can you sail your own boat to antarctica

More helpful insights when researching your perfect Antarctic adventure. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In the Orleans passage, we found a sheet of sea ice stretched between the mountains and covering the expanse of water. Here is a link to their trip option page: https://www.quixote-expeditions.com/trips/antarctic-sailing-expedition/ Have a nice day! Sailing the Drake Passage from the tip of South America to the Antarctic Peninsula takes 48 hours. Penguins require rocky areas near the ocean to nest. Have no fear, simply put on the Worlds Best Minimalist Packing List and Detailed Preparation Guideand travel with confidence. Icebergs are created when they calve from glaciers and float into the sea. The humpbacks here may have been the same ones we saw inEcuador earlier that summer before their six thousand kilometer migration back to Antarctica. 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. There are seemingly infinite pristine white glaciers. Our front cabin meant the we caught the impact of every wave head on and it became normal for our bay windows to fully submerge under water. We traveled through the middle section before sailing to King George Island at the far northern tip where we flew to Punta Arenas, Chile. Leaving Lockroy, we sailed back up the Nuemayer Channel towards Enterprise Island. There is also an indirect flight from Los Angeles to Santiago via Lima (approx 13 hours). This resulted in many evenings where the midnight sun cast pastel shadows on the ice surrounding our home. It re-awakened my commitment, and that of other guests, to care for our planet. There is an option to fly to Antarctica from Southern Chile before embarking your ship, which is becoming increasingly popular. 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. Antarctica had previously been a whaling destination prior to being designated a protected environment. After sailing the Drake on our trip in, waiting in the freezing rain for our flight back to Punta Arenas was a welcome trade. We saw more glaciers than we can count, each wider and more sparkling white than the last. Groups of penguins porpoised around our boat, jumping above the water and the bio-luminescent jellyfish hovering nearby. This was easily one of the top three locations from our trip. Once out of the protection of the anchorage, we noticed whales swimming in our direction accompanied by a flock of sea birds and porpoising penguins. Optional kayaking & polar, The great strength of this trip is choice - the widest selection of departure dates and optional adventure activities available across four first-rate ice-strengthened ships (128 to 199 guests). We survived the harrowing turbulence on the Drake Passage, our lives in the hands of our skipper and his two crew. Intimately, with just a few people in a twenty meter boat and an endless expanse of natural perfection. This was the beginning of our scientific penguin research program which would ultimately span nearly a dozen outings. There were no strict time limits allowing us to photograph, explore and hike at our leisure. An extended fly & cruise voyage spending eight full days actually in Antarctica onboard a small, state-of-the-art expedition ship. Pancake ice is the first step in solid sea ice formation. We anchored to a century old whaling wreck. A medium-sized expedition ship acts as your floating basecamp. January - March, The ultimate Antarctic adventure, this trip is specifically for the active traveller. 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. All the information about the documentation required to apply for a permit is here: Applying for a permit to travel to the Antarctic. The reality for the majority of our customers is thatit's rarely as bad as it sounds, and it's certainly a 'price' well worth paying. Below deck, we could hear their songs projected through the steel walls of the hull and into our cabin under the surface. Read the full review. We took advantage of this versatility daily throughout our trip. For ease and efficiency few things beat flying to Antarctica. Choosing the best time to visit Antarctica is a crucial part of the planning process. 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. We went with Quixote Expeditions so you can get an exact price if you check with them. Does thinking about long term travel give you the shivers? While this is often cheaper, it is also often longer. It provides the most choice in terms of voyages. Nearby is the ice filled Bancroft Bay where floated impossibly huge chunks of glacier. Lurking within the colonies were several skuas which feed on penguin eggs and chicks. There is a long stretch of coastline along theNuemayer Channel between heaps of icebergs leading to the sheltered bay. Most mating pairs had two healthy chicks between one and two weeks of age. Icebergs often found our boat, startling us awake once again thinking that it was the fatal blow. Read the full review. We also vacuumed our luggage and jacket velcro to prevent any spore/seed spreading. For other areas ofCanadait may be more efficient to fly via Toronto or the USA. The following Antarctic cruises are available: Cruising to Antarctica involves crossing The Drake Passage, a fairly notorious stretch of water. You should also expect to payapproximately 20% morethan if you were to sail. We kayaked between giant blue icebergs while penguins swam at our sides. Whale bones are a common sight on an Antarctic beach. After a long and jolting overnight trip, we anchored near Base OHiggins. The old rusted behemoth, once an enemy of the animals in Antarctica, has now become the home for many nesting birds and sea life. Eventually our skipper saw a gap in the weather big enough for us to escape. We have seen climate change first hand and knew that now was the time to delve into this elusive continent. For the adventurous, optional kayaking, Travelling on board this extremely comfortable ship, explore the highlights of the peninsula with a top class expedition team. Above the bay is a hill with a panoramic view of both Dorian Bay and Port Lockroy below, which made for a challenging hike in the knee deep snow. Thanks for sharing your Antarctica experience! When the unpredictable weather of Antarctica is nice, you take full advantage and explore. After we found our passage into the Lamaire Channel blocked by ice, we were forced to end our southerly expedition and sail north. Following Melchior, we sailed to Cuverville Island. If you enjoyed this remote adventure, then youll love these other posts: Some people are more adventurous than others. 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. We were destined for Antarctica, but first we had to conquer the infamous Drake Passage. They should have some of that information listed on their website. Visiting with a small boat let us best control the areas where we tread to ensure no harm to the surroundings. We moved to the neighboring Half Moon Bay to drop anchor. By the end we could recognize calls and mannerisms of the various species. Getting to Ushuaia via Buenos Aires: There are direct flights from London to Buenos Aires (approx 14 hours). However, delays are often no longer than a few hours, and for many, the modest risk in opting to fly is more than outweighed by the significant gains. 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. Using a drone to scout a safe passage through the ice. The bay was surrounded by gigantic mountains with every other available space filled with glacier. The untouched, natural beauty, the mighty icebergs, the silliness of the penguins. 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. As human settlements and penguin nesting grounds typically need similar conditions, they often build on shared space. We had dreamed of visiting Antarctica. Many Antarctic trips actually depart from the tip of South America, and we recommend taking some extra time to explore Chile and Argentina. Antarctica is the most stunning place on Earth. 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. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Our trip departed from the harbor in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina. This group of Antarctic islands is located 120 kilometers north of the mainland peninsula. You can differentiate a fur seal from other seal species because of the presence of ears. It takes 48 hours to reach the Antarctic Peninsula by boat, and just 2 hours by plane. Just outside of the harbor are a series of giant and dramatic precariously towering glaciers. We always had the option to explore in either one of the three kayaks or the zodiac. This is where we first stepped ashore and claimed our seventh continent in a impossibly heavy snowstorm. As surgical and finance career professionals, the two of us made the decision to live and not just exist. Learn how your comment data is processed. Even checking that we had arrived at our hotel in Buenos Aires. You may find it's more convenient togo via Auckland, New Zealand, which offers direct daily flights to Santiago. Fly to Antarctica on a BAE146 whisper jet. And just like that, the sun set on our sailing trip to Antarctica. The scenery is vast, unique and impossibly grandiose. No one wants the skua to succeed but they are simply trying to feed their own young. The bay, named for its crescent shaped Half Moon Island, was a stunning sight. We hauled in the anchor and set sail into the 131 kilometer passage made infamous by the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. However, there are private individuals navigating the Antarctic Treaty territory unmonitored, whose presence is only registered upon berthing at Port Lockroy. Read the full review, The service from Swoop was unparalleled. Once in Buenos Aires there are regular flights to Ushuaia. Here it is possible to send post cards through the British mail in a very unique location. Pairing the beauty with the adventure of a sailboat was extra special. Approximately 30% of voyages experience rough weather,howeverit can also be surprisingly placidtoo, at which time it's euphemistically called 'The Drake Lake'. 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. As part of our trip we were able to assist with a scientific project to study penguins. The next four days were harrowing at best despite added medication. Wildlife ignored our strict distance rules. One popular destination is Port Lockroy, formerly a British base on the West Antarctic Peninsula. Spend 6 days kayaking, hiking, camping, mountaineering and snowshoeing, all included in the price. The town is situated below the beautiful backdrop of the Patagonian landscape, with only the Beagle Channel and a fewislands separating it from the open ocean. When sea swells were small, the shorter wavelength pummeled our boat sending giant shudders through the hull. Complimentary hotel nights and. Finally reaching the outlying islands, we at last had shelter from the turbulence and regained the alien feeling of stability. 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. Without a second glance, we sailed from the southernmost point of South America and into open ocean. 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. 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. Get in touch with Swoop and let them help with narrowing down the choices. The ice now showing on the edge of the Antarctic glaciers was formed from compacted snow and high pressure over millennia. Outside of Cuverville we learned exactly how fickle Antarctic weather can be as we sailed through the expansive Paradise Harbor on a cloudy morning. Extending almost 14 million square kilometres, the Antarctic ice sheet is the largest single mass of ice on Earth and is twice as big as Australia, with ice up to 2.5 miles thick in places Antarctica is exceptionally remote and it takes time to get there, but this is part of what makes the experience so special and unique. Penguins arecuriousanimals. Looking at these photos, I have to take a slow, deep breathso peaceful. Small boat sailing is not easy, but the added layer of adventure makes the experience personal. Copyright 2019 Career Break Adventures. These are claimed by Britain, Chile, and Argentina although the sovereignty is not addressed by the Antarctic Treaty. You can get to Antarctica by boat or plane. Scattered throughout the continent are a series of bases maintained by various countries around the world. This was a rare opportunity to compare the calls and behaviors of these species. So after careful researchwe found a sailboat on a scientific mission to conduct penguin research and hopped aboard. A polar plunge allowed a full immersion into the polar lifestyle and a refreshing start to the new year. The motley crew of animals was feeding on a school of krill which moved in our direction. Read the full review, The joy of travel is to experience the unexpected. Damoy was one of the most incredible places in Antarctica and yet we sat alone to enjoy the perfect calm without any distractions from the modern world. This stylish 139-passenger ship, with its cavernous suites, fine dining and compelling itinerary, offers a very polished Southern Ocean adventure, at a fair, For maximum time in Antarctica with flights both ways, this trip really stands out. The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) also published yachting guidelines for Antarctic cruises in 2012. This was the first areas where we saw any land vegetation. The clouds parted to reveal pillowy snow caps and fractured glaciers cascading into the sea. This adventure should be on everybody's "bucket list". If I'd have known it was that easy I would have gone years ago! We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you. Icebergs are beautiful but hazardous to sailboats, Related: 10 Simple Packing Tips for Minimalist Travel. We anchored at the former British base of Port Lockroy home of the Penguin Post Office, the most southerly post office in the world. Visitor Guidelines for the Antarctic, Assessment of communication masking in Antarctic marine mammals by underwater sound from airguns, Monitoring penguin colonies in the Antarctic using remote sensing data, Collection and Analysis of Data on Occurrence, Distribution and Abundance of Cetaceans in the Southern Ocean Following International Standards, Dynamics of landfast sea ice of Atka Bay, Antarctica, Assessment of potential for masking in marine mammals of the Antarctic exposed to underwater sound from airguns, Sustainability | Strategies | International. Just twelve people in the hull of a sailboat, drifting amongst the coldest and most remote wilderness on earth. Spend a minimum of four full days exploring Antarctica. 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. It was right in our wheelhouse but we wanted the experience to ourselves, not shared with hundreds of others on a large cruise ship. 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. From the moment we arrived in Antarctica on the jet, I realized that I had landed in a world that I could have never have envisioned being in. Yet another show stopper, the mirrored bay was ringed with peaked mountains and glacial valleys on all sides. Getting to Punta Arenas via Santiago:There are daily, direct flights to Santiago from New York, Miami, Dallas and Atlanta (approx 8-10 hours). From zodiac safaris and continental landings to expert-led lectures, theres absolutely no risk of boredom. Sailing remains the most popular way to get to Antarctica, and for good reason. With the sails raised, the boat listed strongly to the left angling everything inside. Not a group to shy from adventure, we looked for a safe passage through the rippling layer of ice. Would love a breakdown of the fees of something like this. The majority of cruises leave from Ushuaia (Argentina), whereas Fly & Cruise trips leave from Punta Arenas (Chile). The United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust operates a museum and a small post office and souvenir shop. Humpback doing a full circular inspection of our vessel. As a group of just twelve people, we created minimal impact on the pristine environment. Several yachts are members in the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and are thereby subject to compliance with its regulations. Our mid December / early January trip was structured to sail down to Antarctica and fly back at the end. We took advantage of this often in Port Lockroy and the surrounding areas. 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? The officers sent an excited invitation to join them for a New Years Eve brunch. We needed to choose our timing well with our first hurdle being several days in the wide Drake passage. Afterwhat seemed like an eternity near death, we reached land and learned the reward for our pain. This is all part of a healthy ecosystem. Thank you Easily one of the most beautiful places in the world. Cruise ships depart from Ushuaia, commonly regarded as the southernmost city in the world, before leaving South America behind to reach Antarctica. Explore the route to Ushuaia or Punta Arenas. As we crossed through Paradise, we saw our first of what would be many whales to accompany our journey. A flight to King George Island sets you down right inthe heart of the action. Choosing the best time to visit Antarctica is a crucial part of the planning process. Unless one goes there, no one can believe how vast and how wild the white continent is. 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. Once in Santiago there are regular flights to Punta Arenas. The pristine environment, flush with wildlife, distant from everything. Privacy policy, Antarctic Interior and South Pole Expeditions, What Our Customers Think of How to get to Antarctica. Four days at the mercy of the seas was all that stood between us and the white continent. Read the full review, Elizabeth Hess - We sailed with Quixote Expeditions from Ushuaia, Argentina to a middle portion of the Antarctic Peninsula (the long tail stretching towards South America). Home Disclaimer & Privacy Contact Us. This is the case on the nearby Argentine Brown Base where a small colony of Gentoo penguins resides. These spots were always surrounded by views of icy mountains making research participation incredible. Explore the route to Ushuaia or Punta Arenas. Dont forget to pack The 15 Most Essential Items for Minimalist Travel! While some people enjoy Antarctic wildlife encounters in traditional methods, others take it to another level. Once there, there are regular flights to Punta Arenas. With a small boat, we were never more than a few meters above water, putting us front row for the best show on Earth. Our customer serviceteam can provide advice and assistancein finding the right flightoption for your Antarctic adventure. 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. We got engaged at the bottom of the ocean, stepped away from the corporate world in our thirties, sold most of our belongings and started traveling! All to better understand hearing in penguins. Are there trips that visit both Antarctica and South America? 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. United States Of America, Swoop was brilliant throughout, from making the initial booking to steering us through the pre-trip preparations. This backdrop made for the whitest Christmas on record. We witnessed icebergs break and flip upside down exposing the areas previously underwater to view. Month of travel, length of trip, whether you fly or sail, and the level of comfort will have an influence on the end price. Several of the passengers spent days in bed instead of fighting the hazards that come with staying up right. Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Adelie colonies all share the same rocky outcropping which was not a common sighting on our trip. Read the full review, I would book with Swoop in a heartbeat and have already been recommending Swoop to others. The waters were often incredibly glassy creating perfect reflections of the snowy hills all around. Related: How to Choose the Best Antarctica Sailing Trip. Read the full review, Terrie Mandina - It seemed as if each sculpture was carved for our one time viewing, sure to change before being seen by human eyes again. As was typical in this part of Antarctica, precipitation is common and conditions often change rapidly throughout the day. While the penguins may not be an imposing species, they do not let their chicks go without a fight. We always observed strict wildlife distance boundaries to minimize any stress caused. In contrast to our visit to Port Lockroy where visitors are common, this Chilean base had likely not seen outsiders for some time.

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