Cruising
the Polar Circle of Antarctica...
The world's most spectacular
and pristine shorelines lie around the great white continent
of Antarctica. One of the last explored places on earth
where enormous amounts of penguins, Antarctica offers
unparalleled scenery and a great opportunity for ecotourism.
Specially designed, ice strengthened hulled ships take
you close to the glaciers for incredible photographic
opportunities in the Weddell Sea, The Polar Circle, around
the Falkland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. Board
Zodiac boats to get up close to the massive glaciers to
appreciate their enormity and really experience Antarctica.
 |
| Maneuver through towering glaciers
on zodiac boats. |
Drake Passage:
The Drake Passage is a strait connecting the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans between Tierra del Fuego and the South
Shetland Islands at the southern tip of South America.
Located about 100 miles (660 km) north of the Antarctic
Peninsula, it is 600 miles (1,000 km) wide. In this area
the climate changes from cool, humid, and subpolar to
the frozen conditions of Antarctica. An important trade
route in the 19th and early 20th century, its stormy seas
and icy conditions made the rounding of Cape Horn through
the Drake Passage a difficult journey. All of our Antarctica
cruises cross the Drake Passage over a two day sail.
Falkland Islands:
Located 400 miles off the tip of South America, the British
owned Falkland Islands are a remote and beautiful group
of over 700 islands. The islands make up a land mass the
size of Connecticut and are home to only about 4,000 people,
half of whom are British military. Most of the population
live in Stanley and the rest live in the country, or locally
known as "camp". Although in the past there has been conflict
in the islands, now there is no military action and life
resumes as it has for centuries. Still, the islands are
remote enough that they are one of the few destinations
where you may not run into another tourist.
The islands have a temperate climate, similar
to Maine with windy wet days. However, it is this wind
and clear cold air that keeps the environment clean and
unpolluted. The country has vast, grassy plains and rolling
moorlands while the white sand beaches fringed by dramatic
cliffs are the site of the penguin breeding grounds come
September. The young are born and reared in the Islands
throughout the southern summer. The tourist season is
October to April.
Polar Circle:
The Polar Circle is an imaginary boundary for the continent
of Antarctica which slices through the Antarctic Peninsula
and Weddell Sea. Our Polar
Circle cruise crosses the boundary and gets deeper
into the remote Antarctic wilderness than most cruises
that reach the Peninsula, the most accessible region of
Antarctica from Ushuaia. Many varieties of penguins
inhabit Antarctica.
Disembark the ship to board Zodiac boats
and step foot on the Antarctic mainland. The Zodiacs allow
passengers a close up look at glaciers, allowing a sense
of their enormity. Despite the cold and wind, the views
of magnificent penguins and whales and the sheer white
vastness of this continent make this a voyage of a lifetime.
Contact
us to include a cruise or tour in a customized itinerary
of travel to Antarctica.
