Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetlands and the Weddell Sea

10-12 nights from £4,960

In addition to visiting the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland islands this cruise enters the ice-stifled Weddell Sea, with its vast tabular 'bergs, on the eastern side of the Peninsula. Few departures are scheduled to undertake this route, owing to the thickness of the ice - this is where Shackleton’s ship the Endurance was crushed. One of the primary endeavours will be to spot magnificent Emperor penguins, which have rookeries on Snow Hill Island whence they launch off into the open sea.

Travelling by sea, to get here - and to all Antarctic destinations - you must cross through the Drake Passage where conditions range from lake-like placid to stormy, and where a multitude of birds are likely to accompany the vessels.

On the way south ships pass close to - or drop anchor at - the South Shetland Islands, much visited long ago by scientists and whalers, where towers of black rock shield the flooded caldera of an active volcano and wildlife abounds.

You do not have to travel deep into the continent to see and feel the sheer scale and majesty of Antarctica. The Antarctic Peninsula is a slim finger of land pointing up towards the southernmost tip of South America and defined by mountains considered to be the extension of the Andes. It is the most accessible and mildest region, adorned with hundreds of tiny islands, and a rich breeding ground for Antarctic wildlife: seabirds, penguins and seals. Ships edge their way south through the slush and abstract patterns formed by the fractured ice and, like the early whalers, visitors may be excited to spot a humpback, orca or Minke or two. Place names recall the early explorers: Neumeyer Channel, Lemaire Channel, Petermann Island.

Sail around icebergs drifting in the Antarctic Sound, to the penguin rookeries of Brown Bluff or Paulet Island and the islands of Dundee, Snow Hill and Seymour. Our Emperor Penguin Safari aims to allow passengers to land on Snow Hill Island and visit the resident emperor penguin colony.

Return by ship to Ushuaia.