Antarctica - Emperors & Snow Hill Island - Helicopters - 11 days
About this trip
Experience Antarctica from the most extraordinary vantage point of all: the air. On this eleven-day voyage departing from Ushuaia, the ship's helicopter capability opens up parts of the frozen continent that few travellers ever reach, giving you a true expedition leader's perspective on this remote wilderness.
The aim is to seek out an emperor penguin rookery near Snow Hill Island, where thousands of breeding pairs gather. Because heavy ice can shift unpredictably, the vessel positions itself close to the ice edge between the Antarctic Sound and James Clark Ross Island, and the helicopters make the search both possible and thrilling. Scenic flights and landings in otherwise inaccessible places turn this early-season adventure into a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime journey.
See the Antarctic from the vantage point of a true expedition leader - from the air. Our helicopter capability on the Ortelius provides you the unique chance to view an emperor penguin rookery numbering upwards of 4,000 breeding pairs, located just south of Snow Hill Island. Heavy ice may prevent entrance from the Weddell Sea, and ice at the rookery itself might break up and start to melt earlier than expected. With this in mind, the aim is to stop the vessel between the Antarctic Sound and James Clark Ross Island, close to the ice edge, and find emperor penguins on their way to the open water. The helicopters make this search possible - and thrilling - as you embark on scenic flights, as well as landings in places otherwise inaccessible so early in the season.
Travel information
- Transport
- boot
- Duration
- 11 days