Our 21-day cruise starts in the south of Argentina: in Puerto Madryn, on board the M.V. Hondius – one of the best and most proven expedition ships.
She will bring us to the natural wonders of Falklands, South Georgia, South Orkney and the Antarctic Peninsula. In the endless ice landscape, you might be willing to believe that one is actually already on another planet, the real world seems so far away.
The absolute characters of Antarctica are penguins. Of the seventeen penguin species that exist worldwide, around half breed on the Antarctic Peninsula and the offshore islands such as: King, Adelie, Macaroni, Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguin.
Elephant seals, fur seals, Wedell seals and leopard seals as well as many species of sea birds such as albatrosses and skuas enrich the shore and boat excursions.
But also the underwater world of the Antarctic and in particular of South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula is unique: Dense kelp forests, steep walls and block landscapes characterize the underwater landscape. Starfish in all sizes, colours and shapes can be found as well as strange-looking fish, crustaceans and nudibranches.
Antarctica is a dream for underwater photographers – not least because of the chance to encounter large leopard seals or lively penguins here.
The first part of the cruise takes us to Falkland, a former war zone and today a natural wonder with colonies of sea birds.
Then it goes to South Georgia. We explore the fantastic island for several days. We visit Grytviken and the relics of the inglorious whaling times. The highlight of this part, however, are the around 250,000 breeding pairs of king penguins. The sight of this vast number of birds has never left any visitor unimpressed!
After a few days in South Georgia, we continue to the Antarctic Peninsula with a stop at the South Orkney Islands. We enter the 7th continent and experience natural wonders such as different species of penguins, seals and whales. A real highlight are the huge leopard seals and sightings of orcas are possible.
On all “land days” there is also the opportunity to explore icebergs and marine life underwater. Encounters with penguins, leopard seals and seals will be a part of it!
At the end of a long sea voyage, we see Cape Horn from afar before the M.V. Hondius enters the Beagle Channel, and heads towards Ushuaia.
Price per person
from 9,790 Euro
Tour dates on request
Important information - diving
A maximum of 24 divers can take part in the trip. And when most of the passengers leave for shore, there is an alternative diving option for all those guests who have booked the additional diving package.
The diving package costs € 800 and includes max. two dives per day on land days (depending on the weather), steel tanks (12 liters, INT & DIN, double valve) and weights.
Usually, the briefing and the divers’ exit take place first to save time. The shore excursions usually last 3-4 hours, whereas the diving time under water is seldom more than 35-40 minutes, at water temperatures below 0° Celsius this is often more than enough.
The early departure enables the diving groups to also experience a shortened, usually 1-1½ hour shore excursion after the dive.
The diving program always depends on the prevailing weather and ice conditions. The final decision on where and in what form the dives will take place is made by the expedition leader and the dive master.
Divers must bring their personal equipment and dry suits as well as spare parts; rental equipment is not available on board.
Due to extremely limited access to medical care, safety has main priority on all dives. If the dive leader decides that a diver does not have the necessary experience, he may exclude him from the diving program. In this case Oceanwide Expeditions & Northern Explorers cannot be held (financially) responsible and will not grant any claims for missed dives.
All divers are always obliged to follow the instructions of the dive leader and dive at their own risk!