Specialty Themed Departures Antarctica
A selection of exciting themed and speciality expeditions to Antarctica over the coming season are set to depart from Ushuaia in Argentina, the world’s southern-most city, on board two impressive ice-strengthened ships - the Akademik Ioffe and Akademik Sergey Vavilov.
Every one of the trips has its own distinct flavour and added features of special interest: extreme activities for the intrepid traveller, wildlife galore and master photography classes ideal for naturalists and ornithologists, as well as scientific research into whale behaviour and expeditions that highlight the history of exploration.
One element all of the expeditions have in common is that they are set against the supremely beautiful backdrop of the Antarctic – a pristine and truly breath taking sight, even for the most seasoned of travellers.
With scenery ranging from snow-covered mountains to stunning vistas of spectacular towering blue and white icebergs, it is easy to see why the legendary polar explorers were so captivated by this remote region.
Travelling on board One Ocean Expeditions’ ice-strengthened vessels, which are able to make their way through ice-choked waters and withstand the extreme Antarctic conditions with ease, passengers find themselves retracing the steps of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men from the Endurance expedition. Each step of the way, it is hard not to reflect upon the bravery of these pioneering explorers and to consider the immense difficulties they must have faced with their inferior vessels and woefully inadequate equipment.
Visitors are rewarded with a plethora of wildlife and awe-inspiring scenery. Adélie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins torpedo through the water. Predatory leopard seals stake their claim on ice floes. Gentle humpback whales dip in and out of the water as they feed on vast krill swarms. Thousands of colossal icebergs line the bays of Paradise or Hope Bay and seemingly endless ice sheets stretch out in to the distance.
These expeditions offer an amazing opportunity to experience one of the world’s last remote wildernesses, to marvel at its extreme beauty, to participate in exciting and exhilarating activities and to learn about and photograph a fascinating Polar region.
Which one is for you . . . ?
Antarctica Off the Beaten Track 8-20 November 2012 & 8-20 November 2013
Aimed at intrepid outdoor enthusiasts with a sense of enhanced adventure, this 12-night expedition is packed with activities such as ski touring, overnight camping and kayaking, expedition snowshoeing and field photography with renowned Polar photographers.
Our team of experts on board includes Sean Brooks, a fully qualified IFMA Climbing & Ski guide who has been mountain guiding for close to two decades with numerous accolades and exceptional team building and guiding experience. Rounding out the waterside portion of this extreme program is Mark Scriver, an internationally recognized paddler and guide who's experience will astound you on the overnight kayak camping excursion. Accompanied by internationally acclaimed photographer, BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year award winner and polar expert, Daisy Gilardini, and David McEown, a fellow expedition photographer and one of Canada’s most accomplished watercolour artists, the team aims to make this a trip of a lifetime for all participants.
Travelling on board the comfortable yet robust Akademik Ioffe, through the Beagle Channel and across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, passengers are prepared for the exciting journey ahead with presentations and readiness prepared sessions on wildlife, history, first aid and snow safety.
The unpredictability of the region adds to the anticipation and excitement of taking part in adrenaline-pumping activities and, weather permitting, to step foot on to the White Continent itself. Excursions may include Neko Harbour, Wilhelmina Bay and the southerly Petermann Island to observe Weddell, crabeater and elephant seals, skuas and other seabirds as well as an abundance of penguins, including some very large colonies of the comical Gentoo penguin.
Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula 22 November - 10 December 2013
ONBOARD AKADEMIK SERGEY VAVILOV - WILDLIFE & ORNITHOLOGY
Dubbed the ‘Best Wildlife Journey on the Planet’, this incredible 18-night trip on board the Akademik Sergey Vavilov is One Ocean Expeditions’ most extensive Antarctic wildlife expedition with a special focus on ornithology, and wildlife.
The Falkland Islands offer a profusion of seabirds and migratory birds from the black-browed albatross and rookeries teeming with rare rockhopper penguins, to nesting Magellanic penguins, oyster catchers, geese and the flightless steamer duck, a permanent resident of the Falklands. Moving on to the remote, rugged and hauntingly beautiful island of South Georgia with its colossal glacier-covered mountains and a reputation of having more wildlife than virtually anywhere else on the planet, passengers are treated to one spectacular wildlife highlight after another. A huge expanse of pompous king penguins stretch in the hundreds of thousands as far as the eye can see. The sight of a gentle humpback whale dining on krill, or one of the many species of penguins and seals that call this area home poking their heads above the water. Seabird biologist, Jacques Sirois, has been a birdwatcher since childhood in his native Quebec City and has nurtured a lifelong interest in wildlife conservation, marine and polar ecosystems. Jacques is one of our team of expert naturalists and ornithologists accompanying this expedition, all of whom will be on hand to point out and identify the many and varied species of birds and mammals to be seen during the trip.
Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula 20 November - 8 December 2013
ONBOARD AKADEMIK IOFFE - HISTORY & ADVENTURE
This awe-inspiring voyage of a lifetime onboard Akademik Ioffe will follow in the footsteps of intrepid explorers and modern day advenure; Sir Ernest Shackleton and Commander Frank Wild. One year after 
the ashes of world-renowned polar adventurer, Frank Wild, were buried alongside his loyalfriend and colleague, notorious fellow explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, at the whalers’ graveyard in Grytviken, South Georgia, One Ocean Expeditions will celebrate with another extraordinary expedition. On this first anniversary memorial voyage, Angie Butler, the South African author, former journalist and Polar expert who discovered Frank Wild’s missing ashes in Johannesburg following 
a seven-year research project, will be among a number of special guests on board during the historic voyage. Angie, who wrote ‘The Quest for Frank Wild’ about her lengthy and dogged search for the explorer’s remains, will regale passengers with her extensive knowledge of Polar exploration and tales of discovery during her journey to find Wild’s ashes. Another special guest on the trip will be Dr Huw Lewis-Jones, a historian of exploration with a PhD from the University of Cambridge, as well as former Curator at the Scott Polar Research Institute, Visiting Fellow at Harvard University, and Curator of Imperial and Maritime History at the National Maritime Museum. Huw will be joined by travel writer, photographer and novelist, Kari Herbert. Kari, daughter of pioneering explorer, Wally Herbert, began her connection with the Polar Regions at the age of ten months when her father took the family to live for two years with the Inuit on a remote island off Northwest Greenland.
Regal Antarctica Christmas in the Realm of Emperors and Kings 18 December -29 December 2012
Designed to meet the high demands of today’s discerning traveller, this cruise is on board the Akademik Ioffe, a modern, safe, stable, quiet and highly manoeuvrable vessel. The comfortable, mobile wilderness lodge can turn on its own axis; perfect for stopping to take a closer look at pods of whales and other interesting wildlife en route! Cruising among the volcanic South Shetland Islands, expedition participants may be fortunate enough to spot chinstrap penguin rookeries, southern elephant seals wallowing or the signs of exploration left on the beaches in the form of tri-pots and abandoned whaling stations. 
As the ship navigates massive tabular icebergs, passengers spend time on deck looking out for native wildlife, including the emperor penguin, the largest of the 17 penguin species, which reside along the Weddell Sea’s western shores.Other highlights of the trip include the chance to camp out on the ice overnight and feel the thrill and audacity of those early explorers who attempted to conquer the White Continent. Certainly not an excursion for the faint hearted! A fitting Christmas celebration is sure to see everyone on board the Akademik Ioffe raising a glass to the intrepid men who went before them on the Endurance expedition. And where better place to toast their achievements than at Elephant Island, where they succeeded in landing small boats on a notoriously challenging landing site? Exploration continues north to the Falklands, to watch and marvel at the second largest species of penguin after the emperor, the distinguished king penguin.Christmas in Antarctica 20 December - 28 December, 2013
Specially featured as a voyage into the Antarctic that focuses on the maximum experience in the minimum amount of time. Looking to harness the excitement of the holiday season and the travel dates that go along with hectic schedules, One Ocean Expeditions has developed this program to cater to anyone looking for magical moments to last a lifetime.
Alongside our traditional educational program, there will also be programming for the younger set ensuring that all ages achieve a wealth of knowledge and understanding to what Antarctica is and what there is on offer. Come explore with us, you'll never be the same.
Antarctic Circle Voyage Extended– In the Footsteps of Rymill 18 February - 3 March 2013
Passengers on this adventure cruise travel far south to Marguerite Bay below the Antarctic Circle, an area where few ships venture due to unpredictable ice conditions. The aim is to follow in the footsteps of explorer, John Rymill, who was leader of the celebrated British Graham Land Expedition from 1934 to 1937, and to locate his expedition’s Southern Base.
Rymill’s expedition, which spent three years surveying more than 1000km of previously unexplored coastline, established that Graham Land – the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula, closest to South America – was in fact a peninsula. The King George VI Sound was also discovered and named during this expedition.
Our special guest on board this unique journey will be Peter Rymill, son of John, embarking on his first visit to Antarctica. He will bring a selection of his father’s diaries, notes and black and white photographs and share stories and anecdotes with passengers that were passed on to him by his father. 
Also joining us is Dr John Dudeney OBE, an eloquent and enthusiastic speaker with a lifelong passion for Antarctica, who has visited the region more than 20 times and has 46 years of professional experience in this unique area.
During the journey sightings of albatross, petrels and other seabirds, pods of Minke and humpback whales, and maybe even the sole Emperor Penguin colony on the Antarctic Peninsula, are all a possibility. There will also be the chance to tour one of the working science stations in the area and to learn more about the important scientific work taking place there.
Marine Mammals Voyage 16-26 March 2013
One Ocean Expeditions’ Marine Mammals Voyage is a truly unique opportunity to join an Antarctic expedition to study humpback, Minke and killer whales.
The Antarctic Peninsula is the main feeding ground for a large number of krill predators, and March represents a critical time as they build energy stores for either the long migration to tropical breeding grounds or to maintain energy in a struggle to survive in ice-choked waters.
The 10-day trip will be accompanied by Dr Ari Friedlaender, a Research Scientist at Duke University, who has been to the Antarctic nearly 20 times on scientific voyages and whose work focuses on the feeding behaviour and movement patterns of marine mammals around the world.
Ari, who is actively studying how climate change and global warming are affecting whales and other krill predators, is currently leading a project to track the long-term movement patterns of humpback whales around the Antarctic Peninsula to understand how they are being affected by changes to their environment.
Participants will learn how to document whale numbers, help to conduct photo surveys, determine movement patterns and identify individual animals. They will also be able to locate and document behaviour of whales that have previously been fitted with satellite tracking devices.
Els Vermeulen, international marine consultant and founder of the Marybio Foundation, which aims to contribute to the conservation of marine mammals in Argentine Patagonia, will also join the voyage. Els is scientific advisor to the Belgian delegation in the International Whaling Commission, and a perfect companion to have on board during this special interest expedition.
Accommodation for One Ocean Expeditions’ trips is on board one of two impressive ice-strengthened ships. The Akademik Ioffe and Akademik Sergey Vavilov, both of which have been designed for Polar research make the comfort and safety of passengers their number one priority.
A separate bar and lounge area, a dining room in which exceptional meals are served, a library for quiet time, plus a theatre style presentation room, gift-shop, fitness room, massage room, hot water spa, sauna, and salt water plunge pool, are among the facilities on board these exceptional vessels. For further details on our vessels click here.
