Ortelius Itinerary
Antarctica - Uncharted islands of the Deep South15 days / 14 nights
About Ortelius
- Refurbished research vessel with three-star accommodation
- Awarded the highest ice-class rating, ensuring safety and comfort
- Equipped with a helicopter pad to facilitate flight transfers
- Enjoy hiking, kayaking, scuba diving, camping, and photography
Ortelius is a refurbished research vessel embarking on adventurous expedition cruises in the polar regions. Awarded the highest ice-class rating, and offering some unique features and amenities – including a helicopter pad and sauna – this vessel combines both comfort and capability during even the remote voyages. As a result, guests can expect to enjoy every moment of their trip, whether lounging in the bar with a cocktail, learning about their surroundings in the lecture room, or embarking on exhilarating activities such as mountaineering, skiing, or scuba diving.
Itinerary details
Length of trip 15 days / 14 nights
Number of dives 0
Experience No experience required
Insurance Required
Highlights
- Dive icebergs to enjoy the beautiful interplay of ice and light
- Gentoo penguins and breeding brown skuas on Cuverville Island
- Mammoth glaciers and endless wind-carved snow at Neko Harbour
- Encounter humpback and minke whales at Paradise Bay
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.
Days 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, and 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, but 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: Through the Pendleton Strait
Arriving at the Antarctic Peninsula near the Antarctic Circle. If sea ice conditions permit, you may continue through Pendleton Strait and attempt a landing at the rarely visited southern tip of Renaud Island. Here, you have the opportunity to encounter the first Adélie penguins of the voyage and enjoy spectacular views of icebergs in this surreal, snow-swept environment.
Later in the afternoon, we will continue our journey towards Adelaide Island and Marguerite Bay, crossing the Polar Circle. We will spend the night in the area of Crystal Sound, where the scenery is so captivating it may keep you awake into the early hours. This region also offers the chance to spot orcas, humpback whales, and minke whales.
Days 5-9: Into Marguerite Bay and sailing toward Lazarev Bay
Days 5-9: Into Marguerite Bay and sailing toward Lazarev Bay
We sail into the majestic Marguerite Bay, surrounded by ice-cloaked islands and soaring peaks. Wildlife sightings may include humpbacks, leopard seals, and possibly Adélie penguins. If ice allows, we may land at Pourquoi Pas or Horseshoe Island before continuing toward Lazarov Bay.
We navigate into Lazarev Bay and will explore this remote area, where icebergs of all shapes and sizes dominate the landscape. Navigation is challenging, and if conditions are favorable, we’ll launch Zodiacs for a stunning ice cruise and prepare for deeper exploration. This is true expedition territory—raw, remote, and rarely visited.
Weather and ice permitting, we head even further south, aiming to reach islands never visited before. With every mile, we step deeper into the unknown, a voyage of discovery in the purest sense. In the evening, we begin repositioning northward, leaving behind the uncharted edges of Antarctica.
Days 10-11: The Gullet and Detaille Island
If conditions allow, we then sail through The Gullet, one of the most impressive narrow channels in Antarctica, with towering mountains on either side, birds following the ship, and playful penguins and seals frolicking in the water as we sail through this very special part of the journey. If ice conditions allow, we will also carry out a landing or cruise in the afternoon.
We may make a landing at an abandoned British research station here, taking in the island’s lofty position and imposing glacier scenery.
Days 12-14: 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 15: 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.
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics, and local regulations.
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics, and local regulations.
Transfer details
Departure
04:00pm
Ushuaia
Ushuaia Airport: USH
Return
09:00am
Ushuaia
Ushuaia Airport: USH
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/ortelius/itn-2509051249151-antarctica-uncharted-islands-of-the-deep-south