ANTARCTIC 2021.22 SOUTH GEORGIA & ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
Penguin Safari Contents
1 Overview 2 Itinerary 5 Arrival and Departure Details 7 Your Ship 11 Included Activities 12 Adventure Options 13 Dates and Rates 14 Inclusions and Exclusions 15 Your Expedition Team 16 Extend Your Trip 17 Meals on Board 18 Possible Excursions 22 Packing Checklist Overview South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula: Penguin Safari
The Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions offer so many extraordinary things to see and do for adventurous travelers. We’ve designed this guide to help you figure out what interests you most in order to plan the perfect expedition that suits your interests and passions.
The South Georgia and Antarctica: Penguin Safari itinerary is the fastest way to get to the rarely visited South Georgia Island while also stepping foot on the 7th Continent. As we set sail, photograph massive albatross and beautiful pintado petrels as they swoop and soar around the ship, guiding us toward South Georgia. Beaches teeming EXPEDITION IN BRIEF with king penguins and elephant seals greet us on this fabled island, where we’ll See South Georgia’s incredible wildlife, including 30 breeding bird pay our respects to famed explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. Antarctica awaits, with its species and four penguin species soaring peaks and overwhelming enormity. Relax on a Zodiac ride, hike to overlooks Follow in the wake of Sir Ernest of glistening glaciers, share comical moments with inquisitive gentoo, chinstrap and Shackleton’s perilous voyages to South Georgia and pause for a Adélie penguins, or witness the rugged peninsula from a sea kayak. Antarctica will moment at his grave site surprise and delight, and never disappoint. Explore the Antarctic Peninsula by ship, Zodiac and foot Antarctica has been inspiring explorers for centuries and this expedition offers the Learn about Antarctica’s unique chance for you to discover why. We’re excited to host you on your unforgettable geology, history and wildlife with our onboard lecturers polar adventure! Feel free to reach out to our team of Polar Travel Advisers who can Immerse yourself in the icy realm answer your questions and provide assistance at any time. of the Antarctic, with an optional paddling excursion
1 Itinerary
DAY 1 | ARRIVE IN DAYS 3–6 | AT SEA USHUAIA, ARGENTINA There are many activities to keep you Santiago Buenos Aires You will begin your journey in Ushuaia, engaged while you are at sea. Learn to ARGENTINA a small but bustling port at the tip of identify seabirds that glide alongside the South America. It’s the ideal gateway ship, or attend dynamic presentations for you to explore the southern extent CHILE by your Expedition Team. You will be Falkland Islands of Patagonia while preparing for (Islas Malvinas) prepped on safety procedures for Zodiac your adventure ahead. Get active in Atlantic Ocean cruises and shore landings, and also South Georgia the mountains or enjoy handcrafted Punta Arenas be given instructions for getting the Ushuaia chocolate at a café in town. most out of your optional sea kayaking Elephant Drake Passage South Island Shetland adventures (extra cost), a truly intimate Islands DAY 2 | EMBARKATION DAY way to experience Antarctica. Embarkation will occur in the late Lemaire Channel afternoon, after which your vessel will LE If conditions are right, the first indication RC Weddell Sea CI TIC sail down the historic Beagle Channel, RC that you are approaching South Georgia TA Antarctic AN which transects the Tierra del Fuego is the sight of birds around a group of Peninsula archipelago in the extreme south rocky spires called Shag Rocks. Have SOUTH GEORGIA & ANTARCTIC PENINSULA of South America. Expect an air of your binoculars and cameras ready to Penguin Safari anticipation as you depart! capture these rocky spires rising out of On board the Ocean Adventurer, Ocean Diamond, or World Explorer
2 the icy ocean waters. Shags and prions You’ll find that South Georgia, once a Team, who will prepare you for the often rest here, and due to nutrient rich popular base for whalers and sealers, wildlife and landscapes that will upwellings around the rocks it can be a is also scattered with abandoned relics surround you upon your arrival. good place to keep a lookout for whales. and evidence of human activity from DAYS 11–13 | ANTARCTIC PENINSULA centuries gone by. Your Expedition Team DAYS 7 & 8 | SOUTH GEORGIA The most common reaction upon will help bring those days to life while After enjoying South Georgia from a reaching the White Continent is a sense you visit old whaling stations and enjoy distance, we’ll head toward its numerous of reverence and awe. The experience is presentations on the South Georgia of beaches to find a bay for your first hard to put into words, since few places then and now. excursion. Landing sites are varied, are as untouched and enduring largely determined by the weather One of the most significant sites you as Antarctica. conditions of your voyage. Whichever will visit on the island is Grytviken. You will discover that Antarctica is a sites we visit, they’ll provide you with This settlement is the first whaling land of extremes. At one moment you’ll wildlife encounters unrivaled anywhere stations established in sub-Antarctic be overcome with a feeling of complete else on earth. waters. Many travelers find that this isolation and silence, and at the next place has a special appeal, as it is the site South Georgia is one of the most fertile moment you’ll be inspired by nature as of the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton, one breeding grounds in the world for a calving glacier crashes into a brilliant of the most famous Antarctic explorers. sub-Antarctic wildlife, with beaches blue sea or a penguin waddles by to blanketed with penguins and seals. It DAYS 9 & 10 | AT SEA inspect your footwear. won’t take you long to realize that you Say goodbye to the king penguins, as Your Expedition Team will take care of are in a bird paradise, as burrowing your next destination is Antarctica! Your you at each excursion, whether you are seabirds, albatross and petrels can be days at sea are filled with presentations Zodiac cruising, visiting a historical site seen in abundance. and workshops led by your Expedition
3 or consorting with penguin colonies. DAYS 14 & 15 | CROSSING Chinstrap, Adélie and gentoo penguins THE DRAKE PASSAGE are found here, along with Weddell, After more than a dozen days of unique EXPEDITION SPIRIT fur, crabeater and leopard seals. Keep wildlife encounters and remarkable Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy—and excitement—of a lookout for Antarctic whales, such as landscapes, your journey home begins. expedition travel. When traveling minkes, while on a Zodiac cruise. Each Crossing the Drake is your unofficial in extremely remote regions, your day and each excursion will present a rite of passage. Spend time on deck watching for seabirds and whales, enjoy Expedition Team must consider the new collection of creatures to delight sea, ice and weather to guide the route presentations by your Expedition Team, you and keep your camera busy. and itinerary details. This itinerary is or simply relax and reminisce about a tentative outline of what you may As exciting as the Zodiac excursions and your experiences. landings are, perhaps you’ll treat yourself experience on this voyage; please be aware that no specific itinerary can be to an extra-special Antarctic experience DAY 16 | DISEMBARK IN USHUAIA guaranteed. By the same token, wildlife by partaking in an optional paddling You will arrive in Ushuaia in the encounters as described are expected, excursion (at an extra cost) or cast reason morning, which allows for you to but not guaranteed. Your Expedition continue your adventure onward or aside and jump into Antarctic waters for Team will use their considerable the Polar Plunge! catch your flights home. experience to seek out wildlife in known habitats, but the presence of any particular species of bird or marine wildlife is not guaranteed.
4 Arrival and Departure Details
As you prepare for your journey, you may be interested in your arrival and departure details. Since international air transportation is not included in the cost of your expedition, you have some flexibility in planning your flights. Looking to extend your adventure beyond your polar expedition? On page 16, learn how to add on a pre- or post-expedition stop—or both!—in your gateway city. Arrival Day and Embarkation ARRIVING IN USHUAIA You may arrive in Ushuaia at any time during Day 1 of your itinerary. Ushuaia is a destination worth exploring, so we do encourage you to arrive a day or two before your expedition. Based on the arrival information you send us, we will arrange for a transfer from the airport to your hotel. A Quark Expeditions® representative will be available to answer your questions in the lobby of your hotel in Ushuaia during your optional pre-departure briefing on Day 1, at 6pm.
5 EMBARKATION IN USHUAIA Included Hotel Arrival and On the morning of Day 2, your luggage will be collected from the lobby of your Accommodations Departure Transfers hotel, transferred to the ship and stored Your included accommodation begins on USHUAIA AIRPORT TRANSFERS in your cabin. Day 1 of your itinerary, and the specific ARRIVAL: A group transfer in Ushuaia hotel will be indicated on your final Ship embarkation will occur on Day 2 is included from the airport to your voyage confirmation. If you are arriving of your itinerary, usually around 4pm. included pre-expedition hotel on Day 1 of prior to Day 1 of your expedition or are You and your shipmates will meet at a your itinerary. staying after the disembarkation day designated location near the pier, and DEPARTURE: A group departure transfer and would like help booking a pre- or board the waiting buses for transfer to is included from the ship to the airport post-stay, please contact your preferred the ship. Information about embarkation on the final day of your itinerary. If your travel agent or Quark Expeditions® for will be posted in your Ushuaia hotel and flight is later in the day, you may opt to hotel options. As accommodation space discussed during your optional pre- transfer to our luggage storage facility is limited, you are encouraged to request departure meeting on Day 1. instead and enjoy further activities in any extra nights as early as possible. Ushuaia on your own. Access to luggage Final Day and Ushuaia accommodations trend toward storage is available until 6pm on the mid-range properties, and hotel space disembarkation day only. You will need Departure is limited. A particular property cannot to arrange your own transfer to the DISEMBARKATION IN be guaranteed, but space is most often airport if you do not take advantage of USHUAIA AND ONWARD booked at Hotel Las Lengas, Hotel Los the included transfer or if you are leaving Your ship is scheduled to arrive at the Acebos, and Albatros Hotel. Ushuaia after the disembarkation day. pier in Ushuaia, usually between 7am In order to facilitate your transfers, we request that and 8am. Once the ship has docked, you you provide your flight details to Quark Expeditions® will bid farewell to your Expedition Team at least 30 days prior to traveling. and shipmates before completing your disembarkation. The process takes about an hour. Weather conditions can always change our arrival times, and airline schedule changes have also been known to occur in Argentina. Please book your flight home from Ushuaia to depart as late in the day as possible or at a date after the end of your expedition. If you have booked a flight that departs before11 am on the date that your expedition ends, you will be at risk of missing your flight. Quark Expeditions® staff in Ushuaia will reconfirm your domestic flight48 hours prior to disembarkation, provided you give your information to our team ahead of time.
6 Your Ship Options
Quark Expeditions® boasts the largest polar-class fleet of any polar operator, and the ability to offer you this incredible voyage on one of our ice strengthened vessels. The entire Quark Expeditions® fleet is built for challenging polar environments, allowing us to take you to places ordinary cruise companies wouldn’t dream of going.
7 WORLDOwner’s EXPLORER Suite WORLD EXPLORER Owner’s Suite Deluxe SuitDeluxee Suite Polar powerhouse, the World Explorer—our first all- Superior Suite Veranda SuiteSuperior Suite suites, all-balcony ice-class ship—lets you discover In nity Suite Triple CabiVerandan Suite everything Antarctica has to offer, with the type of Expedition Cabin DECK 8 Infinity Suite service available only at premium hotels. The OBSERVATION LOUNGE Triple World Explorer also provides plenty of areas, both SPA inside and out, to witness the incredible Antarctic GYM wildlife or simply watch the world go by. Enjoy a spacious observation deck for taking in sights DECK 7 outdoors, an observation lounge with panoramic skyline views, a library for intimate relaxing and BRIDGE reading, and the Explorer Lounge for a drink and a chat. Presentations and discussions are held in DECK 6 a dedicated lecture theater. Health and wellness facilities feature an outdoor running track, small gym and spa, plus a heated outdoor swimming pool. With its new and environmentally sustainable hybrid technology and state-of-the-art Rolls-Royce DECK 5 engines and generators, the ship also boasts reduced ENTRANCE EXPLORER LOUNGE POLAR BOUTIQUE RECEPTION LECTURE RESTAURANT BAR fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. THEATER
EXPEDITION LIBRARY DESK
ENTRANCE SHIP SPECIFICATIONS:
ZODIAC BOARDING Staff & Crew:125 DECK 4 304 310 306 308 312 Guests: 172 302 Lifeboats: 2, fully enclosed MUDROOM Ice Class: 1B 307 311 309 301 305 303 Visit QuarkExpeditions.com to view deck plan details.
