Sailing in comfort aboard the comfortable and well-appointed M/V Marina Svetaeva, we begin this 12-night expedition at the tip of South America in Ushuaia, Argentina. We chart a course through the Drake Passage on our way to the Weddell Sea, that ice-choked sea made famous by the saga of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men from the Endurance expedition. Images of massive tabular icebergs, ice-choked waters and human hardship come to mind when contemplating the Weddell Sea, all sights that we hope to see and experience over the course of our 13 days onboard the expedition cruise vessel.
We will make our first landfall in the South Shetland Islands, most likely attempting a landing at Point Wild on Elephant Island before testing the limits of the ice in the Weddell Sea.
We will push for Paulet Island, one of the Peninsula’s largest penguin rookeries before heading south to Snow Hill Island, base for the Heroic Age Nordenskjold expedition and Seymour Island, where scientists are still finding fossils of giant penguins. We’ll head south among the islands of the western shore of the Weddell Sea, in search of stragglers from an emperor penguin colony, as we virtually back-track along the route the ‘Endurance’ drifted.

Our departure from the Weddell Sea will take us back into the South Shetland Islands, perhaps to the abandoned whaling station at Deception Island, or the chinstrap penguin rookery at Half Moon Island.

Today we will make time to view this small city at the base of a stunning mountain range. Jagged mountains tower above the harbour as civilization clings to the shoreline. We will board the ship in the late afternoon and as we “throw the lines” and leave the dock, our adventure will begin.

From the first moment, we will encourage you to be outside on the excellent viewing decks of the ship, watching for the soaring black-browed albatross or perhaps over the side of the ship for the porpoising Magellanic penguins. We will bear eastwards down the Beagle Channel, heading for the rolling swell of the Drake Passage and an adventure of a lifetime.

We will awake to the ‘hopefully’ gentle motion of the ship, rolling in the swells of the Drake Passage. This famed passage is known for the challenging weather conditions that it posed to the famous square-rigged ships of the sailing era.

The excitement on the ship is palpable as the miles drift by. New friends will be made and stories will be told as the days pass. Onboard entertainment in the form of educational presentations about the Southern Ocean, Antarctic wildlife, glaciers, ice and exploration history will be punctuated by sumptuous meals and the announcements from our staff as a new species of bird is spotted. Who can resist the lure of the great wandering albatross, that bird that soared to fame in the lines of “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner”? Perhaps a whale spout on the horizon will have us rushing to the rail. Whatever it is, keep your ears peeled and a warm jacket nearby so that you too can rush to the outer decks for a view.

A chain of islands located north and on the ‘weather’ side of the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetland Islands are known for their more maritime climate and an abundance of wildlife. We will cruise these volcanic islands in search of chinstrap penguin rookeries, perhaps the wafting ‘steam’ of a Southern Elephant seal wallow or perhaps the signs of exploration left on the beaches in the form of tri-pots and abandoned whaling stations.
We will hope to visit Deception Island, with a goal of visiting the chinstrap penguin rookery at Baily Head. If weather precludes this, we will attempt a landing inside this active volcanic caldera.

At about 25 nautical miles long and about 10 nautical miles wide, the Antarctic Sound separates Joinville Island from the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. As we sail into the sound, we will look to our starboard and the vastness of the Antarctic icecap, imagining the sweeping katabatic (gravity-driven) winds that this region is famous for.

The only difference discernable as we sail into the Weddell Sea will be an increase in the number of big tabular icebergs and the presence of sea ice. Our goal will be to explore the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and its offshore islands. In particular, this region is home to Adelie penguin rookeries of astonishing size. We will maximize our time onshore as well as in our inflatable landing craft, absorbing as much of the wilderness and beauty as possible in every breath we take. Planned excursions may include Paulet Island, Brown Bluff and even the southerly Snow Hill Island, where we will observe Weddell and elephant seals, skuas and other seabirds as well as a shocking abundance of penguins.

One of our excursions will be planned with the aim of landing on the physical continent of Antarctica itself and not just on an offshore island. There are a few landing spots that will fall into this category and as we visit them, some of us may pause to consider the bravery and/or foolhardiness of those who traveled a hundred years before us. To gain a better appreciation of those explorers, some of us may choose to camp ashore overnight. Whatever your vantage point, whether onboard or from shore, expect to feel transformed as you experience twilight from the very bottom of the planet.

We make our way north, heading again across the Antarctic Convergence and the Drake Passage before rounding Cape Horn from west to east. We will approach the Beagle Channel and sail westwards up it toward the port and town of Ushuaia. We will encourage the captain to join us in the dining room as we celebrate the conclusion of our Polar expedition at a farewell dinner.

The mood will change as we awake this morning and plan our departure from the ship and the trans-continental or trans-ocean travel that will take us back to our homes and families. Returning home, we will find it easy to slip mentally back onto the decks of a ship rolling to the tempo of the Southern Ocean as we recount stories of our adventures to friends and families. This is truly an adventure to last a lifetime!