One of the most isolated, inaccessible, and inhospitable places on earth. Antarctica, the continent literally at the end of the earth is a place of fascinating extremes. As one of the coldest and windiest places on earth, it’s not the time of day that determines human activity, but what Mother Nature will allow. Sadly, this is where the effects of global warming come to the fore. We hear, more and more often, about the visible deterioration of this extraordinary land. Are uncontrollable greenhouse gases leaving us with the last moments to observe this white giant?…
Historical data shows that around the end of February and beginning of March is the best time to interact with one of Antarctic’s finest inhabitants – the Sea Leopard! These seals are known for playing games with divers; they’re perhaps not so friendly with the penguins though… (dinner time!) These fascinating creatures are only found in Antarctica and to observe them requires an appropriate boat and an approach that is calm and careful. Sea Leopards are studied up close by only a few scientists in the world and photographed or filmed by even fewer. It is absolutely impossible to convey how unique and privileged it is to associate with these graceful and magnificent animals.
Large cruise ships that visit this area are restricted in the time they can stay, some don’t even allow a shore landing! Observing the fauna is brief and fleeting. The only chance of really exploring the Antarctic coast is in a small vessel. Our yacht enables us to stay comfortably in places for a few days, and it gives us the chance to dive almost daily (strength permitting!). We have the flexibility to explore this little known, yet majestic continent, as we wish.
Leading our expedition is the very talented and very experienced Bartosz Stróżyński. Bartosz is a professional photographer and cinematographer, both on and under the water. He’s also a composer, lyricist and author of many publications. He’s won awards in numerous international photographic competitions including the prestigious International Photography Awards, Asferica, European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Por el Planeta and National Geographic Great Photographic Competition. He’s the author of the photo-book “AntArktyka” (unfortunately it’s only in Polish for now, but it’s still worth opening for the stunning images!). He founded and leads the “Three Arts in Antarctica” project, and often writes for the “Salamandra” magazine. Bartosz is fascinated with the Arctic and Antarctic and specialises in underwater photography, winter photography, aquatic mammal photography, reptiles and underwater river photography. He writes many articles related to photography and diving which are printed in publications such as National Geographic, Foto, Scuba Diver Through the Lens, Scuba Diving Magazine, X-Ray Mag and Sport Diver Magazine. As a bonus on this trip, Bartosz will pass on some of his expertise through workshops in wide-angle photography. On top of Bartosz’s 20 years of diving experience, he has more than 10 years experience traversing the wilderness of the Arctic and Antarctic. Bartosz is one of Europe’s greatest authorities on viewing the Sea Leopards. To date, nature has been kind and provided participants of every expedition with a chance to dive with Sea Leopards. Come to this isolated land and meet these amazing creatures that call it home!
This expedition to the great white land is full of activities. Snorkelling, diving (hopefully with the Sea Leopards!), swimming between icebergs, walking near penguin colonies and visiting historical places (yes, there are some!) to name a few.
Our month of adventure begins in the world capital of Tango – Buenos Aires, before moving on to one of the world’s New Seven Wonders of Nature – the Iguazu falls!
WHY VISIT?
ARGENTINA
Day 1 – Flight from Poland to Buenos Aires.
Day 2 – On arrival in the magical city that is Buenos Aires, we are greeted by our guide and transferred to our hotel. The architecture with its elegant tenements, grand residences, wide avenues, and fashionable shops is one face of this beautiful city. The other is a city that never sleeps – bars, clubs, restaurants, live music, and of course, tango, are found on every corner. The night is free, go and enjoy!
Day 3 – Today is a chance to get out and explore this ‘Paris of South America’. You’ll discover this city’s lively open people and colourful life create a hot, Latin atmosphere. In the evenings, restaurants fill with people, squares and other public places become informal tango and music venues. An artistic, bohemian vibe resonates throughout much of the city with its street art and cool cafes.
After a busy day, we have a special treat – food and rhythm! An exclusive menu to look forward to with a selection of excellent wines and a show of sensual tango. An evening to remember!
Day 4 – Transfer to the airport in Buenos Aires for our flight to Iguazu – the falls await us!.
IGUAZU FALLS
The waterfalls of Iguazu are unrivalled. At twice the height and twice the width of Niagara Falls, their imposing beauty leaves visitors bewildered. The huge volume of water plunging into the abyss from hundreds of individual falls attract thousands of tourists to this place, once considered sacred by the native Guarani people. It’s no surprise the Iguazu falls are one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.
Day 5 – The source of this great phenomenon are headstreams in the Serra do Mar mountain ranges on the Brazilian Atlantic coast. The waters flow into the Iguazu River which winds its way before falling spectacularly off the Parana Plateau to create the grand falls. We start our tour where this is most violently evident – the famous Garganta del Diablo (the Devil’s Throat). The powerful force of the falls will be felt before we even set eyes upon them, the mighty noise of vast volumes of plunging water will greet us as we approach. On arrival you’ll be mesmerised by the spectacle: roaring cascading water falling 80 metres from 14 waterfalls creating a water vapour rising 30 metres into the air and countless rainbows – you could stand here for hours! Next, we trek the upper terraces; the reward is a breathtaking panoramic view. The route takes us through the lush natural beauty of local tropical vegetation, across various bridges, and to terrific vantage points from the lookout towers set on both sides of the river.
After our trek, an exciting adventure! We board a boat and get close-up to the falls. You can don hat and raincoat, but if you’re feeling a little crazy go without. Come back soaked to the bone but with a big happy smile on your face!
Day 6 – Today we say goodbye to Argentina and fly to Ushuaia, the next part of our extraordinary adventure is about to begin – Antarctica!
ANTARCTICA
February and March is summertime in Antarctica. However, the weather is the most unpredictable part of our journey. Daytime temperatures usually stay above zero degrees Celsius. Generally, you could compare the weather to the high Alps – fickle, quick to change, snowy and sometimes unusually sunny! On our last February trip, we were on deck in t-shirts!
The water temperature is commonly around +2 degrees Celsius. Still, with ice around, it can go as low as -1.8 degrees Celsius without freezing.
Day 7 – Ahead of us, a journey into a mysterious world, where a day lasts for half a year and the ice lasts for eternity. Today we leave Ushuaia, the world’s most southerly city and begin our expedition. Our voyage starts by heading south along the Beagle Channel. Time to settle into the rhythm of our boat, acclimatise and take in the sensational scenery. Our next adventure has begun!
Day 8 to Day 11 – We leave the tip of South America behind and enter the deep open waters of the Drake Passage. An excellent chance for sighting whales, dolphins, petrels, albatrosses, and many other species. There’ll be plenty of time to discuss the amazing history of Antarctic expeditions and its unique wildlife.
Day 12 – The wildness and beauty of this land render it incomparable to any other place on the planet. After crossing the Drake Passage, we reach the Melchior Islands – a small group of snowy outcrops in the middle of Dallmann Bay. Here we have a good chance of seeing whales feeding after returning from spawning off the coasts of Peru and Ecuador.
The cold and inhospitable harshness of Antarctica is strangely what makes it so attractive and captivating to many visitors. An untouched and unfamiliar landscape leaves one feeling like an explorer. It provides an appreciation of how those like Captain William Smith felt as they first set eyes on this vast continent. As the first snow-capped icebergs come into view, you’ll very much be following in the footsteps of the Captain; this signals our arrival in the South Shetland Islands he discovered in 1819. If the weather allows, our guide will take us ashore for a possible close encounter with the penguins and seals! The islands are also the perfect place to perform a test dive.
Day 13 – Today we visit Cuverville Island, lying in the Errera Channel. It was a Belgian Antarctic expedition that first discovered this island in 1897 and named it after the Vice-Admiral of the French Navy. The largest colony of Gentoo penguins is to be found here (4800 pairs!) as well as large numbers of other regional birds. We’ll dive along the gently sloping rocky bottom in search of smaller marine life. Sea Leopards are also often seen patrolling these waters!
The parade of drifting icebergs in all their various shades and shapes is enough to captivate for hours. There will, however, be other distractions! The trip provides us with plenty of time to explore the virgin landscape and all its incredible wildlife.
Day 14 – We’ll pass through severe, indescribable landscapes to sail through into Paradise Bay. Here, we land on the beach near the closed Argentine research station and place our feet firmly the Antarctic continent. Huge mountains, their vivid ice caps mirrored in the sea is the beautiful setting for our dive today. The specific site is Shag Wall, a vertical rock face falling into the icy depths of the ocean. Here we’ll find an abundance of small crustaceans and snails.
Day 15 to Day 17 – On the north-western shore of Wiencke Island, we find the natural harbour of Port Lockroy – one of Antarctica’s most popular destinations.
If ice conditions are favourable, we sail through some of the area’s most picturesque waterways. Gerlache Strait, Errera Channel, Neumayer Channel, as well as the narrow and extremely photogenic Lemaire Channel. Picture a vision of towering ice cliffs and dramatic glaciers, and you’ll come close to the experience that awaits us. To facilitate beach landings our yacht, Aurora, comes equipped with small boats that allow us to access the shore (there are no ports in Antarctica!) When reaching these inaccessible places, in the vastness and isolation, people genuinely feel their small place in the world.