ZODIAC BOARDING DECK 3
8 FUNNEL
OBSERVATION DECK
BRIDGE FUNNEL OCEAN ADVENTURER OBSERVATION DECKBRIDGE DECK Our popular ship the Sea Adventurer has been relaunched as the Ocean Adventurer after a multi-million-dollar CLINIC renovation. A team of marine architects, engineers, interior POLAR BRIDGE LIBRARY designers and polar expedition specialists worked together
BRIDGE DECK to enhance this nimble and intimate fleet favorite. Upgrades CAPTAIN’S DECK include a refreshed look and feel throughout, plus the CLINIC complete remodeling of the lounge, dining room and bar. PURSER’S POLAR OFFICE LIBRARY CLIPPER CLUB All cabins received brand new bathroom facilities. Six new DINING MAIN ROOM WC EL LOUNGE deluxe cabins as well as three new suites have also been OFFICE CAPTAIN’S DECK RECEPTION added. Major technical enhancements include two new PURSER’S UPPER DECK OFFICE POLAR BOUTIQUE Rolls-Royce engines, which yield increased speed and fuel CLIPPER CLUB
DINING MAIN ROOM WC EL LOUNGE efficiency, and a minimized carbon footprint. OFFICE
RECEPTION ZODIAC UPPER DECK SHIP SPECIFICATIONS: BOARDING POLAR BOUTIQUE ROOMS
Staff & Crew:87 M GY
Guests: 132 MAIN DECK ZODIAC Lifeboats: 4, partially enclosed BOARDING ROOMS
Ice Class: 1A M GY Visit QuarkExpeditions.com to view deck plan details. MAIN DECK
STERN BOW STERN BOLOWERW DECK LOWER DECK
Triple Superior TripleLower Deck Twin SuperiorDeluxe LowerMain Deck Deck Twin Twin Porthole Deluxe Suite MainMain Deck Deck Twin Twin Porthole Window Suite Owner’s Suite Main Deck Twin Window Owner’s Suite
9 OCEAN DIAMOND Triple Single with Porthole Suite Twin Window Twin Obstructed View SUN DECK Single Obstructed View Balcony Suite OCEAN DIAMOND
710 708 706 704 702 LIFT The Ocean Diamond is both a comfortable and capable OBSERVATION FLY BRIDGE BA LOUNGE ship, ideal for navigating the tricky waters of Antarctica. 709 707 705 703 701 R All rooms have an exterior view, flat-screen TV and DVD OBSERVATION DECK View obstruction player, with some suites sporting a private balcony. After from lifeboats* 600 604 602 620 622 618 614 606 608 616 612 610 GYM LIFT a day of exploration, you can relax with a book in the BRIDGE 605 603 601 607 609 623 621 615 625 61 61 611 polar library, head to the gym for a workout, have a drink 9 7 at the bar, or soak in the scenery from the panoramic CAPTAIN’S DECK View obstruction observation lounge, or on one of the outer decks. The from lifeboats on deck 6* 518 516 506 522 520 508 504 502 514 512 510
Ocean Diamond has just completed full renovations of LIFT MAIN LOUNGE 503 501 505 515 511 51 509 507
every deck and all cabins, plus the reception area, bar, 7
observation lounge and the dining room. UPPER DECK 410 408 406 404 402 418 416 414 436 434 432 430 412 SHIP SPECIFICATIONS: POLAR BOUTIQUE LIFT BAR RECEPTION 439 437 435 433 Staff & Crew:108 431 411 409 407 405 403 401 DINNER Guests: 189 RESTAURANT Lifeboats: 2, fully enclosed MAIN DECK ZODIAC ACCESS ZODIAC ACCESS SP 332
Ice Class: 1D A
LIFT Visit QuarkExpeditions.com to view deck plan details. STERN BOW 337 335 333 331 329 32 325 323 321 31 31 315 9 7 7
ZODIAC ACCESS LOWER DECK
OCEAN DIAMOND CLINIC Triple Single with Porthole Suite OCEAN DIAMONDCREW DECK * Please note, a few “window” cabins may have partially obstructed views eg. Portion of life boat on the deck fore/aft, or view is obstructed looking down. Twin Window Triple Twin Obstructed View Single with Porthole SUN DECK Single Obstructed View Suite Balcony Suite Twin Window Twin Obstructed View SUN DECK Single Obstructed View Balcony Suite 710 708 706 704 702 LIFT OBSERVATION FLY BRIDGE 10 BA LOUNGE
709 707 705 703 701 R
710 708 706 704 702 LIFT OBSERVATIONOBSER DECKVATION FLY BRIDGE BA LOUNGE
View709 obstruction707 705 703 701 R from lifeboats* 600 604 602 620 622 618 614 606 608 616 612 610 GYM OBSERVATION DECK
LIFT View obstruction BRIDGEfrom lifeboats* 605 603 601 607 609 623 621 615 625 61 61 611 9 7 600 604 602 620 622 618 614 606 608 616 612 610 GYM LIFT BRIDGE 605 603 601 607 609 623 621 615 625 CAPTAIN’S61 61 DECK611
View obstruction 9 7 from lifeboats on deck 6* 518 516 506 522 520 508 504 502 514 512 510
LIFT CAPTAIN’S DECK MAIN View obstruction LOUNGE from lifeboats on deck 6* 503 501 505 515 511 51 509 507 7 518 516 506 522 520 508 504 502 514 512 510
MAIN LIFT LOUNGE UPPER DECK 503 501 505 515 511 51 509 507 7 410 408 406 404 402 418 416 414 436 434 432 430 412 POLAR BOUTIQUE LIFT UPPER DECK BAR RECEPTION 439 437 435 433 411 409 407 405 403 401 431 410 408 406 404 402 418 416 414 436 434 432 430 412 DINNER POLAR RESTAURANT BOUTIQUE LIFT BAR RECEPTION MAIN DECK 439 437 435 433 411 409 407 405 403 401 431 ZODIAC ACCESS ZODIAC ACCESS DINNER SP 332 RESTAURANT A
LIFT MAIN DECK STERN BOW ZODIAC ACCESS ZODIAC ACCESS 337 335 333 331 329 32 325 323 321 31 31 315 SP 332 9 7 7 A
LIFT ZODIAC ACCESS STERN LOWER DECK BOW 337 335 333 331 329 32 325 323 321 31 31 315 9 7 7 CLINIC
ZODIAC ACCESS LOWER DECK
CLINIC
CREW DECK
* Please note, a few “window” cabins may have partially obstructed views eg. Portion of life boat on the deck fore/aft, or view is obstructed looking down.
CREW DECK
* Please note, a few “window” cabins may have partially obstructed views eg. Portion of life boat on the deck fore/aft, or view is obstructed looking down. Included Activities
out of them safe and comfortable, and historians and other special guests who your Zodiac drivers will provide active will introduce you to the fascinating interpretation, making the landscape history, biology, ornithology, and come even more alive. glaciology of the region, and much, much more. HIKING Hiking in Antarctica is free-form and POLAR PLUNGE supervised by our expert staff, who set This rite of passage, scheduled only once out a perimeter or paths at each landing per expedition, gives you the chance to site within which you are free to explore. jump safely into the bracing Antarctic While you hike, staff will be available to waters under the watchful eye of our enhance your experience by answering staff—and just about every single camera questions about the wildlife, history on board! Ready for a little adventure beyond your and geography of the area. Walking PHOTOGRAPHY ship? Each Quark Expeditions® voyage poles are provided at each landing for Documenting your voyage so you can offers a variety of recreational activities your convenience. As there are a limited take the memories home is a rewarding to enhance your polar experience. number of poles available, please bring experience. Our photography guides will your own if you require them on every ZODIAC CRUISING help you hone your skills to capture the landing. Some landing sites will offer more Zodiacs are the workhorses of polar beauty of the polar regions. demanding terrain options than others. expeditions, taking you to places the More information about your Included Activities ships can’t access, allowing you to reach PRESENTATIONS and Adventure Options, including the necessary remote shorelines, explore shallow Enjoy daily chats with and presentations experience, physical requirements and cost, is inlets and search for unique wildlife. by our world-class onboard polar available by contacting your Polar Travel Adviser Expedition staff make stepping in and experts—guides, scientists, naturalists, or your travel professional.
11 Adventure Options
SEA KAYAKING minimal or no kayaking experience. Imagine gliding across the surface of Small groups of passengers will be taken a bay in the presence of icebergs and out on calm days, with our expert guides glaciers. Our Sea Kayaking program is always present to provide instruction a great way to intimately explore your and help you connect with the polar surroundings. A small group of kayakers sea. Two outings will be pre-booked, will plan to go out multiple times per and once successfully completed, any voyage as an alternative to shore landings subsequent outings will be offered via or Zodiac cruises. lottery on board.
The number of opportunities to kayak STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING is weather dependent, and will be (on World Explorer only) conducted only during calm conditions. Combining a surfboard with a kayak, Prior kayaking experience is required, stand-up paddleboarding will give you a and you must be able to do a wet exit very personal and unique perspective on to participate. Beginners interested in Antarctica. Conducted in small groups— kayaking should consider participating in in calm bays and harbors, in good the Paddling Excursion. weather conditions—and accompanied by a safety Zodiac, one-time stand- PADDLING EXCURSION up paddleboarding excursions can be If you’re interested in kayaking but pre-booked in two consecutive priority PLEASE NOTE would like to try something a bit less groups. After the first two successful Pre-booking is required for all paid demanding than Sea Kayaking, you’re outings, this activity will be offered activities. We recommend booking early, as spaces fill quickly. Please the perfect candidate to sign up for a via lottery on board the ship for any see your pre-departure guide for one-time paddle on our stable sit-on- subsequent outings. a list of provided gear for each top kayaks—perfect for anyone with Adventure Option.
12 Dates and Rates South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula: Penguin Safari
WORLD EXPLORER
Dates Days Start / End
ANTARCTIC 2021.22 NOV 12 – 27, 2021 16 Ushuaia FEB 12 – 27, 2022 16 Ushuaia ANTARCTIC 2020.21 DEC 27, 2020 – JAN 11, 2021 16 Ushuaia
OCEAN ADVENTURER Dates Days Start / End ANTARCTIC 2021.22 DEC 29, 2021 – JAN 13, 2022 16 Ushuaia
OCEAN DIAMOND Dates Days Start / End ANTARCTIC 2021.22 DEC 13 – 28, 2021 16 Ushuaia
13 Inclusions and Exclusions
Inclusions Exclusions RATES INCLUDE: RATES SPECIFICALLY • Leadership throughout the voyage by our • Hair dryer and bathrobes in every cabin DO NOT INCLUDE: experienced Expedition Leaders, including shore • All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges • International airfare landings and other activities throughout the program • Passport and applicable visa expenses • All Zodiac transfers and cruising as per the daily • All luggage handling aboard the ship • Government arrival and departure taxes not program • Emergency Evacuation insurance for all passengers mentioned • All shore landings as per the daily program to a maximum benefit of USD 500$ ,000 per person • Meals unless otherwise specified • Shipboard accommodation with daily housekeeping • Group arrival transfer in Ushuaia from airport to pre- • Baggage, cancellation, interruption and medical • All meals, snacks, soft drinks and juices on board expedition hotel on Day 1 travel insurance—strongly recommended throughout your voyage (Please inform us of any • One night’s pre-expedition hotel accommodation • Excess-baggage fees on international flights dietary requirements as far in advance as possible. in Ushuaia with breakfast (Note: The number of • Mandatory waterproof pants for Zodiac landing Unfortunately, the ships’ galleys cannot prepare guests per room is the same as cabin occupancy and cruising excursions, or any other gear not kosher meals.) on the ship. Due to limited availability, travelers mentioned • Select beer and wine during dinner; and coffee, tea who reserve a suite on board are accommodated in • Laundry, bar, spa services and other personal and cocoa available around the clock standard rooms at the hotel. Triple rooms may not charges, unless specified • Formal and informal presentations by our be available.) • Phone and Internet charges Expedition Team and guest speakers as scheduled • Group transfer from hotel to ship on embarkation • Voluntary gratuity at the end of the voyage for • A photographic journal documenting the expedition day expedition staff and shipboard crew • A pair of waterproof expedition boots on loan for • Group departure transfer upon disembarkation • Additional overnight accommodation landings and Zodiac cruising excursions in Ushuaia from ship to local airport or to luggage • Arrival and departure transfers, except where • An official Quark Expeditions® parka to keep storage facility explicitly stated • Adventure Options not listed in Included Activities
14 Your Expedition Team
Our Expedition Leaders and their teams bring diverse expertise in subjects as varied as polar history, marine biology, glaciology, ornithology and photography. Their knowledge and enthusiasm will greatly enhance your immersion into the polar environment and further deepen your connection to the Antarctic. With over 30 years of experience bringing passengers to remote polar regions and an industry leading staff-to-guest ratio, we know how to safely handle the unexpected. Ensuring this hard-earned experience is passed on, our new expedition staff receive comprehensive training in Quark Academy, which provides hands-on polar expedition training prior to any staff member’s first voyage as well as ongoing training for experienced staff.
15 Extend Your Trip
PRE- AND POST-EXPEDITION TRIP EXTENSIONS Since you’re traveling such a long way, you may want to spend extra time in Buenos Aires. We have a variety of pre- and post-expedition packages in this captivating city, known as the tango capital of the world. Enjoy an extensive city tour, take in a tango show and explore the unique neighborhoods of Recoleta, Palermo and San Telmo. Savor Argentine barbecue at a steakhouse, then stroll the tree-lined boulevards and marvel at the historic architecture. Take an extended tour from Buenos Aires to Iguazú Falls, and, if you’re daring, walk the catwalks over the falls.
FROM TOP: Iguazú Falls; Recoleta Cemetery; Argentinean asado (barbecue)
16 Meals on Board
If there is one constant on board, it is that you’ll enjoy delicious meals daily. While meal times may change due to landings and wildlife encounters, you’ll always be served three well-prepared meals per day. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated by letting us know prior to your expedition. Breakfasts and lunches are normally served buffet style, while dinners are served plated. À la carte meals are made at the time of your order, allowing our chefs to prepare each dish to your individual needs, ensuring you receive top-quality meals during the course of your expedition. Soft drinks and juices are available during meals and when the bar is open; beer and wine are served with dinner; and coffee, tea and water stations are available around the clock – all included in the cost of your package. Spirits, premium wines and champagne are available at extra cost which can be billed to your shipboard account. The well-stocked bars on the ship are open to enjoy with your fellow shipmates in late morning, afternoon and evening.
17 Possible Excursions
When traveling in extremely remote located in the former villa of the whaling regions, your Expedition Team must station manager. The local church, built consider the sea, ice and weather to for the whaling community, is the only guide the route and itinerary details. building in Grytviken still used for its The following sites are a sample of what original purpose. Buried in the church you may experience on your expedition, cemetery is one of Antarctica’s most whether by ship, Zodiac cruise, or shore famous explorers, Sir Ernest Shackleton, landing. at whose grave you can pay your respects.
South Georgia SALISBURY PLAIN DRYGALSKI FJORD One of the largest king penguin rookeries This is a photogenic and dramatic fjord, on South Georgia is located on Salisbury with sharp and jagged peaks rising out Plain. The Murphy and Lucas Glaciers of the sea. Glaciation never reached flank the plain, creating a perfect the peaks, giving Drygalski its unique backdrop for photos. landscape. ST. ANDREW’S BAY GOLD HARBOUR Over 150,000 breeding pairs of king The backdrop to this harbor is the penguins nest at St. Andrew’s Bay—the hanging Bertrab Glacier. Thousands largest and fastest growing king penguin of king and gentoo penguins call Gold rookery on South Georgia, and a wildlife Harbour home, as do rowdy elephant spectacle to behold. and fur seals. STROMNESS GRYTVIKEN This abandoned whaling station was in Only a handful of people live, albeit full operation on the day in 1916 that Sir temporarily, on South Georgia, a British Ernest Shackleton and his companions overseas territory. Two of them are staggered into it after a 36-hour trek curators of the South Georgia Museum, across the island in an attempt to find
18 help for their shipmates stranded DANCO ISLAND MIKKELSEN HARBOR on Elephant Island. There is a small Home to gentoo penguins, this small Located on the south side of Trinity cemetery here which can be seen from a dome-shaped island provides you with a Island, Mikkelsen Harbor is a 1.86-mile distance, with the graves of 14 whalers. stunning view of the Errera Channel. (3 km) wide bay surrounded by stunning ice cliffs. It was discovered by a Swedish ENTERPRISE ISLAND Antarctic expedition in 1901–04, and is Antarctic Peninsula Located in Wilhelmina Bay, this island surrounded by several reefs. Keep your BROWN BLUFF was once used by whalers. A Zodiac camera close, as gentoo penguins and A dormant volcano, Brown Bluff towers cruise exploring the island passes the skuas, as well as Weddell, Antarctic fur, 2,225 feet (678 meters) over the rookeries rusting remains of a wrecked whaling leopard and crabeater seals, are often of Adélie and gentoo penguins, which ship, and provides opportunities to seen in the region. number in the thousands. These penguins search for humpback whales. will create a symphony of background PARADISE BAY HOPE BAY noise while you explore the bluff. Paradise Bay is a wide bay and natural Three members of the Swedish Antarctic harbor on the West Antarctic Peninsula. CIERVA COVE Expedition (1901-04) spent the winter in Mountains, glaciers and ice cliffs offer If one of your expedition goals is to a hut on the shores of the bay. The hut spectacular views. Icebergs regularly witness incredible icebergs and sea is located close to the jetty of Esperanza calve from the glaciers, providing a ice, Cierva Cove is the place for you. A Station, an Argentine research station. place for seals, penguins and seabirds massive glacial face regularly calves into to rest and play. An Argentine research the bay, and the floating ice can be quite MELCHIOR ISLANDS base, Brown Base—named after Admiral spectacular. Seals can be spotted on ice This group of low, glaciated islands Guillermo Brown, father of the Argentine floes, and later in the season, humpback in Dallmann Bay is where you may Navy—is also located in Paradise Bay, whales occasionally feed in the icy waters. see hauled-out male fur seals as they and was operated from 1951 until it recuperate from their battles for supremacy at the end of their breeding season.
