Wild Antarctica featuring the Weddell Sea – Sylvia Earle, Feb 2026

Arriving at the ship in the afternoon, you will be greeted by the Expedition Team and ships officers at a safety and orientation briefing followed by the Captains’ welcome dinner. After dinner, relax and take in the mountainous scenery on our early evening sail down the Beagle Channel past Magellanic Penguin, Rock Cormorant, and Sea Lion colonies.

Among the wildlife spotting opportunities as we sail south are the Albatrosses, Prions, and Petrels that frequently follow the ship. The Expedition Team will be out on deck as well, looking for the Whales and Dolphins that may also be seen in the area. The team will begin presentations with informative and entertaining lectures on the wildlife, history, and geology of Antarctica. Helpful briefings on environmental regulations and expedition safety will also be held.

The Weddell Sea is known for its abundance of huge tabular icebergs . In some years, the Erebus & Terror Gulf and Weddell Sea are chock-a-block full with ice, making for exciting ice navigation.  Get up at 3:30 in the morning for sunrises unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Huge tabular bergs break from the Larsen, Ronne, and Filchner ice shelves and combine with one-year-old and multi-year sea ice to produce a floating, undulating panorama of rugged ice scenery.  Hope Bay and the Argentine Station Esperanza, located on the western side of the Antarctic Sound, are possible landing sites. The Weddell Sea represents the center of the Peninsulas’ Adelie penguin population. Devil Island and Paulet Island are excellent location to see Adelie penguins.

The remarkable history of the  Antarctic Peninsula will also provide you with a type of excitement often only associated with the early explorers. You will have plenty of time to explore this pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways and a wide variety of wildlife. Apart from Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins and other seabirds you are likely to encounter Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as Minke whales and orcas at close range. Expeditions hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways: the Gerlache Strait, Errera Channel and Neumayer Channel. Possible landing sites include: Paradise Bay, an aptly named place with its impressive glacial fronts and mountains, Cuverville Island, home of the biggest Gentoo Penguin colony in the Peninsula surrounded by glaciers and castellated icebergs, and the British Museum and Post office at Port Lockroy. Further exploration will lead you to the South Shetland Islands, where you may visit Deception Island or Half Moon Island.

Say goodbye to Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. Join lecturers and naturalists on deck as searching for seabirds and whales and enjoy some final lectures. Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia.

Arrive to Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark after breakfast.