Antarctic diving expedition
| country: | Antarctica |
| departures: | 2009: 19 Feb, 28 Feb, 10 Mar |
| price: | From £3290 - £3750 (11 days) excluding flights for divers. From £2790 - £3250 for non divers. Includes twin cabin, shared bathroom & diving. Ensuite & superior cabins available |
read 2 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
This dedicated Antarctic diving and photographic expedition offers a unique opportunity for above and below the water insights into the white continent which few have been privileged to experience - ideal for the diver & non-diver alike.
This small group exploratory voyage will be led by an expert team which includes Göran Ehlme, a highly experienced natural history underwater filmmaker and winner of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007, Paul Nicklen, the award-winning National Geographic photographer and Charlotte Caffrey, Marine Scientist and Director of our Company.
Antarctic expedition diving: This expedition will focus on some of the best dive sites in the Antarctic Peninsula. We can take just 24 divers on this voyage and who will enjoy guidance from an onboard team of diving professionals who are pioneers in polar diving. This expedition does not involve cutting a hole in the ice to dive. Using zodiac inflatables we will dive off the edges of ice flows and around icebergs where we hope to observe penguins from beneath the surface as they plunge en masse into the sea. We also hope to see sealions and leopard seals. Marine life on the Peninsula also includes kelp walls, sea-snails, crabs, sea butterflies, shoals of Antarctic fish, shrubby horsetails, jellyfish, sea hedgehogs, starfishes, krill and giant isopods. New species are being discovered in Antarctica all the time.
The ice itself forms one of the special features of diving in Antarctica. At times we will dive beneath shallow pack ice and at other times dive alongside great walls of ice to feel and observe their extraordinary forms. Sunlight penetrating the water here to adds to the extraordinary atmosphere you can only appreciate in this wild and remote part of the world.
Antarctic expedition photography: Whether your interest is in film and photography beneath the water or above, Göran Ehlme and Paul Nicklen can provide expert guidance into making the most of your time in Antarctica.
This will include evening lectures and workshops on photography and opportunities throughout the voyage to talk with them and other passengers who are passionate about natural history and wilderness landscapes.
Antarctic expedition natural history: For both divers and non-divers, this voyage provides a unique opportunity to see and learn more about nature than on a purely land based expedition. Each day you will have the opportunity to share experiences with those who have been exploring above and below the ice. You will also have the chance to see photographs and video footage from the experts and other passengers. To enhance your understanding, there will be a programme of inspiring evening lectures about the wildlife, ecology and conservation of Antarctica. You can also refer to the onboard library of Antarctic natural history guides and reference books.
Antarctic expedition ship: Our ship is a comfortable Finnish-built ice strengthened oceanographic research vessel ideally suited to providing divers and non divers the opportunity to explore the natural history wonders of Antarctica. It carries up to 48 passengers and is one of the smallest and friendliest ships exploring the Antarctic waters. There are excellent view points throughout including open deck viewing areas and the panoramic ship's bridge where you may join the captain to gaze across a landscape of icebergs and place your position on the ship's charts. The ship carries a full complement of Zodiac craft, essential for small group landings and provide opportunities for close encounters with wildlife.
This small group exploratory voyage will be led by an expert team which includes Göran Ehlme, a highly experienced natural history underwater filmmaker and winner of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007, Paul Nicklen, the award-winning National Geographic photographer and Charlotte Caffrey, Marine Scientist and Director of our Company.
Antarctic expedition diving: This expedition will focus on some of the best dive sites in the Antarctic Peninsula. We can take just 24 divers on this voyage and who will enjoy guidance from an onboard team of diving professionals who are pioneers in polar diving. This expedition does not involve cutting a hole in the ice to dive. Using zodiac inflatables we will dive off the edges of ice flows and around icebergs where we hope to observe penguins from beneath the surface as they plunge en masse into the sea. We also hope to see sealions and leopard seals. Marine life on the Peninsula also includes kelp walls, sea-snails, crabs, sea butterflies, shoals of Antarctic fish, shrubby horsetails, jellyfish, sea hedgehogs, starfishes, krill and giant isopods. New species are being discovered in Antarctica all the time.
The ice itself forms one of the special features of diving in Antarctica. At times we will dive beneath shallow pack ice and at other times dive alongside great walls of ice to feel and observe their extraordinary forms. Sunlight penetrating the water here to adds to the extraordinary atmosphere you can only appreciate in this wild and remote part of the world.
