South Georgia, Antarctic Cruises

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.

En route to South Georgia, you cross the Antarctic Convergence. The temperature cools considerably within the space of a few hours, and nutritious water rises to the surface of the sea due to colliding water columns. This phenomenon attracts a multitude of seabirds near the ship, including several species of albatross, shearwaters, petrels, prions, and skuas.

This small group of 6 islands on the South Georgia Ridge sits in shallower waters. The nutrient-rich waters in this area offer a lot of food for birds and whales. The islands are named after the South Georgian Shags, known for their bright blue eyes and yellow patch on their beak.

Today you arrive at the first South Georgia activity site. Please keep in mind that weather conditions in this area can be challenging, largely dictating the program. Sites you might visit include: Prion Island, home of the great wandering albatrosses; Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay and Gold Harbour, home to the three largest king penguin colonies in South Georgia and some of the world's largest breeding beaches for southern elephant seals; Fortuna Bay, where you may follow the final leg of Shackleton's route to the abandoned whaling village of Stromness; Leith Harbour, Stromness and Husvik, reminders of the scale of the early-20th-century whaling industry; Grytviken, the abandoned whaling station where you might see the South Georgia Museum and Shackleton's grave; Cobblers Cove and Godthul, home to macaroni penguins and light-mantled sooty albatrosses; Royal Bay, one of the windiest bays on the island with roughly 30,000 pairs of king penguins; Cooper Bay, with the largest chinstrap penguin population; Drygalski Fjord, with spectacular views of 2km-high mountain peaks; and King Haakon Bay, where Shackleton reached land after his 800-mile open-boat journey from Elephant Island.

There may be sea ice on this route; south polar skuas and snow petrels could join the other seabirds such as albatrosses and petrels trailing the vessel. Eventually we reach the Drake Passage and you're again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south.

You arrive and disembark in Ushuaia, commonly held to be the world's most southern city, located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and nicknamed the "End of the World." But despite this stopping point, the wealth of memories you've made on your Antarctic expedition will travel with you wherever your next adventure lies.