A voyage to Antarctica is a true wilderness and wildlife journey of a lifetime. Whilst the Great White Continent may be vast and difficult to explore in its entirety, the Antarctic Peninsula is scenically the most dramatic region and provides the greatest diversity of wildlife.

Geologically, the Peninsula is a mountainous extension of the South American Andes, forming a coastal spine of mountains whose peaks rise 3,000 metres from the ocean. Its coastal mountain scenery is flanked by breathtaking glaciers, deep fjords and ice bergs more than a mile long - an environment that will humble the most seasoned explorer.

The icy oceans are a rich feeding ground for whales including orcas, humpbacks, blue and sperm whales. On some voyages our guests have been spellbound by more than 200 whales around the ship at one time.  The Peninsula is also a breeding ground for macaroni, chinstrap and gentoo penguin colonies, inviting great opportunities for their close observation.

Seals can be found in large numbers on the Peninsula, of which crab eater seals are the most abundant and Weddell seals are visually the most attractive with their spotted coats. The largest seal is the Leopard Seal, which at up to 3.2 metres in length, is one of two top predators in Antarctica. Our marine experts will be trying to spot one of these seals floating in wait close to a penguin diving in point. We are sometimes able to see them tossing an unfortunate penguin into the air. Our team has also photographed and filmed them beneath the water, skinning their prey before eating them. They always leave the feet!

The climate on the Peninsula is more favourable than the inner continent, so flora including lichens, mosses and algae make their debut on terra-firma. Overall the majority of Antarctica is covered by permanent ice and snow leaving less than 1% available for colonization by plants.

Our Antarctic Peninsula Voyages operate throughout the southern summer November to March. Carrying between 12 and 114 passengers, our voyages are onboard some of the smallest and friendliest ships exploring the Antarctic waters.  Each vessel is open to all, including the decks at all levels and the panoramic ship's bridge from which there are excellent view points.

Each ship carries a full complement of Zodiac craft (rigid inflatables boats), which are excellent for small group expert-lead landings with the opportunity for close encounters with wildlife. There is a natural history library onboard and a programme of inspiring evening lectures on subjects such as Antarctic explorers and history, wildlife, conservation, birdlife and birdwatching. Where possible, we will also land at a research station where you can see how researchers live and learn about the research they are undertaking.

Polar guides onboard are some of the most experienced available, with specialist knowledge on certain trips which enable us to operate polar photography workshops onboard, and unique experiences such as camping out on the ice, sea kayaking and snow shoe walking. If these activities are of interest to you, please contact us to speak to one of our polar experts or polar guides.

Whilst we offer our voyages as stand alone experiences, we are a fully bonded travel company able to provide flights and accommodation before and after your voyage. For those travelling to Antarctica, we are a specialist at tailor made and small group travel within Argentina and other parts of Latin America.

Our Antarctic Peninsula wilderness voyages are one of the most memorable holidays you are ever likely to experience. They are also a major undertaking for most travelers, which is why we provide detailed information throughout the booking and preparation process. We are also on hand to answer any questions you have and provide 24 hour support for clients who are travelling.

Some Specialist Leaders in 2012 & 2013

Aqua-Firma Marine Scientist, Charlotte Caffrey, is an inspirational guide whose marine expertise around the world can shed light on what you see above water, as well as what you can't see beneath it. Photographs and film brought to the surface by onboard divers will help her to do this, as well as accounts of her time diving in polar seas in Antarctica and the Arctic. Charlotte will be onboard our 12 day Antarctic Polar Circle - Wildlife and Marine Life Voyage 9th - 20th  March, 2012. Kayaking, photography workshops, and scuba diving camping are available on this voyage. Click Here for details.

Penguin & Birdwatching Special Focus with Robert Brown O.B.E. On two departures in February 2013 we will have Robert Brown, OBE, one of our leading birdlife experts who for 12 years was Director of the RSPB (Northern Ireland). Robert's expert knowledge will help provide deeper insights into penguins, as well as entertain you out at sea as you watch for seabirds such as the Wandering Albatross. Dates: 7th - 17th Feb and 17th - 26th Feb, 2013.

Photographs kindly provided by: Franco Banfi, Rinnie Van Meurs, Chloe Burnett, Keith Hiscock, Charlotte Caffrey & Göran Ehlmé

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This is a sample only based upon an 11 day voyage. The final itinerary will be determined by the Expedition Team and is influenced by local conditions, like ice and weather - in particular actual or anticipated headwinds affecting crossings of the Drake Passage. Day 1 Set sail from Ushuaia in Argentina's Tierra del Fuego. Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the World located in the picturesque Beagle Channel. Day 2 We sail across the Drake Passage. Once 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. Day 3 We see our first icebergs close to the South Shetland Islands. Day 4 At Deception Island, we try to land at Baily Head where we find a colony of ten thousand of chinstrap penguins. Deception Island is a huge volcano with its crater open to the sea, creating a natural harbour for the ship. Here we find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of cape pigeons and many Dominican gulls, brown and south polar skuas and Antarctic terns. Wilson's storm petrels and black-bellied storm petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay. Day 5 We sail to Orne Islands with its large colonies of chinstrap penguins and beautiful views across the Gerlache Strait. Later we continue to Cuverville Island, a small precipitous island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula and Danco Island. It contains a large colony of gentoo penguins and breeding pairs of brown skuas. From there we sail through Paradise Bay with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, providing opportunities of seeing large whales. We will have opportunities for zodiac cruising between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords. Day 6 We sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Petermann Island where we can find adelie penguins and blue-eyed shags. We also try to land at Pleneau Island home to elephant seals. In this area there are good chances to encounter humpback whales, minke whales and fin whales. Day 7 Sailing north through Neumayer Channel and Gerlache Strait we arrive at Charlotte Bay with a very beautiful landscape and again possibilities for zodiac cruising among the icebergs, where we may encounter leopard seals, crabeater seals and minke whales. Day 8 Half Moon Island is a beautiful volcanic island with chinstrap penguins, gentoo penguins, blue-eyed shags, sheathbills and brown skuas. weddell seals and elephant seals may also be spotted. The crew of the Argentine station is very hospitable. We may also choose to land at Hannah Point, which has a very rich wildlife featuring elephant seals, cape pigeons, southern giant petrels, macaroni penguins and gentoo penguins. Day 9 Weather reports will guide our departure time from Antarctica. Day 10 Sailing across the Drake Passage where we have again a chance of seeing many seabirds. Day 11 We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark.