Cruise / Sail / Kayak - Antarctica

February 22nd – March 20th - 2026 - 27 days

Day 1
Board the MV St Helena in Ushuaia late afternoon. Dinner on board as you cruise down the spectacular Beagle channel

Day 2,3
The Drake passage is home to soaring albatrosses, millions of wilson’s storm petrels and a highway for migrating whales on their way to rich Antarctic waters. The Drake may be calm or stormy and shipboard lectures and activities pass the time.

Day 4
Your first Iceberg and landfall in Antarctica! High jagged peaks, overhanging seracs, huge glaciers dropping newly formed ice bergs into the ocean, and everywhere life abounds in this icy paradise. Perhaps your first impressions of Antarctica will make you feel that you have entered an alternative reality! Be on deck to experience entering Port Foster through the narrow ‘Neptune’s Bellows’ the sunken caldera of volcanic Deception Island opens before us and we sight the remnants of what was once a bustling whaling industry at the turn of last century, with fleets of whale catchers and factory ships anchored in the harbour and more than a few interesting anecdotes and shenanigans to relate! Look for steam rising from the beach and penguins enjoying spa day!

Day 5
A visit to Enterprise Island and a view of mainland Antarctic Peninsula – Along the way numerous humpback whales, penguins, and seals drifting on the sea ice. In a small ice cove lies the wreck of the ‘Gouvernor’, a Norwegian whaling factory ship which caught fire and was run aground in 1912. The tranquillity and serenity is somewhat broken by busy Antarctic and Arctic terns who have made the wreck their home. We often see them returning to their chicks with large krill dangling from their beaks.

Day 6 - 20
Rendezvous with Icebird and be welcomed aboard by Captain Alex (Sasha) and crew/Chef

Possible Itinerary on Icebird depending on ice and weather includes:

Leaving Enterprise Island we sail through through Wilhelmina Bay, where we often come across Humpback whales bubble netting, as the currents combine to concentrate large populations of krill. We cruise past spectacular Spigot peak, where we may choose to climb and experience the spectacular 270 degree views of the Gerlache channel. We tuck into Orne Harbour for this night.

Next day we head for Cuverville island, and go ashore to watch the comical antics of the frenetically busy, noisy, bustling gentoo colony. At this time of year the chicks will be in crèches, desperately hunting down a parent for a feed… and the chase is on! Quite amusing to watch! Then there’s the ever present leopard seals waiting for the unwary chick…

The spectacular Errera Channel awaits us to Dayand a crossing of Andvoord Bay to find Icebird at Waterboat Point near the Chilean Base Gonzalez Videla staffed by super friendly airforce personal. The penguin colony
here is notable for a number of leucystic (all white) gentoo penguins. Water Boat point was named in 1922 for 2 expeditioners from the British Imperial Expedition who spent 18 months camped under an upturned water boat and who took to studying the resident gentoo colony, before eventually being picked up by whalers. Perhaps an evening barbeque on deck with the friendly Chileans and their Pisco.

We paddle through the northern arm of Paradise harbour and tuck into tiny Skonthorpe Cove for the night, a small indent in the ice cliffs and a favourite of the old whalers who frequented these waters 100 years ago. The sense of tranquillity and overpowering majesty of the towering peaks is often broken by the roar of avalanches

or cracking and crashing of ice falls as Avalanche Glacier continues its advance into the sea. As we go exploring in the zodiac or kayaks, it’s wise to be prepared for waves generated by the massive chunks of ice falling into the sea. Interestingly, the towering ice cliffs are actually floating on the sea as an ice shelf.

A Day for sea kayak exploration and a snow shoe walk to catch the views from the snow hill above Almirante Brown station where both arms of Paradise Harbour are laid out before you in a fabulous spectacle of ice, mountains and ocean. Paddling or zodiac cruising is also a welcome diversion as pods of Minke whales and Orcas frequent this area. We head out the southern arm of Paradise Harbour and set our sails for a brisk reach across the Gerlache Strait to the Peltior Channel. As we cruise down the spectacular channel the Fife Mountain range looms over our starboard hand, and those who wish may take to the kayaks and paddle

A day o explore Port Lockroy and the Penguin Post Office an English historic base that was pivotal in the days of early exploration and of fascinating Operation Tabarin, a secret wartime initiative to counter nazi intelligence. The antiquated risqué paintings of 1940’s temptresses seem demure by to Day’s standards! Today we sail across the Gerlache Strait for Cape Reynard, a soaring rock face of monolithic proportions, where we drop the kayaks in the water to paddle The Kodak Alley of the Antarctic Peninsula… The famed Lemaire Channel where the dark waters of its narrow channel are overhung by precarious seracs, snow cornices and towering rock faces that clearly warn one to stay centre channel. Icebird will be tied up at Pleneau island and the kayaks can shortcut through the maze of rocky islets.

Today we paddle though the Iceberg Graveyard and head down the Penola Strait to find camp on Peterman Island where Mt Scott towers over the landscape, and Adelie penguins go about their business. Penola Strait was named by Australian John Rymill of the winemaking family when he led the British Graham Land Expedition in 1932. A fascinating story of success and competence, and perhaps ‘The Expedition’ which marked the post heroic age of polar exploration. His book “Southern Lights” is on board and signed by his son!

Sailing down the narrow mountainous Penola Straits bring us to the famed Vernadsky (Ukrainian) Base in the Argentine Islands This is the ex-british base ‘Farasay’ where the original instrument used to establish the existence of the hole in the ozone layer is proudly kept. Today’s Ukrainian scientists are still heavily involved in atmospheric research and distillation of a particularly fine vodka! As yachties we will be invited to join the scientists for an evening of merriment! Be prepared to discuss the doppler frequency shift to radio waves caused by ionising gases in the upper troposphere! We take a morning visit to Wordie House, a well preserved historic hut harking from the days of the British Graham Land Expedition. The kayaks are also deployed to explore the maze of islands and grounded icebergs

Day 20-25
We’ll have been watching the weather for our Drake Passage crossing to choose a comfortable and safe weather window. Sometimes our passages are fast and exciting and we get across is 3 to 5 days.

We head out through French Passage into the Drake and set our course and sails for Cape Horn 600nm to the North. As we cross the Convergence the air temperature warms, layers come off and a turn on deck to watch the albatrosses is very inviting. Cape Horn and Land ho! As we round the Horn the obligatory bottle of whiskey comes out,… a share to King Neptune and the rest for the crew! As we sail past the Cape Horn Archipelago and into the Beagle Channel, the verdant green magic of Patagonia with its lush Antarctic beech forests, sun dappled mountains and cascades will delight senses accustomed to sea ice and snow.

Day 26
Arrival in Ushuaia. A return to relative civilisation, but Ushuaia’s claim to ‘el Fin del Mundo’ will leave you sceptical, as like most people who travel to Antarctica, you will be forever haunted by the landscapes and thriving inhabitants of ‘that other world’…….that lies to the South, bound by ice but rich in life.