Antarctica Photography Expedition 2022 with Daniel Kordan and Iurie Belegurschi

This morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Please take your cabin luggage down to hotel reception by 8.00 am. Your luggage will be collected from your hotel and transferred directly to port for clearance and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. After breakfast, check out of your room before commencing a half day excursion to the Straits of Magellan Park.

The Straits of Magellan Park is a local protected area that contains important natural and cultural heritage resources including Fort Bulnes and ‘Puerto del Hambre’ national historical monuments. Located 50 km/31 mi. south of Punta Arenas on Santa Ana peninsula with spectacular views of the Straits of Magellan, the origins of the park dates back to the 1920s, when remnants of the original Spanish fort of King Don Felipe called ‘Puerto del Hambre’ (Port of Hunger) were discovered. In the park, you can visit the reconstructed fort, stroll along the Coastal Path, the Windy Forest and take in the superb views across the Magellan Strait. A highlight of the excursion is a visit to the interactive Strait Museum that features outstanding exhibits detailing pre-European settlement as well as tales of European exploration and colonisation of South America.

Return to Punta Arenas where you have free time for lunch (own expense). We will then conduct our mandatory health screenings and rapid COVID tests at the hotel from 2-4 pm. Afterwards, you will be transferred to the pier to commence embarkation. Once aboard, you’ll have time to settle into your cabin before our important mandatory briefings. As the ship pulls away from port, we’ll gather on the deck to farewell Punta Arenas and commence our adventure to Antarctica.

This evening, get to know your fellow expeditioners and friendly expedition team and crew at a welcome dinner to celebrate the start of a thrilling adventure to Antarctica.

Sail along the legendary Beagle Channel and enjoy splendid scenery of fjords and channels flanked by majestic mountains. Keep watch for the many seabirds and marine wildlife including dolphins, sea lions and whales preparing to migrate to Antarctica to fatten up on plentiful krill. In the evening, we exit Nassau Bay, sail past Cape Horn and prepare to enter Drake Passage.

Nearing the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on day four, the excitement is palpable with everyone converging on one of the observation decks, watching for our first iceberg. The ocean takes on a whole new perspective once we are below the Antarctic Convergence and are surrounded by the surreal presence of floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting is likely to remain with you for a long time. Weather permitting, we may attempt our first landing in Antarctica by late afternoon.

Our next 5 days of sailing will involve a variety of destinations on the west of the Antarctic Peninsula, weather and conditions permitting. There will be no fixed itinerary; rather, your very experienced expedition team and photography guides will work together to plan the voyage as you go, making the most of the opportunities that will be available at the time. They will ensure that you will be at the best place at the right time to capture the wildlife, spectacular icebergs and astonishing scenery.

It will be the summer season in Antarctica, so be prepared to experience near 20 hours of daylight within a 24 hour period. We will maximise our opportunities for shooting within that time frame, making two to three Zodiac excursions a day. There will also be an incredible chance for our group to camp ashore, experiencing what it must have been like for the first Antarctic explorers back in the day, though this part of the workshop is optional.

Our shooting locations will be both spectacular and diverse. Some of the spots that we may make excursions to include:

Paradise Harbour

Paradise Harbour is a secluded bay famous for its frozen landscapes. Surrounded by glaciated mountains and awe-inspiring ice cliffs, this beautiful stretch of water is perfect for Zodiac cruising and spotting seals as well as penguins. Those with a truly keen eye and shutter finger may even capture a humpback or minke whales, frolicking amongst the ice floes!

Hydrurga Rocks

These rocks make up a small island, which is home to a waddle of Chinstrap penguins. Several rookeries of penguins colonise the rocky outreaches of the Hydrurga Rocks, making for stunning wildlife photography opportunities. This part of the Gerlache Strait is also known for being a bird haven, including Kelp gulls and Skuas.

Half Moon Island

This extraordinary island is one of the largest in Antarctica and one of the most beautiful sights in the South Shetlands. You will be met by thousands of penguins on the shore, as well as many Antarctic fur seals. Here, the rugged landscape is dominated by rocky outcrops, speckled with lichen. The opportunities for wildlife and landscape photography abound.

Lemaire Channel

This strait near Antarctica is often blocked by colossal jigsaw-like icebergs, making it one of the most photogenic sites in Antarctica. Bordering the strait are cliffs that seem to rise straight out of the ocean, towering up to 700 metres on either side. Depending upon the conditions of the ice, we may be able to sail slowly through the channel, making for a truly enchanting photography experience. You’ll be close enough to the icebergs to even touch them!

Port Lockroy

This natural harbour on the northwest side of Antarctica is an old British base from the 1960s which is quite scenic in nature. You will have the opportunity to tour the local museum, to purchase souvenirs at the gift shop, as well as to mail postcards home from the most southerly post office!

Neko Harbour

Bordered by the breathtaking jagged faces of glaciers on one side, jutting straight out of the sea, this small bay makes for a truly magical Zodiac landing. The panoramic views to be found in this harbour are spectacular, featuring rocky beaches juxtaposed with the frosty shapes of icebergs and snow. Be prepared to mingle with even more penguins, waddling about on the pack ice.

Robert Point

This small peninsula in the South Shetland Islands is home to a number of elephant seals and penguins, which dominate the steep and rocky beach along this magnificent shoreline. Meanwhile, sea birds including giant petrels, kelp gulls and skuas circle overhead, hunting for penguin eggs. There will be endless opportunities to capture the wildlife within their native habitat.

Other highlights that we may visit on this tour include:

Pleneau Island

Vernadsky; a Ukrainian scientific base

Petermann Island

Penola Strait

Antarctic Sound

Cuverville Island

Danco Island

Enterprise Island

Melchior Islands

As we approach Frei Base on King George Island, it is time to farewell Antarctica and our amazing adventure before boarding our flight (approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes) to Punta Arenas, Chile. On arrival at the Punta Arenas airport, you will be transferred to our group hotel.

Accommodation: Hotel Dreams del Estrecho

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. We apologise in advance if you experience any delays.

After breakfast, bid a fond farewell to your fellow travellers as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature. A transfer to the airport is included in your voyage fare. (Breakfast included).

Note: It is your responsibility to check if your government requires you to have a COVID test prior to boarding an international flight to return to your country of residence. If this applies to you, then you may be required to book additional nights after the voyage. Please speak with your travel agent or with an Aurora Expeditions consultant at least four weeks prior to departure if you need assistance booking additional post-voyage arrangements.