Antarctic expedition photography: Whether your interest is in film and photography beneath the water or above, Göran Ehlme and Paul Nicklen can provide expert guidance into making the most of your time in Antarctica. This will include evening lectures and workshops on photography and opportunities throughout the voyage to talk with them and other passengers who are passionate about natural history and wilderness landscapes.
Antarctic expedition natural history: For both divers and non-divers, this voyage provides a unique opportunity to see and learn more about nature than on a purely land based expedition. Each day you will have the opportunity to share experiences with those who have been exploring above and below the ice. You will also have the chance to see photographs and video footage from the experts and other passengers. To enhance your understanding, there will be a programme of inspiring evening lectures about the wildlife, ecology and conservation of Antarctica. You can also refer to the onboard library of Antarctic natural history guides and reference books.
Antarctic expedition ship: Our ship is a comfortable Finnish-built ice strengthened oceanographic research vessel ideally suited to providing divers and non divers the opportunity to explore the natural history wonders of Antarctica. It carries up to 48 passengers and is one of the smallest and friendliest ships exploring the Antarctic waters. There are excellent view points throughout including open deck viewing areas and the panoramic ship's bridge where you may join the captain to gaze across a landscape of icebergs and place your position on the ship's charts. The ship carries a full complement of Zodiac craft, essential for small group landings and provide opportunities for close encounters with wildlife. day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | The ship leaves Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the picturesque and southernmost city in the World located at the Beagle Channel. |
| Day 2-3: | We sail across the Drake Passage. Once we cross the Antarctic Convergence, we arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling zone. In this area we may meet 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. Near the South Shetland Islands, we glimpse the first icebergs. |
| Day 4: | At Deception Island, we try to land at Baily Head with a colony of ten thousand of Chinstrap Penguins. Deception Island is a huge volcano with its crater open to the sea, creating a natural harbour for the ship. Here we find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of Cape Pigeons and many Dominican Gulls, Brown and South Polar Skuas and Antarctic Terns. Wilson’s Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm Petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay |
| Day 5: | We sail to Orne Islands with its large colonies of Chinstrap Penguins and beautiful views across the Gerlache Strait. Later we continue to Cuverville Island, a small precipitous island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Danco Island. It contains a large colony of Gentoo Penguins and breeding pairs of Brown Skuas. From there we sail through Paradise Bay with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, providing opportunities of seeing large whales. We will have opportunities for zodiac cruising between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords. |
| Day 6: | We sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island where we can find Adelie Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags. We also try to land at Pleneau Island home to Elephant Seals. In this area there are good chances to encounter Humpback Whales, Minke Whales and Fin Whales. |
| Day 7: | Sailing north through Neumayer Channel and Gerlache Strait we arrive at Charlotte Bay with a very beautiful landscape and again possibilities for zodiac cruising among the icebergs, where we may encounter Leopard Seals, Crabeater Seals and Minke Whales. |
| Day 8: | Half Moon Island is a beautiful volcanic island with Chinstrap Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, Blue-eyed Shags, sheathbills and Brown Skuas. Weddell Seals and Elephant Seals may also be spotted. The crew of the Argentine station is very hospitable. We may also choose to land at Hannah Point, which has a very rich wildlife featuring Elephant Seals, Cape Pigeons, Southern Giant Petrels, Macaroni Penguins and Gentoo Penguins. |
| Day 9-10: | In the Drake Passage where we have again a chance of seeing many seabirds. |
| Day 11: | We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark |
travellers' tales
All of it was memorable, but if I had to pick it would be my first sight of Antarctica which was at sunrise, wow! And my 30 minute dive with a leopard seal. But it was all amazing. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
 On our Antarctic diving expedition we are committed to the conservation of the places we visit. This is why the company has calculated the average CO2 emissions of its Arctic and Antarctic Voyages and will automatically offset each client’s share of emissions via the charity Rainforest Concern’s new Rainforest4Climate programme We will also automatically offset the carbon emissions of flights booked through the company for its polar expeditions. Our Antarctic diving expedition ships are smaller, less imposing on the polar landscape than the bigger cruise ships. Group landings by zodiac are more easily managed and a low ratio of leaders to passengers provides a personalised, added value experience. Your onboard natural history experts, through guided walks and evening talks, reveal the wonders of Antarctic scenery and wildlife. In this way you will be introduced to some of the local and global conservation issues which this fragile habitat faces. Our Antarctic diving expedition trips are made under full membership of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) and as such abide by their strict codes of conduct. Encounters with all wildlife are controlled by strict responsible codes of conduct. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |