Antarctica cruise holiday
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Tour operator – associate member of IAATO - We are proud to be an associate member of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) and abide strictly by their code of conduct. We encourage travellers to learn about Antarctica before travelling so that they are aware of the environmental issues surrounding tourism in this amazing wilderness. To this end we have provided extensive pre departure information on our website, including IAATO visitor guidelines.
The vessel owner is a full member of the IAATO, committed to appropriate, safe and environmentally sound private-sector travel to the Antarctic. All expeditions operate in accordance with IAATO guidelines and the operator complies with all the relevant international regulations during navigation and shore visits.
All travellers are well briefed during on board lectures about the guidelines set by the IAATO and about the environmental issues that affect Antarctica. All guests will attend a series of lectures, while aboard the ships, relating to conservation issues. Expedition leaders will teach all travellers about how to enjoy the wildlife encounters without being intrusive, in order to get the most out of their visit without compromising the pristine environment. We only use small boats so that the disturbance to the wildlife is as minimal as possible.
Boot, clothing and equipment decontamination - To reduce the likelihood of travellers transmitting disease to the fragile Antarctic ecosystem, all boots, clothing and equipment must be cleaned before joining the ship, particularly if travellers are involved in trekking, backpacking or agricultural activities before travelling. Boot washing stations and other facilities are provided on board and staff will provide briefings to make sure good practices continue onboard before and after landings. Boot decontaminations are supervised by onboard staff and involve scrubbing, hosing and disinfecting boots. Clients are advised to avoid walking in guano or other faeces to avoid cross-contamination of wildlife sites and of the ship. Boots are scrubbed before entering the Zodiac to return to the ship and anything which touches the ground (e.g. backpacks) are inspected and scrubbed before leaving the landing site to prevent micro-organisms, seeds and other vegetation being moved around the sub-Antarctic islands. Boats are inspected and cleaned regularly to prevent the transportation of foreign material between the ship and shoreline.
Wildlife watching - Wildlife watching is the primary reason for visiting Antarctica, however it is also the area where travellers can have the biggest impact. It’s best to remember that clients are visiting the home of an animal and act respectfully and avoid disturbing them. The animals should dictate all encounters and should not be pursued whether they decide to stay with the vessel or move away. The experienced ship’s officers and naturalists onboard are often able to evaluate animal’s behavior and can best judge if it is possible to carefully approach the animal/s or not. Travellers will be briefed about etiquette and should never attempt to touch or feed birds or animals.
The expedition staff will adhere to IAATO guidelines around approaching whales and dolphins including maintaining legal distances, reducing speed, monitoring the location of animals to avoid collisions, travelling parallel with animals and positioning downwind, avoiding stressing the animals with gear changes and rapid direction changes among many other criteria. Expedition staff will also advise clients on behaviour to look out for, including aggressive seal displays, in order to protect clients and the animals from unnecessary stress. Clients will be fully briefed on how to walk around seals, distance of approach, avoiding contact with pups, keeping speech to a minimum volume among other things.
Sea birds can gather in amazing concentrations to feed and breed in Antarctica. Expedition staff will make sure that bird colonies are approached slowly by Zodiac, stay within a minimum distance, and avoid disturbing their usual entry and exit points. Travellers will be asked to be quiet and move slowly or sit quietly on land, take care in tussock grasses and retreat if birds start to dive bomb or seem aggressive as they are protecting their nests.
Birds and animals who have stranded, been affected by pollution should be photographed and reported to the IAATO via expedition staff.
Some IAATO guidelines travellers are expected to follow and are briefed about onboard and on our website:
1) Protect Antarctic Wildlife - Taking or harmful interference with Antarctic wildlife is prohibited except in accordance with a permit issued by a national authority.
- Do not use aircraft, vessels, small boats, or other means of transport in ways that disturb wildlife, either at sea or on land.
- Do not feed, touch, or handle birds or seals, or approach or photograph them in ways that cause them to alter their behavior. Special care is needed when animals are breeding or molting.
- Do not damage plants, for example by walking, driving, or landing on extensive moss beds or lichen-covered scree slopes.
- Do not use guns or explosives. Keep noise to the minimum to avoid frightening wildlife.
- Do not bring non-native plants or animals into the Antarctic such as live poultry, pet dogs and cats or house plants.
2) Respect Protected Areas - A variety of areas in the Antarctic have been afforded special protection because of their particular ecological, scientific, historic or other values. Entry into certain areas may be prohibited except in accordance with a permit issued by an appropriate national authority. Activities in and near designated Historic Sites and Monuments and certain other areas may be subject to special restrictions.
- Know the locations of areas that have been afforded special protection and any restrictions regarding entry and activities that can be carried out in and near them.
- Observe applicable restrictions.
- Do not damage, remove, or destroy Historic Sites or Monuments or any artifacts associated with them.
3) Respect Scientific Research - Do not interfere with scientific research, facilities or equipment.
- Obtain permission before visiting Antarctic science and support facilities; reconfirm arrangements 24-72 hours before arrival; and comply with the rules regarding such visits.
- Do not interfere with, or remove, scientific equipment or marker posts, and do not disturb experimental study sites, field camps or supplies.
4) Keep Antarctica Pristine - Antarctica remains relatively pristine, the largest wilderness area on Earth. It has not yet been subjected to large scale human perturbations. Please keep it that way.
- Do not dispose of litter or garbage on land. Open burning is prohibited.
- Do not disturb or pollute lakes or streams. Any materials discarded at sea must be disposed of properly.
- Do not paint or engrave names or graffiti on rocks or buildings.
- Do not collect or take away biological or geological specimens or man-made artifacts as a souvenir, including rocks, bones, eggs, fossils, and parts or contents of buildings.
- Do not deface or vandalize buildings, whether occupied, abandoned, or unoccupied, or emergency refuges.
5) Be Safe - Be prepared for severe and changeable weather and ensure that your equipment and clothing meet Antarctic standards. Remember that the Antarctic environment is inhospitable, unpredictable, and potentially dangerous.
- Know your capabilities, the dangers posed by the Antarctic environment, and act accordingly. Plan activities with safety in mind at all times.
- Keep a safe distance from all wildlife, both on land and at sea.
- Take note of, and act on, the advice and instructions from your leaders; do not stray from your group.
- Do not walk onto glaciers or large snow fields without the proper equipment and experience; there is a real danger of falling into hidden crevasses.
- Do not expect a rescue service. Self-sufficiency is increased and risks reduced by sound planning, quality equipment, and trained personnel.
- Do not enter emergency refuges (except in emergencies). If you use equipment or food from a refuge, inform the nearest research station or national authority once the emergency is over.
- Respect any smoking restrictions, particularly around buildings, and take great care to safeguard against the danger of fire. This is a real hazard in the dry environment of Antarctica.
ResponsibleTravel policy - We have a full Responsible Travel policy available on our website, which our reservations team will give you a link to when you book. It’s packed with information about how travellers can reduce their social and environmental impact before they travel, during their expedition cruise and when they get home, and details all the measures our company has put in place in the office and on the road to reduce our impact.
Carbon Offsetting - We have teamed up with an international conservation charity called World Land Trust to offer clients the ability to offset the carbon emissions of their flights. We encourage all travellers to do their share to reduce the impact of their travel on the environment.
Community
We aim to maximise the positive benefits of tourism for local communities that we visit in Argentina. We use smaller, locally owned and run hotels to assist in the development of sustainable local businesses in Ushuaia.
Detailed pre departure information and responsible travel tips are available on our website to educate our travellers about the destination as well as providing guidelines on appropriate behaviour to minimise social impacts.
The M/V Ushuaia is 100% Argentine owned with crew mostly from Argentina and Chile. Most of the onboard staff are bilingual, however some crew members speak Spanish only. We provide Spanish language sheets on our website to help travellers interact with crew in their own language.
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