On our planned departure date, the winds were blowing 50 knots over choppy seas which forced us to wait it out in Ushuaia for an extra day. The bay, named for its crescent shaped Half Moon Island, was a stunning sight. Many Antarctic trips actually depart from the tip of South America, and we recommend taking some extra time to explore Chile and Argentina. Glacial icebergs are dense enough to trap all but blue light. Yes you can visit Antarctica if travelling alone. The pristine environment, flush with wildlife, distant from everything. If you enjoyed this remote adventure, then youll love these other posts: Some people are more adventurous than others. Once there, there are regular flights to Ushuaia (approx 4 hours). We survived the harrowing turbulence on the Drake Passage, our lives in the hands of our skipper and his two crew. Have no fear, simply put on the Worlds Best Minimalist Packing List and Detailed Preparation Guideand travel with confidence. The level of personal experience Swoop's travel experts draw upon to make recommendations sets them apart from anyone else I've worked with. Another interesting aspect of Yankee Harbor is the many skeletal remains of various marine and land animals scattered along the beach. You'll receive your first email packed full of travel ideas and inspiration soon. Easily surpassing all of our expectations, we were surprised at its calmness. Read the full review, We lost a couple of days up front due to weather-related flight issues into the Falkland Islands, however, the crew did a great job maximizing our time on South Georgia so that we hardly noticed the lost time. Explore the route to Ushuaia or Punta Arenas. Travel on outstanding expedition ships with optional kayaking and stand up paddleboarding. In just 2 hours you can step off your plane on the Antarctic Peninsula, feeling the nip of the air and ready to spot your first iceberg. Ideal for those wanting a high comfort level, but who have limited time or are anxious sailors. After a night of champagne below the midnight sun, we paddled out into Covadanga Harbor. It seemed as if each sculpture was carved for our one time viewing, sure to change before being seen by human eyes again. The majesty of our small boat trip to Antarctica was again apparent. We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details. Dont forget to pack The 15 Most Essential Items for Minimalist Travel! Just outside of the harbor are a series of giant and dramatic precariously towering glaciers. An extended fly & cruise voyage spending eight full days actually in Antarctica onboard a small, state-of-the-art expedition ship. Encountering several whales in the still bay made a perfect opportunity to utilize the hydrophone and record their ethereal sounds. Dear Swoop family, we would like to thank you for all the amazing effort you made in getting us to Punta Arenas in time. 32 different yachts landed in its small natural harbour during the 2012/2013 season. Spend 5-7 days exploring Antarctica on a small, newly-built expedition ship, with kayaking & snorkelling available. Travel to the Antarctic Treaty area by sailing or motor yacht has occurred since the 1960s. With a small boat, we were never more than a few meters above water, putting us front row for the best show on Earth. Several yachts are members in the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and are thereby subject to compliance with its regulations. The benefits in terms of time savedand the assurance of avoiding crossing the Drake Passage are undoubtedly compelling. What does a trip like this cost? United States Of America, Swoop was brilliant throughout, from making the initial booking to steering us through the pre-trip preparations. There were continuous attempts by skuas to steal chicks being sheltered by their parent. Great value for money backed, Looking for an Antarctic adventure without compromising on comfort and service? Read the full review, The joy of travel is to experience the unexpected. Penguins require rocky areas near the ocean to nest. United States Of America, If you have never been, there is no way of preparing for the impact of being there. The old rusted behemoth, once an enemy of the animals in Antarctica, has now become the home for many nesting birds and sea life. While wenever approached wildlife, many species had no problems coming to inspect our strange arrival. Thanks for sharing your Antarctica experience! As a passenger on a yacht to the Antarctic Treaty area, you should make sure ahead of your journey that the required authorisations have been granted. Visitor Guidelines for the Antarctic, IAATO Briefing Film - Going Ashore Visitors, IAATO Briefing Film - Deep Field Visitors, How to behave? Would love a breakdown of the fees of something like this. Hiking to the back side of the island provided picturesque views over the bay and a walk past dozens of plump weddell and fur seals. Icebergs often found our boat, startling us awake once again thinking that it was the fatal blow. Part of the adventure was the thrill of lending a hand on the boat. For the duration of the passage we tied sailcloth from our bunks to the ceiling to prevent being tossed off at night. We always had the option to explore in either one of the three kayaks or the zodiac. Month of travel, length of trip, whether you fly or sail, and the level of comfort will have an influence on the end price. Privacy policy, Antarctic Interior and South Pole Expeditions, What Our Customers Think of How to get to Antarctica. Several of the passengers spent days in bed instead of fighting the hazards that come with staying up right. We witnessed icebergs break and flip upside down exposing the areas previously underwater to view. This is all part of a healthy ecosystem. You can get to Antarctica by boat or plane. Here it is possible to send post cards through the British