Day 18 – Boothe Island is an eight-kilometre stretch of land in the shape of the letter “Y”. Its rugged coastline and ice walls rising majestically out of the Antarctic waters make this the perfect place to explore in our small boats. We’ll get up close to icebergs and admire their naturally brutal beauty.
Day 19 – Lemaire Channel is the place for chance encounters with Weddel Seals, Sea Leopards, Orcas and finback whales. It’s sometimes humorously referred to as “Kodak Channel”, you can guess why – photo opportunities abound!
Day 20 to Day 21 – Petermann Island is the ideal place to observe Adélie penguins (over 500 pairs) and Gentoo penguins (over 2000 pairs) as well as blue-eyed cormorants. If the snow has melted, this beautiful island looks like grassy hills from afar. When we land, you’ll discover it’s actually covered in moss and algae.
Day 22 to 23 – Two days of admiring the spectacular views in Pléneau Bay. You could consider this an “iceberg graveyard” where the shallow waters of the bay have trapped some of these giants. While we’re here we’ll dive, snorkel, explore ashore and enjoy the incredible setting.
Day 24 – Today, we visit the Vernadsky Ukrainian research station. A chance to talk with some of the researchers (they’re very keen, they have little contact here!) and use the world’s southernmost bar! There will also be a chance to dive with more Sea Leopards!
Day 25 – We leave Antarctica and head back north across the Drake Passage. Our return journey to Ushuaia is another chance for whale and seabird spotting, as well as a chance to rest and reflect on recent adventures in the presence of Antarctica’s dominating minimalism.
Day 26 – After almost a month immersed in another world, our minds are clear as we reach port in Ushuaia. Our early morning arrival brings us back to reality, perhaps ready to face life with a new perspective?
Day 27 – Departure from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires and then on to Poland.
Day 28 – Touchdown in Poland
End of trip.
DAILY TIMETABLE:
6:45 am – wake-up call
07:30 am – breakfast
08:00 am – discussion about the day
09:00 am – action!
14:00 – dinner
15:00 – discussion
16:00 – action!
19:00 – supper
20:00 – discussion and rest.
The above itinerary is a guide only. The exact route and program may change to make best use of weather and ice conditions, as well as the chance to observe wildlife. The captain and expedition leader will do everything to provide the best results under the prevailing conditions of the voyage.
OUR YACHT AURORA
The AURORA will be our home for almost a month. At 21 metres in length and 5.5 metres in width, it comfortably accommodates eight passengers in four cabins. There are two small boats for trips ashore, allowing us to get up-close to land-based wildlife. The boats also provide us with safe water entry/exit when diving or snorkelling. The smaller size of the AURORA is ideal for such expeditions. It allows us to access places larger vessels cannot. There is also the advantage that all passengers can disembark at the same time (to go ashore, for example). There’s no waiting around for ‘your turn’.
The yacht is configured and set-up for the freezing waters of both the Arctic and Antarctic. Hull construction is from 4 mm steel, and the bulkheads are watertight. There is heating, a lifeboat capsule for 16 people, rescue suits and life jackets. The boat is fitted with full electronics: ICOM M601, Simrad HH36 VHF GPS, SSB HF SSB RADIO SYSTEM TRP 8000, Simrad 3GCapsat Inmarsat IRIDIUM IRID0115G and AIS Simrad NAIS 400. Our floating home is also equipped with a radar and searchlight for icebergs, light and smoke flares, 220V electricity, two bathrooms with hot water and showers, fridge, washing machine and even a SUANA!
A Perkins (2013) 96KW engine along with sails provide power. Fuel capacity is 2 tons, water 1.2 tons. There is also a desalinator (for those that like long showers!) For diving, we have weights, eight steel cylinders and a powerful air compressor.
The boat is managed by an experienced three-person crew consisting of the captain (a second-generation Arctic sailor), an excellent cook, and a deckhand. Guests just need to arrive and relax!
A spacious dining and open seating area is available to passengers.
All cabins are relatively spacious and comfortable. The standard cabin has a bunk bed and space for personal belongings. Bathrooms are shared between two cabins.
PRICE OF ANTARCTIC CRUISE ONLY:
EUR 23,000 per person
PRICE OF FULL TRIP AS PER THE ITINERARY:
EUR 24,850 + transcontinental flights
Included in the Price of the FULL Trip:
Not Included in the Price:
