Antarctic Circle - Fly and Cruise - M/V Greg Mortimer

Arrive in Punta Arenas (PUQ), where you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel. We ask that you arrive no later than 4pm so that you can attend the important briefing in the evening.

Please visit the AE Expeditions hospitality desk in the lobby between 10am - 6pm today to collect your luggage cabin tags. The team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with information about where to dine or purchase last minute items.

Overlooking the Straits of Magellan, the city sits astride one of the world's most historic trade routes. Today, Punta Arenas reflects a great mix of cultures, from English sheep ranchers to Portuguese sailors, and it remains an utterly fascinating testament to Chile's rich history.

At approximately 7pm this evening, meet your fellow expeditioners at a voyage briefing where we will reconfirm your transfer times, the procedures for your flight to King George Island and IAATO regulations for visitors to Antarctica. Afterwards, there's free time to enjoy the local cuisine at one of Punta Arenas's many restaurants.

This morning you will be transferred to Punta Arenas airport for your early morning charter flight to King George Island, Antarctica, the flight will take approximately one-and-a-half-hours. On arrival at King George Island, the expedition team will be on hand to greet you and provide you with gumboots for your Zodiac transfer to board the MV Greg Mortimer. You'll have time to settle into your cabin before the important ship briefings. You will be able to spend the evening getting to know your fellow expeditioners and friendly expedition team at a welcome dinner, celebrating the start of a thrilling adventure to Antarctica. Please note, King George Island is located at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands and is one of the most remote places on Earth. A clear sky with perfect visibility is required in order to take off and land safely so delays can occur.

It's almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever. Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, and we have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish. Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities.

During our time in Antarctica, there are many exciting places we can choose to visit and we may make a stop at a few or many of the following :

Paradise Harbour
A protected bay surrounded by magnificent peaks and breath-taking glaciers, the rocky cliffs provide a perfect nesting site for blue-eyed shags, terns and gulls. Paradise Harbour is also a haven for whales as we keep our eyes open for humpbacks, orcas and minkes, as well as crabeater seals, whilst we explore the bay in Zodiacs.

Half Moon Island
This wildlife-rich island is tucked into a neat bay at the eastern end of Livingston Island. On a clear day, the glaciers and mountains of Livingston Island dominate the vista. There is a large chinstrap penguin rookery tucked in between basaltic turrets, coloured by yellow and orange lichens. Gulls nest on these turrets and there are often fur seals and elephant seals hauled out on the pebble beaches. At one extremity of the island, there is a large colony of nesting blue-eyed shags. At the other end lies a small Argentine station that is sometimes occupied by scientists conducting research on the penguin colony and surrounding waterways.

Lemaire Channel
If ice conditions allow, standing on the bow of the Greg Mortimer quietly moving through the narrow Lemaire Channel, could be one of the highlights of your voyage. Cliffs tower 700 metres straight up out of the ocean on either side of the ship. The water can be so still, that perfect reflections are mirrored on the surface and it is clear to see why this Channel is also known as Kodak Alley. Gigantic icebergs may clog the channel, creating navigational challenges for our captain and crew; occasionally they may even obstruct our passage.

Port Lockroy
Located on Goudier Island, British Port Lockroy is an important site for both scientific research and visitors to the Antarctic continent. Designated a historic site in 1994 and opened to the Antarctic tourism industry in 1996, it was discovered in 1904 and used by the whaling industry in the first half of the 1900's. It was also part of the British Operation Tabarin during World War II, and was later used as a British Research Station. Today, Pork Lockroy is manned by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust and operates as a museum, gift shop and Post Office for visitors from passing Antarctic expeditions. You can even send a postcard home from the Penguin Post Office, the World's most southern Post Office!

Deception Island
Visiting Deception Island is like making a journey to the moon. We sail through the narrow opening of Neptune's Bellows to enter the flooded volcanic crater. The inside of the crater is an unworldly scene, virtually devoid of life. Glaciers flow down from the edge of the crater, littered with black volcanic ash.
We can explore the lifeless remains of a derelict whaling station and a vacant British base, or climb to the rim of the crater. Steam rises from the shore indicating that the water is actually warm enough for swimming, for those who dare. Outside the crater, if conditions allow, we might land at Bailey Head to explore the enormous chinstrap penguin rookery that featured in David Attenborough's Life in the Freezer series.

Neko Harbour
Located in Andvord Bay, Neko Harbour is an inlet home to Gentoo penguins and regularly welcomes Weddell seals. The scenery is dramatic - towering peaks and calving glaciers surround the harbour. The thundering crack of the glaciers as they calve, is sure to stop you in your tracks.

Because we are so far south, you will experience approximately 18-20 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish. We will generally make landings or Zodiac excursions two, and occasionally three, times a day; cruising along spectacular ice cliffs, following whales that are feeding near the surface, and landing on the continent and its off-shore islands to visit penguin rookeries, seal haul outs, historic huts, and a few other favourite spots along the peninsula. There will be plenty of time for sleep when you get home!

Aboard robust Zodiacs, we explore penguin rookeries, historic sites and scientific stations and cruise up close to intricately shaped icebergs. We will see seals basking on ice floes and stepping ashore on the continent itself, will no doubt create an everlasting memory. A curious leopard seal cruising amongst spectacular icebergs, may mean postponing lunch, or seeing Bubble-netting humpbacks will deserve a wake-up call, even at midnight! Such wildlife opportunities may present themselves and your crew will ensure that these fortunate sightings are not wasted.

While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!
In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to watch whales travelling or feeding. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve their way from summit to sea. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white continent.

On this voyage, conditions permitting, we plan to cross the Antarctic Circle, an imaginary line located at the Antarctic Circle at approximately latitude 66°33' South. Crossing below The Circle is certainly a special highlight for many people, and the moment will be celebrated with a toast out on the deck - weather permitting.

As we approach and cross the Antarctic Circle, you will notice subtle changes in the landscape, and also in the distribution of wildlife. The waters at this time of year are rich with krill and we hope to see plenty of whales - particularly humpbacks and minkes and enjoy the spectacle of penguins feeding their ravenous chicks.

There is no doubt that wherever your final itinerary takes you, you will leave Antarctica rich in memories and with a feeling of gratitude, having visited somewhere so beautiful and remote, where only a privileged few have set foot.

As we approach Frei Base on King George Island, it is time to say farewell to Antarctica before boarding our flight to Punta Arenas, Chile. On arrival at Punta Arenas airport, you will be transferred to your downtown hotel. Please note, it is common to experience delays to your flight back to Punta Arenas, due to poor weather conditions.

Bid a fond farewell to your fellow passengers after breakfast at the hotel, before continuing with onward travel. A transfer to the airport is included on this day.