10-Nights Antarctica In Search of the Emperor Penguin Adventure Cruising — CALL

MT Sobek

OFFER ID 1494341

A true adventure, this exciting Antarctica cruise in the Weddell Sea sets out to explore the range of the emperor penguins near Snow Hill Island. Watch for Chinstrap, Adelie and gentoo penguins as well as a variety of other birds from the ship, and survey the area via helicopter. Visit historic and volcanic South Shetland Islands. Helicopters provide an advantage in reaching the emperor penguin colony, but nature makes the rules in Antarctica. The itinerary will vary depending on the weather and ice pack.

Highlights:

  • Fly over astonishing Antarctic snowscapes, soaring above glaciers, rocky cliffs, and icebergs by helicopter
  • Seize a rare chance to observe the vast emperor penguin colony at Snow Hill Island
  • Join an expert Antarctic expedition team aboard the ship and on scenery and wildlife excursions

Important Trip Details:
You can expect 1 or 2 half-day excursions for each day in Antarctica depending on weather conditions. During guided shore excursions, guests break up into smaller special interest groups with several options ranging from an easy shoreline walk to a strenuous hike (1-3 hours.) Excursions may include a Zodiac cruise to observe icebergs and wildlife (1-1.5 hours.)

Minimum Age: 15

10 nights | Call for pricing

Itinerary

MT Sobek: Antarctica In Search of the Emperor Penguin Adventure Cruising

Day 1 Embark from the “End of the World”
Begin the journey on Tierra del Fuego in the small resort town of Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city on the planet, nicknamed "The End of the World." Board your ship, settle into your cabin, and then sail the mountain-fringed Beagle Channel for the remainder of the evening.
Accommodation: m/v Ortelius
(D)

Day 2 Sail Drakes Passage, Path of the Polar Explorers
Begin a two-day voyage across the 600 mile gateway to the white continent of Antarctic: the Drakes Passage. Experience sights encountered by the great polar explorers who first charted these regions. The Drake is considered by many polar travelers as a rite of passage everyone must experience before enjoying the boundless natural wonders of Antarctica. Layers of cold seawater from the south and relatively warm seawater from the north collide to form powerful eddies. When paired with strong winds, common to this area, the Drake Passage has earned its reputation as one of Earth's roughest waterways and greatest adventures.
Accommodation: m/v Ortelius
(B, L, D)

Day 3 Continue on Drakes Passage
Pass the Antarctic Convergence - Antarctica's natural boundary, formed when north-flowing cold waters collide with warmer sub-Antarctic seas - into the circum-Antarctic upwelling zone. En route, enjoy a program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff. The wealth of Drake Passage wildlife will give you no shortage of animals to gaze at. Keep an eye out for albatrosses like the wandering, grey-headed, black-browed, and light-mantled sooty albatrosses. Thick with plankton, the seas support populations of humpback, orca, minkie, and fin whales.

(B, L, D)

Day 4 Enter the Antarctic Sound and Weddell Sea
Sail into the Weddell Sea via the iceberg-dotted Antarctic Sound toward the eastern Antarctic Peninsula. Search for emperor penguins from vantage points on the vessel and from helicopters. Expert guides lead all excursions and decide where to go and what to do each day depending on conditions.

(B, L, D)

Day 5 Chart the Western Slopes of the Antarctic Sound
Continue into the Weddell Sea. Leave the ship for helicopter flights, weather permitting. Enjoy breath-taking views of the layered sandstones, lava flows, glaciers, icebergs, and pack-ice extending as far as the eye can see. Zodiac to Devil Island, home to a large colony of Adélie penguins, and a magnificent vantage point for hikers at the top of the hill.

(B, L, D)

Day 6 Journey to the Land of the Emperors
Watch for Emperor Penguins on a sail further south, ice and weather permitting. Visit Seymour Island, where the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901 wintered, and home to sedimentary rock formations, fossils, and expansive views. Take a zodiac ride to Gourdin Island, where Chinstrap, gentoo, and Adélie penguins can be found.

(B, L, D)

Day 7 Travel North through the Antarctic Sound
Continue north, watching for whales, penguins, and sea birds. Zodiac to Brown Bluff, perhaps the most scenic location in the northern tip of the Antarctic Continent, with its sheer canyon walls, fallen boulders, and beautiful volcanic creations capped with ice. Enjoy viewing the large Adélie penguin rookery, also home to gentoo penguins and nesting snow petrels. Make way toward Deception Island.

(B, L, D)

Day 8 Explore Deception Island
Awake in the South Shetland Islands archipelago and sail into the volcanic caldera of the crescent-shaped Deception Island through its narrow entrance, Neptune's Bellows. Admire the surrounding cliffs and spectacular mountain peaks towering above. Landing at either Pendulum Cove or Whalers Bay, explore abandoned whaling station ruins including bleached whalebones, wooden barrels and other artefacts from 20th century whale hunters. Although the wildlife inside the caldera is not that abundant, several bird species breed on the caldera cliffs. Deception Island is not totally covered by ice, offering many walking opportunities. If conditions are right, hike to "Neptune's Window" and high up onto the rim of the crater, and experience what it's like to be "at the top" of the bottom of the world.

(B, L, D)

Day 9 Return Journey across the Drake Passage
Begin the 2-day journey back to Ushuaia across Drakes Passage. En route, watch for migratory sea birds Antarctic Petrels, Southern Giant Petrel, shags, skuas, and gulls. Expert ornithologists and keen birders are there to point out the different species on on-board lectures will help you with birdlife knowledge.

(B, L, D)

Day 10 Final Crossing Day
Cross the Drake, greeted by a vast array of seabirds and whales. Take advantage of the day to rest and reflect on the extraordinary journey of the days past. Cap off the trip with a sail past Cape Horn on the way into Ushuaia, weather permitting.

(B, L, D)

Day 11 Depart Ushuaia
This morning disembark and transfer to the airport. We strongly recommend booking flights no earlier than 12:00 pm to account for possible delays getting back to port.

(B)

Featured Destinations
Brown Bluff
Devil Island
Seymour Island
Weddell Sea
Antarctic Sound
Drake Passage
Deception Island
Ushuaia

Vacation Details

Valid Date Ranges
11/11/2025 - 11/21/2025
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11/21/2025 - 12/01/2025
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* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.
Prices Start At
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Length
10 Nights
Air City
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Vacation Rating
Deluxe
Fine dining, on-site bars or lounges and room service with extended hours are characteristic of deluxe establishments. Guest services usually include valet parking, concierge services, baggage assistance and laundry services. Other on-site facilities often include shops and boutiques, full service spas, full fitness facilities with pools and tennis courts. Business amenities may include available up-to-date technology and support staffs available for services. Attention to detail is apparent in the guestrooms which typically have stylish furnishings, quality bedding and bath products and often provide an evening turn down service.
Remarks
Prices subject to availability and change without notice. Some restrictions may apply.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

OFFER ID
1494341

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Reid Travel

(561) 395-6670
(561) 395-6670