mail in a very unique location. Antarctica is a non-sovereign nation. However you do need to check whether you need a visa for the country (Argentina/Chile) which you are travelling through to get there. A rare and popular voyage which flies one way and sails the other, maximising both expediency and experience. Using a drone to scout a safe passage through the ice. See the following documents for advice: The UBAs motto, For our environment (Fr Mensch und Umwelt), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. Fly to Antarctica on a BAE146 whisper jet. Plus, Argentina and Chile charge some nationals a reciprocity fee. Antarctica, Sailing vs Cruising: How to Choose, The 15 Most Essential Items for Minimalist Travel, 10 Simple Packing Tips for Minimalist Travel, How to Choose the Best Antarctica Sailing Trip, https://www.quixote-expeditions.com/trips/antarctic-sailing-expedition/. Our boat sat among beautiful icebergs which changed to a deep shade of blue in the sunlight. Once there, there are regular flights to Punta Arenas. By the end we could recognize calls and mannerisms of the various species. While this is often cheaper, it is also often longer. Winds had dropped to a mere 25-30 knots meaning that the Drake was looking about as good as it gets. We were destined for Antarctica, but first we had to conquer the infamous Drake Passage. Chinstrap penguins couple changing duties after one returned from sea. Spacious cabins, delicious cuisine and optional adventure activities all help create this ideal marriage of comfort and. In contrast to our visit to Port Lockroy where visitors are common, this Chilean base had likely not seen outsiders for some time. Our on board scientist lead small group research to coastal colonies where we recorded the vocal displays of Gentoo,ChinstrapandAdelie species. This backdrop made for the whitest Christmas on record. The officers sent an excited invitation to join them for a New Years Eve brunch. Without a second glance, we sailed from the southernmost point of South America and into open ocean. No one wants the skua to succeed but they are simply trying to feed their own young. We had dreamed of visiting Antarctica. Related: How to Choose the Best Antarctica Sailing Trip. It was our practice to always wash over-boots both before and after visiting the shore to ensure no passing of bio-organisms between various areas of the continent and between penguin colonies. Thank you Easily one of the most beautiful places in the world. Choosing the best time to visit Antarctica is a crucial part of the planning process. In addition to cruise ships, yachts are an everyday sight in Antarctic tourism. Our timing was perfect as Christmas is the average chick hatching time in this part of Antarctica. Limited to only 132 passengers, theres also a wide range of optional adventure activities on this classic Antarctic, With four medium-sized expedition ships and regular departure dates throughout the season, this well priced voyage is a popular option. With the sail lowered, the boat rocked violently taking everything inside along for the ride. Most trips depart from and return to the same location, but occasionally you may fly out from Punta Arenas and sail back to Ushuaia, or vice versa. Always wary of damage and safety, we had a choice to either turn back and search for another route or to scout ahead and look for a passage through the ice. Choosing the best time to visit Antarctica is a crucial part of the planning process. En route, we noticed a pod of orcas swimming in the far side of the channel. Nearing King George, the landscape shifted into the strange rocky outcroppings found in this most northerly tip of the continent, but the images of the white continent were forever in our memory. The tilt could be so extreme that we had to hold our dishes sideways to keep food from flying onto the walls. With nearly 23 hours of summer daylight on the peninsula, long days gave us lots of time to immerse in the landscape and created slow and colorful sunsets. Emperor penguins and your plane, Weddell sea, Fly over the Drake Passage in just 2 hours, both to and from Antarctica. Flying to Antarctica takes 2 hours. Minimum travel time & maximum exploring time and all the benefits of only 73 people, This impressive Polar Circle voyage combines all the comfort and expediency of flying in both directions with extended time in Antarctica (7 full days). Cruise ships depart from Ushuaia, commonly regarded as the southernmost city in the world, before leaving South America behind to reach Antarctica. With over 50 years of Antarctic experience between us, we can help guide you to exactly the right trip for you. If I'd have known it was that easy I would have gone years ago! Below deck, we could hear their songs projected through the steel walls of the hull and into our cabin under the surface. Journeys on commercial vessels which travel to the region every season are very popular. Being near the water provided a new perspective and allowed us to thread between icebergs and enter tighter areas otherwise unreachable in the boat. Getting to Punta Arenas via Santiago:There are direct flights from Sydney to Santiago 4 times a week (approx 12 hours). Stopping in the beautiful Yankee Harbor put us next to the widest stretch of accessible beach of the trip which was naturally covered by nesting penguins. The neighboring islands supported a unique mountain habitat with all three brush tailed penguins. Does thinking about long term travel give you the shivers? Pairing the beauty with the adventure of a sailboat was extra special. I don't think anything else could have been done by Swoop to make my experience any better. This continent may be the pinnacle of travel, the one most only dream of. A couple of the giants broke from the group and swam towards our boat to investigate our arrival. As we crossed through Paradise, we saw our first of what would be many whales to accompany our journey. Wildlife ignored our strict distance rules. There were no strict time limits allowing us to photograph, explore and hike at our leisure. Approximately 54,000 visitors make the journey each year, with around 50 expedition vessels sailing Antarctic waters each season. Getting to Punta Arenas via Santiago:There are daily, direct flights to Santiago from New York, Miami, Dallas and Atlanta (approx 8-10 hours). The Weddell Sea is a treasure trove of great, tabular icebergs A luxury Antarctica cruise means uncompromised, first-class adventuring Why not tell the story of your amazing Antarctic experiences through pictures? And just like that, the sun set on our sailing trip to Antarctica. We went with Quixote Expeditions so you can get an exact price if you check with them. Discover more about combining Patagonia and Antarctica, Get in touch today and start your journey. Once in Buenos Aires there are regular flights to Ushuaia. Yes, there are many trips which visit both Antarctica and South America. A polar plunge allowed a full immersion into the polar lifestyle and a refreshing start to the new year. How long does it take to get to Antarctica? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Our trip departed from the harbor in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina. All the information about the documentation required to apply for a permit is here: Applying for a permit to travel to the Antarctic. Read the full review, I would book with Swoop in a heartbeat and have already been recommending Swoop to others. These spots were always surrounded by views of icy mountains making research participation incredible. Yet another show stopper, the mirrored bay was ringed with peaked mountains and glacial valleys on all sides. Copyright 2019 Career Break Adventures. Looking at these photos, I have to take a slow, deep breathso peaceful. The ice now showing on the edge of the Antarctic glaciers was formed from compacted snow and high pressure over millennia. It takes 48 hours to reach the Antarctic Peninsula by boat, and just 2 hours by plane. Once there, there are regular flights to Punta Arenas. For as strange as these birds act on land, they seem more fish than fowl in the water. Just offshore from Enterprise Island in Foyn Harbor is a wreck of a century old whaling vessel, the Governeron, which was a secure place to anchor our boat. Icebergs can travel for months or years before they fully melt. I now want to come back and make a more extended visit to the Southern Ocean. It was right in our wheelhouse but we wanted the experience to ourselves, not shared with hundreds of others on a large cruise ship. Their nests are built with pebbles for drainage and insulation and their proximity to water gives them easy access to hunt small fish and krill. Either way, the journey will be part of the adventure! We were fortunate to see delayed mating behaviors, nest building, incubation, hatching and chick rearing. Getting to Ushuaia via Buenos Aires: There are direct flights from London to Buenos Aires (approx 14 hours). Visiting with a small boat let us best control the areas where we tread to ensure no harm to the surroundings. For the next hour we floated on the outskirts of a feeding frenzy just a stones throw from numerous humpbacks. As they approached, they disappeared for several minutes before one suddenly breached from beneath our boat causing everyone to scream. After we found our passage into the Lamaire Channel blocked by ice, we were forced to end our southerly expedition and sail north. Every voyage in this part of the world is an adventure in a landscape formed from constantly shifting ice. Recording sounds for the Hearing in Penguin project. This is the case on the nearby Argentine Brown Base where a small colony of Gentoo penguins resides. For other areas ofCanadait may be more efficient to fly via Toronto or the USA. Seals swam by our boat, ice crackled in the water and birds hovered overhead. We took advantage of this versatility daily throughout our trip. Getting to Punta Arenas via Santiago:There are direct flights from Toronto to Santiago 5 times a week (approx 11 hours). Even checking that we had arrived at our hotel in Buenos Aires. Pancake ice is the first step in solid sea ice formation. The motley crew of animals was feeding on a school of krill which moved in our direction. There is an option to fly to Antarctica from Southern Chile before embarking your ship, which is becoming increasingly popular. Aside from experiencing the Antarctic at night, . Enjoy daily, Explore the White Continent onboard one of the newest additions to the Polar fleet, a state-of-the-art expedition vessel combining adventure with comfort. The scenery is vast, unique and impossibly grandiose. Getting to Ushuaia via Buenos Aires: There are direct flights from Toronto to Buenos Aires 5 times a week (approx 14 hours). We sailed for eighteen days, watched glaciers crumble, kayaked with whales and broke through ice. Your two main considerations should be which part of the continent to visit and whether to travel by ship or plane. Ask our specialist for assistance if you're unsure. Nearby is the ice filled Bancroft Bay where floated impossibly huge chunks of glacier. We anchored to a century old whaling wreck. Eventually our skipper saw a gap in the weather big enough for us to escape. Although themajority of flights each season run on schedule, flying also carries ahigher riskof delaysdue to the rapidly changing conditions thatmake accurate forecasting a challenge. Thanks!! German citizens wishing to organize an independent yachting journey must submit an application for a permit to the German Environment Agency at least three months in advance. After a ridiculous half day of touring, pictures and videos on base, we escaped to enjoy the final hours of 2018 in peace in the most beautiful place in the world. One of the many beauties of Antarctica is the lighting. We sailed towards our final spot and took every opportunity to enjoy one last day of sun on the deck. An outstanding program, successfully operated for over 15 seasons., By offering time saving flights, extended time in Antarctica and the chance to reach the Polar Circle, this 10-day voyage maximises the polar experience. In any event you should become acquainted with the rules of proper behaviour on location prior to the start of your journey. Getting to Ushuaia via Buenos Aires:Daily direct flights to Buenos Aires operate fromNew York,Miami, Dallas and Atlanta (approx 9-10 hours). This blog contains Amazon Associate affiliate links, which means we make a small commission on qualifying products purchased directly via our website at no cost to you. There were mossy patches reaching up the hillside, which was an unusual sight in the surroundings. Following Melchior, we sailed to Cuverville Island. We saw more glaciers than we can count, each wider and more sparkling white than the last. As surgical and finance career professionals, the two of us made the decision to live and not just exist. We hauled in the anchor and set sail into the 131 kilometer passage made infamous by the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. There is little that can compare to the free feeling of cutting through the crisp air and still waters in our kayaks. When sea swells were small, the shorter wavelength pummeled our boat sending giant shudders through the hull. The humpbacks here may have been the same ones we saw inEcuador earlier that summer before their six thousand kilometer migration back to Antarctica. It is hard to describe the feeling of floating between so many glacier draped mountains, but one thing is certain: once you have seen Antarctica, everywhere else is second best. Fachbibliothek Umwelt (Environmental Library), Assessing environmentally-related health risks, International policy and knowledge transfer, Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), Applying for a permit to travel to the Antarctic, Leaflet "How to Behave? As a group of just twelve people, we created minimal impact on the pristine environment. As was typical in this part of Antarctica, precipitation is common and conditions often change rapidly throughout the day. We were soaked through and freezing as we saw our first penguins on land which all seemed more curious about us than we of them. Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Adelie colonies all share the same rocky outcropping which was not a common sighting on our trip. Prices change based on trip, length, cabin and availability. This was the Antarctic way to ring in the New Year. Another option is to fly viaMadrid, where there are daily direct flights to Buenos Aires. Pragmatically, an Antarctic cruise offers the widest choice of voyage types, ships, departure dates and prices, and has the advantage of departures in November and March when flights to Antarctica don't operate. The weather quickly shifted from snowy and grey into the remarkably warm polar sunshine we had wanted. Unless one goes there, no one can believe how vast and how wild the white continent is. This is how Antarctica is supposed to be explored. We felt every wave slamming the hull, the impact seeming mere inches from the bunk. Just twelve people in the hull of a sailboat, drifting amongst the coldest and most remote wilderness on earth. However, there are private individuals navigating the Antarctic Treaty territory unmonitored, whose presence is only registered upon berthing at Port Lockroy. Although no polar weather gear was necessary, it was essential to dress in layers to respond to the dynamic environment. Without further ado, the base commander rolled out the red carpet (in Antarctica its more like a snowy trail of penguin poop) and rushed us inside. Most mating pairs had two healthy chicks between one and two weeks of age. The next four days were harrowing at best despite added medication. The clouds parted to reveal pillowy snow caps and fractured glaciers cascading into the sea. So after careful researchwe found a sailboat on a scientific mission to conduct penguin research and hopped aboard. Overall very pleased with the service we received from Swoop. Sailing remains the most popular way to get to Antarctica, and for good reason. In the Orleans passage, we found a sheet of sea ice stretched between the mountains and covering the expanse of water. Antarctica is the most stunning place on Earth. Spend 6 days kayaking, hiking, camping, mountaineering and snowshoeing, all included in the price. One popular destination is Port Lockroy, formerly a British base on the West Antarctic Peninsula. After sailing the Drake on our trip in, waiting in the freezing rain for our flight back to Punta Arenas was a welcome trade. In this video we give an insight into our work. Lurking within the colonies were several skuas which feed on penguin eggs and chicks. This helps us travel and makes us love you even more. It was certainly life changing. There is also an indirect flight from Los Angeles to Santiago via Lima (approx 13 hours). The informality of our trip gave us lots of flexibility with schedule and activities. With Argentina on our right and Chile on our left, the trip through the fjords of Tierra del Fuego is special on its own. Oh and we ONLY recommend products with a true purpose that we use and couldnt live without. Discover more about combining Patagonia and Antarctica. Taking into account each month's distinctive weather and wildlife characteristics can help you, What better way to truly connect with nature than camping in the snow, under the stars on the southernmost continent in the world?
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