v Ortelius

Falklands - South Georgia - Antarctic Peninsula, m/v Ortelius– Antarctica –19 days / 18 nights, Ushuaia - Westerlies - Falkland Islands - South Georgia - South Orkney Islands - Antarctic Peninsula - Deception Island - Drake PassageCruise on the m/v Ortelius; explore the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula, true Antarctic marvels. The archipelago of the Falklands is a treasure-chest for Antarctica nature lovers and photographers. South Georgia is one of the remotest, wildest places, with over 160 glaciers, unspoilt by man with abundant wildlife and spectacular scenery, while the Antarctic Peninsula offers most dramatic scenery and biggest variety of wildlife.

Quad Porthole	Twin non Private	Twin Porthole	Twin Window	Superior	Suite
$10,990	$12,890	$14,890	$15,650	$18,450	$20,590

M/V Ortelius, per person, prices in USD


Operation	February 4 - February 22, 2012
Departure	OTL26, February 4 - February 22, 2012
Price	From $10,990 per person, in Quadruple cabin Please see our Specials page for a 20 % discount offer!
Included	Voyage aboard the designated vessel as indicated in the itinerary All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes aboard 'Plancius' Pre-scheduled group transfer from the vessel to the airport in Ushuaia (directly after disembarkation) All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program Comprehensive pre-departure material
Not Included	Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights Pre- and post land arrangements Transfers to the vessel Passport and visa expenses Government arrival and departure taxes Meals ashore Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended) Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges Customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided) Service fee $25
Please Note	All rates are quoted per person in US Dollar, based on twin occupancy. US Dollar rates apply for all sales outside Europe. 5% discount will be granted for bookings for one or more consecutive voyages (except on legs within the Atlantic Odyssey). Please note that all dates & rates are subject to change. All voyages will operate subject to a minimum of 70 participants on Plancius and 60 participants on Ortelius. Single occupancy: All cabins 1.7 times the share price. It is agreed that if world fuel prices will reach or exceed US Dollar 90 per Barrel Brent 90 days prior to departure Oceanwide Expeditions reserves the right to levy a fuel surcharge of USD 25 per passenger per night, to be paid by the contracting party of Oceanwide Expeditions.

Day 1 USHUAIA EMBARKATION In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world located in the shadow of the Andes and right at the Beagle Channel shore. We'll sail through this scenic waterway during the evening.

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 2 AT SEA At sea, in the Westerlies the ship is followed by several species of albatrosses, storm petrels, shearwaters and diving petrels.

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 3 FALKLAND ISLANDS In the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) we plan to spend the whole day on the fascinating western side of the archipelago. A hike along the shore of Carcass Island will give us views of Magellanic and Gentoo-Penguins, as well as close encounters with water fowl and Night herons and passarines. In addition, on Saunders we will be able to observe four species of breeding penguins (Gentoo, King, Magellanic and Rockhopper), Black-browed Albatrosses and King Cormorants.

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 4 STANLEY - FALKLAND ISLANDS In Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, we can experience Falkland culture, which has some South American characteristics as well as Victorian charm. In Stanley and the surrounding area we can see quite an important number of stranded clippers from a century ago. All passengers are free to wander around on their own. We recommend a visit to the local church and museum.

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 5 - 6 AT SEA TO SOUTH GEORGIA At sea, on our way to South Georgia we will cross the Antarctic Convergence. Entering Antarctic waters, the temperature will drop by as much as 10 degrees C in the time span of only a few hours. Near the Convergence we will see a multitude of southern seabirds near the ship; several species of Albatrosses, Shearwaters, Petrels, Prions and Skuas.

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 7 - 10 SOUTH GEORGIA In the afternoon of day 7 we arrive at our first landing site in South Georgia. We might visit the bay of Elsehul, with its very active fur seal breeding beach, and then set course to Right Whale Bay, Salisbury Plain, Godthul, St. Andrews Bay, Gold Harbour, Cooper Bay and Drygalski Fjord to give you a good opportunity to see a wide spectrum of landscapes and wildlife, like the introduced Reindeer, Elephant seals, Fur seals, King and Macaroni Penguins. One of the highlights might be our visit to Prion Island, where we will witness the breeding efforts of the huge Wandering Albatross and enjoy watching their displays. At Fortuna Bay we might try to follow in the footsteps of the great British Explorer Ernest Shackleton and hike over to Stømness Bay. There and at Grytviken we’ll see an abandoned whaling village, where King Penguins now walk in the streets and seals have taken over the buildings. At Grytviken we’ll also offer a visit to the Whaling History Museum as well as to Shackleton's grave near by. We will depart from South Georgia in the afternoon of day 10.

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 11 AT SEA At sea, where the ship is again followed by a multitude of seabirds. At some point we might encounter sea-ice, and it is at the ice-edge where we might have a chance to see some high-Antarctic species like the McCormick Skua and Snow Petrel.

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 12 SOUTH ORKNEY ISLANDS We are planning on a visit to Orcadas station, an Argentinean base located in the South Orkney Islands. The friendly base personnel will show us their facilities and we can enjoy the wonderful views of the surrounding glaciers.

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 13 AT SEA At sea

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 14 - 16 We will sail into the Weddell Sea through the ice-clogged Antarctic Sound. Huge tabular icebergs will announce our arrival to the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. We plan to visit Brown Bluff where we may set foot on the Continent.

Charlotte Bay on the west coast of Graham Land was discovered by Adrien de Gerlache during the 1897-99 Belgica expedition and named after the fiancée of Georges Lecointe, Gerlache's executive officer, hydrographer and second-in-command of the expedition.

At Portal Point there used to be a Falkland Islands Dependency Survey (British Antarctic Survey from 1962) hut which was built there between Brabant Island and the Danco Coast in 1956. The hut has been removed to the Falkland Islands Museum in Stanley.
Portal Point served as the gateway for a route to the polar plateau. Immediately behind the low point on which the hut was located the (usually snow-covered) land rises steeply upslope toward the plateau. The topography of the surrounding area is mountainous, with nunataks rising through the ice. Charlotte Bay is often filled with icebergs. Mostly we see seals on floes in Charlotte Bay, and occasional, kelp gulls, skuas, shags, or penguins. From the slope above Portal Point, and at its highest point, there are excellent views of Charlotte Bay. In Wilhelmina Bay we will admire the rugged ice coated mountains of the Arctowski Pensinsula.

At Deception Island, we will try to land at Baily Head home to a colony of ten thousands Chinstrap Penguins (please note this landing is not always guaranteed and is only possible in good weather conditions). Good walkers may hike from Baily Head over the ridge of the crater into Whalers Bay, while our ship braves its entrance into the crater through the spectacular Neptune's Bellow into the ring of Deception Island.

Deception itself is a sub-ducted crater, which opens into the sea, creating a natural harbour for the ship. Here we find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of Cape Pigeons and many Dominican Gulls, Brown and South Polar Skuas and Antarctic Terns. Wilson's Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm Petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay. We leave from here to the open sea with direction Ushuaia.

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 17 - 18 AT SEA - DRAKE PASSAGE On our way north we are again followed by a great selection of seabirds while crossing the Drake Passage.

Onboard m/v Ortelius

Day 19 USHUAIA DISEMBARKATION We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark.