Professor Molchanov
11 days / 10 nights
From $6,470 per person, double occupancy for 2013

Day 1: Ushuaia
In the afternoon, you embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the picturesque southernmost city in the world located at the Beagle Channel and sail through the Beagle Channel. (D)

Days 2, 3: Crossing the Drake Passage
During these two days we sail across the Drake Passage. When 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 at the first icebergs. (B, L, D)

Days 4, 5: Antarctica
At Brown Bluff we land at the Antarctic Continent, near the young of an Adelie Penguin colony, which have not left for the sea yet. We walk along the coast and try to climb along a gentle slope to above the rim of the cliffs. At southeast Dundee Island, we walk to a landing strip for planes, used by the American explorer Ellsworth, for the first over flight of the Antarctic Continent in 1935. Here, there is an area where we can make an extensive walk along the coast without disturbing the animals. Another historic place is Paulet Island, where members of the Swedish Nordenskiöld Expedition built a stone emergency hut in 1903.(B,L,D)

Day 6: Weddell Sea
In the Weddell Sea, at Snow Hill Island we land near another Swedish cabin from 1902. Nearby Seymour Island, is completely ice-free, and famous for its fossils. We will make a walk of about six hours along the coast from the southern tip to the Argentinean Base Marambio. We will have a fantastic view of the table icebergs in the Weddell Sea, while we get a glimpse into Antarctica's much warmer past (fossils of leaves).(B, L, D)

Day 7: Devil's Island
On Devil’s Island with penguin colonies, we walk around the island and also climb to the middle ridge of just above 200 m. An alternative for this walk is the 8 km long and 300 m high Beak Island in Dusen Bay, which is also ice-free and close to the continent. Later on in the day we will have a zodiac excursion along a glacier front on the Tabarin Peninsula. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Deception Island
We land at Baily Head (Deception Island) near a Chinstrap Penguin colony, and walk to from there, in six hours to the deserted whaling station in Whalers Bay. If we cannot land at Baily Head due to high seas, we will directly sail to Whalers Bay and walk from Fumarole Bay to a Chinstrap colony at Vapour Col and back. We conclude the day with a bath in the warm sea at Pendulum Cove, where volcanic vents heat the water. (B,L,D)

Days 9, 10: Drake Passage
In the Drake Passage we have again a chance of seeing many seabirds. (B,L,D)

Day 11: Ushuaia
Morning arrival in Ushuaia. Disembark. (B)

2010 Departure:
Mar 23-Apr 2

2010 rates (per person):
$5,590 (triple, shared bath)/$6,650 (twin, shared bath)/$7,590 (twin, private bath)/$8,750 (Superior)/$9,490 (Suite)