Victor Emanuel overlooking King Penguin colony, South Georgia, Antarctica— Photo: Doug Hanna

To many, a trip to Antarctica represents the ultimate travel destination. Here the visitor—a stranger in an ice-locked world of breathtaking beauty—comes face to face with some of the world's most sensational wildlife spectacles, replete with penguins, skuas, albatrosses, seals, and whales. Soaring mountains, sculpted icebergs, and ice-clogged waterways present landscapes of unsurpassed grandeur.

VENT is proud to present an opportunity for interested travelers, natural history enthusiasts, and birders to venture to the White Continent, a place that has enticed explorers into its waters for more than a century. For this remarkable voyage, we've assembled an itinerary that offers maximum opportunities for viewing the birds and mammals of the Antarctic Peninsula AND South Georgia and the Falkland Islands; for birders and natural history enthusiasts this is essential, as most of the wildlife is found on these two South Atlantic island outposts. This comprehensive expedition to the Southern Ocean is truly the trip of a lifetime.

King Penguin colony, Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, Antarctica— Photo: Doug Hanna

Over the course of this expedition we will witness some of the finest scenery on the planet, enjoy intimate encounters with wildlife that is totally unafraid, and experience the thrill of treading in places where comparatively few have gone before.

We will have four full days to explore the Antarctic Peninsula, cruising protected waterways, landing on remote islands aboard Zodiac landing craft, experiencing close wildlife encounters, and visiting scientific research bases. We plan to land at such places as Petermann Island, home to a colony of Adelie Penguins; Paradise Bay, where Gentoo Penguins share space with Weddell and leopard seals, and where calving glaciers and icy waters present scenes of overpowering beauty; and Deception Island, known for its volcanically-heated hot springs. We will navigate the magnificent Lemaire and Neumeyer channels, whose narrow waterways are lined with soaring 9,000-foot mountains and encrusted with massive glaciers and snow fields. On every horizon we’ll be surrounded by one dramatic mountain range after another, and all of it buried under timeless snow and ice.

Clipper Adventurer – photo:  Zegrahm Expeditions

Incredible South Georgia rises from the Southern Ocean like a great alpine citadel. Lofty, snow-covered peaks, windswept moorlands, and a magnificent coastline scalloped with inlets and deepwater fjords provide beautiful scenery in staggering proportions. This outpost hosts some of the world's most stupendous wildlife spectacles, with hundreds of thousands of King Penguins its most obvious inhabitants. Thousands more albatross, petrels, diving-petrels, Antarctic fur seals, and southern elephant seals roam the island's beaches and grassy slopes.

The Southern Ocean is home to some of the finest pelagic birding in the world. Watching from the ship's decks, we should see five species of albatross, including the huge Wandering and Royal albatrosses; the gorgeous Snow Petrel; and thousands of other prions, shearwaters, petrels, and storm-petrels. We'll cross the Antarctic Convergence where the cold waters of the Southern Ocean override the warmer waters to the north. Outside Ushuaia we'll cruise the Beagle Channel, enjoying spectacular vistas of rugged mountains and rocky headlands.

All travel, accommodations, and meals aboard ship; conditions aboard ship excellent; many excursions in Zodiac landing craft; walking conditions vary from sandy beaches to loose rock; temperatures range from the 30s (F) to 40s; some agility required, but travelers in good health will have no problems.