,750 | 15,300 | 16,350 | 17,150 |
| Nov 21, 2025 | Dec 01, 2025 | 12,900 | 14,750 | 14,750 | 15,300 | 16,350 | 17,150 |
Rates are listed per person in USD
|
| Start Date | End Date | (Starting from)
Quad Porthole | (Mid-range)
Twin Window | (High-end)
Superior |
|---|
| Nov 11, 2025 | Nov 21, 2025 | 12,900 | 15,300 | 17,150 |
| Nov 21, 2025 | Dec 01, 2025 | 12,900 | 15,300 | 17,150 |
Day
1: End of the world, start of a journey
Your
voyage begins where the world drops off. Ushuaia, Argentina, reputed to
be the southernmost city on the planet, is located on the far southern
tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you embark from this
small resort town on Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed “The End of
the World,” and sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for
the remainder of the evening.
Day 2 - 3: Path of the
polar explorers
Over
the next two days on the Drake Passage, you enjoy some of the same
experiences encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted
these regions: cool salt breezes, rolling seas, maybe even a fin whale
spouting up sea spray. After passing the Antarctic Convergence
– Antarctica’s natural boundary, formed when
north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas
– you are in the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. Not only
does the marine life change, the avian life changes too. 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
are a few of the birds you might see.
Day 4 - 7: Entering
Antarctica
You
may sail into the Weddell Sea via the Antarctic Sound. Here huge
tabular icebergs herald your arrival to the eastern side of the
Antarctic Peninsula. During this part of the cruise, the search is on
for emperor penguins. Using both the vessel and helicopters,
there’s a good chance you’ll find them. You might
also enjoy scenic flights, and if conditions allow, helicopter landings
in locations otherwise out of reach this time of year.
Helicopter
flights are a true trip changer, and may include:
The west slopes of the Antarctic
Sound – The western side of this area is only
rarely seen from the air, though the landscape is truly worth the
flight: Layered sandstones, lava flows, glaciers, icebergs, and
pack-ice extend as far as the eye can see. There are often individual
emperor penguins and Adélie penguins on the ice floes, as
well as kelp gulls, skuas, and various breeds of petrel. Jagged
mountain peaks stab through the snow, and enormous walls of ice lie
shattered on the slopes below.
Duse Bay –
A soaring helicopter flight may deposit you on a rocky hillock close to
an old refuge hut overlooking this bay. There’s still a lot
of snow and ice this time of year, but much of the walk in this
location is over frost-shattered rock covered with lichen of all shapes
and colors.
Seymour Island
– This is where the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901
– 4 wintered under harrowing polar conditions. Sedimentary
rock, fossils, and expansive views define this location.
If
conditions allow for deeper ventures into the Weddell Sea, Zodiac trips
may include:
Devil Island
– Home to a large colony of Adélie penguins, this
island offers a magnificent vantage point for hikers willing to foot it
to the top of the hill. Melting ice sometimes forms a waterfall
dropping from the cliffs close to Cape Well-met.
Brown Bluff
– Maybe the most scenic location in the entire northern tip
of the Antarctic Continent: sheer canyon walls, fallen
boulders, beautiful volcanic creations capped with ice. A large
Adélie penguin rookery lives here, with gentoo penguins and
nesting snow petrels also to be found.
Gourdin Island
– Chinstrap, gentoo, and Adélie penguins love this
island, which is yet another landing option for your continuing
Antarctic adventure.
Esperanza Base
– This Argentine research station, which operates year-round
and is one of only two civilian settlements in Antarctica, could serve
as an alternative landing site.
Day 8: Drake via
Deception Island
In
the morning, you sail to Deception Island for the last landing of the
voyage, either at Pendulum Cove or Whalers Bay. Conditions on the Drake
Passage determine the exact time of departure.
Day 9 - 10: Familiar
seas, familiar friends
Your
return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake,
you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered
from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you
now, and you to them.
Day 11: There and back
again
Every
adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end.
It’s now time to disembark in Ushuaia, but with memories that
will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.
Day 5 - 6: (Alternate
program if the route to Snow Hill Island is free of multi-year pack ice
– less than 50 % probability)
Helicopters
provide an advantage in reaching the emperor penguin colony, but nature
makes the rules in Antarctica. If conditions are favourable,
you’ll spend the first two days at the penguin rookery. The
helicopter operation takes a full day, and the flight duration is
approximately 15 minutes. Each helicopter can accommodate 4 –
6 passengers per flight, and the landing site is carefully chosen so
that the penguins are not disturbed. Upon arrival to the site, it is
about a 45-minute walk to the rookery.
Please keep in mind that you are in the world’s most remote
area: There are no guarantees. Conditions may change rapidly, which can
have a profound impact on our helicopter operations. It is important to
understand and respect this. Safety is our greatest concern, and no
compromises can be made.
Experience
the bird’s-eye-view of Antarctica: -
Experience
the bird’s-eye-view of Antarctica! Our helicopter capability
on m/v Ortelius gives you the rare chance to see the famed emperor
penguin rookery south of Snow Hill Island, numbering around 4,000
breeding pairs. Heavy ice may prevent entrance to this area from the
Weddell Sea, and ice at the rookery itself might break up and start to
melt earlier than expected. With this in mind, the aim is to stop the
vessel between the Antarctic Sound and James Clark Ross Island, close
to the ice edge, and find emperor penguins on their way to open water.
The thrilling helicopter flights make this search possible, enabling
you to land in locations otherwise inaccessible this early in the
season.
If
ice conditions are favorable and the route to Snow Hill Island is free
of multi-year pack ice, you have the chance for ship-to-shore
helicopter transfers to Snow Hill Island (roughly 45 minutes walking
distance from the emperor penguin rookery). If successful, this is a
once-in-a-lifetime experience. But please remember that nature writes
the final itinerary out here: Attempts to reach Snow Hill Island during
the voyages of 2012 – 19 did not always succeed. However, in
2013 and three years in a row (2017 – 2019) conditions were
favorable to land by helicopter on Snow Hill Island and to visit the
emperor penguin rookery.
Ortelius (Expedition, 108-guests)
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
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Included
in this voyage
- 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.
- 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.
Excluded
from this voyage
- 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 strongly recommended).
- 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).
