Life Returns | Springtime Expedition to Antarctica

After your flight from Australia or New Zealand, you’ll arrive in Argentina’s bustling capital, Buenos Aires, for an overnight stay. Home to a proud and diverse community of porteños, or ‘people of the port’, Buenos Aires is a sensuous fusion of faded European splendour and Latin American panache. There are plenty of places to explore, including many parrillas serving authentic Argentine steak. Or maybe you’d like to practise your dance moves in the famed birthplace of the tango.Why not consider arriving a few days early to see all this vibrant city has to offer, or explore the region on our optional Pre-Programme. The next day your expedition ship MS Maud will be awaiting you for embarkation.

Get into expedition mode 

Over the next days at sea, you'll learn more about the wonders we'll encounter during our trip. 

Members of the Expedition Team will start their lecture series on topics like oceanography, geology, ornithology, and history. Pop into the Science Center for hands-on presentations as well. 

Grab a pair of binoculars and scan for rare wandering albatrosses and petrels. Make the most of your onboard facilities and enjoy the hot tubs, panoramic sauna and gym.

Enjoy birding and hiking in these green islands 

The Falkland archipelago is filled with seamless horizons and white sands teeming with birdlife. Only the occasional farm dots the landscape amidst the grassy hills and wildflowers. Enjoy a community walk around Stanley, taking in the Jubilee Villas gardens, Christ Church Cathedral and the Historic Dockyard Museum.  

Our landings, hikes and excursions are, as always, guided by the conditions. We hope to visit albatross and penguin colonies, which are often found sharing space with seals, and getting as close as we can without disturbing them.

Cruising the South Atlantic 

Sailing from the Falklands, we spend two days cruising towards beautiful South Georgia. You can look forward to seeing an archipelago filled with diverse wildlife.  

Meet up with the Expedition Team as they prepare you for what lies ahead. They’ll tell you everything they know about South Georgia, including the area’s wildlife, polar history, geology, glaciology, and stories of Norwegian whalers.  

You’ll also learn how to make your visit as safe and low-impact as possible, and you can join our Citizen Science programmes to help collect data for global research projects.

Visit a wildlife watcher’s paradise 

South Georgia’s abundant wildlife has earned it the nickname ‘Serengeti of the Southern Ocean’. Its unique position free from sea ice makes the island a breeding site for large colonies of penguins, other seabirds and seals. In fact, it’s an Important Bird Area, home to albatrosses, petrels, shags, skuas and terns.  

Throughout our three days in the area, we’ll land as often as we can to explore the wilderness and wildlife. We’ll also try to reach Grytviken, the final resting place of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. Our expedition route will as always be guided by nature, responding to daily conditions to seek out the best possible experience.

Time to relax and reflect 

After visiting the Falklands and South Georgia, take some time while we head towards Antarctica to relax and reflect on your journey so far.  

Antarctica is a continent dedicated to peace, science and wildlife. As we get closer, the Expedition Team will talk about the IAATO environmental guidelines and sustainability rules that we follow when visiting. We leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but pictures.

Experience Antarctica in all its majesty 

Nothing prepares you for your first sight of Antarctica’s immense, frozen beauty. Icebergs, sculpted by nature, float in the straits. Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adélie Penguins watch erect from the shores. Countless seabirds wheel overhead. Nature is in charge. 

You’ll spend five exciting days exploring several possible landing sites, on and around the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. Wherever we go and whatever we do, each day will offer something different and thrilling. 

We might sail into a flooded volcanic caldera or land in icy bays, where remnants of whaling paraphernalia lie abandoned. You may also get a chance to go kayaking among icebergs and seals, or snowshoe to a stunning viewpoint. 

Bird enthusiasts should look skywards for Antarctic seabirds such as skuas, petrels and terns. Through onboard lectures and onshore talks, you'll learn more about this precious habitat and how we can all protect it for the future

Looking for land ahead 

Five unforgettable days in Antarctica are over, and your ship now embarks upon our final adventure together: the Drake Passage. Known for its potentially high winds and strong currents, the passage can also be silent and still, inspiring the nicknames ‘The Drake Shake’ and ‘The Drake Lake’ respectively.  

But don’t worry, even if we experience rough seas, your ship is perfectly equipped for this leg of the adventure exploring the Southern Ocean. During our crossing, the Expedition Team will recap our experiences, making it possible to keep your head in the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica a little while longer.

Your Antarctica expedition cruise comes to an end in Punta Arenas. From here, you'll catch a flight to Santiago de Chile for an overnight stay. The following day, after breakfast, you'll be transferred to the airport in Santiago for your flight back to Australia or New Zealand. If you're not ready to end your adventures just yet, why not extend your trip and join one of our optional Post-Programmes.