19 burned down in 1984. It has since been humpbacks bubble-net feeding: they amphitheater and provides a superb partially rebuilt and is used as a summer exhale while swimming in a wide circle setting for landscape photography. research base. below the surface, trapping krill in a “net” of bubbles, and then swim straight HALF MOON ISLAND PAULET ISLAND up from below, mouths open, to engulf This crescent-shaped island was known Located in the northwestern Weddell their prey. A truly astounding sight! to sealers as early as 1821. While they Sea, Paulet Island is home to a large tried to keep this productive location Adélie penguin rookery. With a volcanic secret, we’re happy to bring you ashore cone that rises 1,158 feet (353 meters), South Shetland Islands on this impressive island. Many Antarctic the island reminds you that this was AITCHO ISLANDS birds breed here, including chinstrap once a very active landscape. In addition This group of small islands, some still penguins, shags, Wilson’s storm petrels, to penguins, you may be interested in unnamed, is situated in the northern kelp gulls, snowy sheathbills, Antarctic visiting a historic hut built by members of entrance of the English Strait. You can terns and skuas. the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901- often spot a great mix of wildlife in the HANNAH POINT 04. A cross marks the grave site of Ole area, with gentoo and chinstrap penguins On the southern coast of Livingston Wennersgaard, a member of the crew. having established rookeries on the islands. Southern elephant and fur seals Island at Hannah Point, you may see WILHELMINA BAY frequently haul out here, too. chinstrap and gentoo penguin rookeries, Humpback whales abound in “Whale- along with the occasional breeding BAILY HEAD mina Bay,” as it’s nicknamed, and the macaroni penguin. Due to the rather Also known as Rancho Point, Bailey Head scenery is spectacular. Sheer cliffs and congested area available to the nesting is a rocky headland on the southeastern glaciers surround the calm waters of the penguins, we are able to visit here only shore of Deception Island. Chinstrap protected bay, named after Wilhelmina, after January 10. penguins build nests on slopes leading queen of the Netherlands from 1890 to to a high ridge that forms a natural 1948. If you’re lucky, you may see the
20 PENDULUM COVE TELEFON BAY operations on the beach. Watch for steam Geothermal waters are found along the Your Expedition Team will be happy along the shoreline from geothermic shoreline of this Deception Island cove, to point out that this is where the most activity when the tide is right. named for observations made on Earth’s recent evidence of volcanic eruption on YANKEE HARBOUR gravity using pendulums in 1829 by a Deception Island can be seen. Gentoo penguins have established a British expedition. You may see steam TURRET POINT rookery at this harbor, situated on the rising from the shore and “cooked” Chinstrap and Adélie penguin rookeries southwest side of Greenwich Island. krill floating on the surface due to the are found on this point, situated on the Here, you can see an abandoned volcanically heated water. south coast of King George Island. The Argentine refuge hut and a large glacier PENGUIN ISLAND beaches here are often crowded with that stretches along the east and north Antarctica has two flowering plants, southern elephant, fur and Weddell seals sides of the bay. An abandoned sealing both of which you can find on Penguin hauled out on the rocks. try pot is all that remains of the activity Island: Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia that brought men thousands of miles in antarctica) and Antarctic pearlwort WHALER’S BAY tall ships to seek their fortune. Enjoy a (Colobanthus quitensis). Chinstrap To reach Whaler’s Bay, it is necessary rare chance for a longer walk along the penguins, fur seals and southern elephant to sail through a narrow passage called expansive beach, dotted with historical seals can also be spotted here. Neptune’s Bellows. The bay was used artifacts and wildlife. by whalers from 1906 to 1931 and is part ROBERT POINT of a protected harbor created by the A beautiful spot for Zodiac cruising, this formation of the circular flooded caldera point was known to sealers as early as known as Deception Island. Along with 1820. Chinstrap penguins, kelp gulls and waddling penguins and lounging seals, pintado petrels breed here, and whales you’ll see the rusting remains of whaling may be seen in the surrounding waters.
EXPEDITION SPIRIT Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy—and excitement—of expedition travel. When traveling in extremely remote regions, your Expedition Team must allow the sea, the ice and the weather to guide route and itinerary details. This itinerary is a tentative outline of what you’ll experience on this voyage; please be aware that no specific itinerary can be guaranteed. By the same token, wildlife encounters as described are expected, but not guaranteed. Your Expedition Team will use their considerable experience to seek out wildlife in known habitats, but the presence of any particular species of bird or marine wildlife is not guaranteed.
21 WEATHER CONDITIONS & TEMPERATURES Polar weather is highly variable; temperatures may hover around the freezing mark and winds can be Packing strong. The continuous daylight warms sheltered areas so that you may sometimes find it warm enough for t-shirts. However, you may also encounter snow squalls, fog and white-outs during an expedition so Checklist you should be ready for any conditions.
WHAT TO BRING! Packing for the polar regions doesn’t have to be daunting, and to make it easier for you, all Quark voyages include an expedition parka to keep, and a loan of insulated waterproof boots. Additional suggested items include:
FOR ALL EXCURSIONS SUGGESTED ITEMS Base layers (wool, synthetic or a blend) Waterproof, lightweight backpack or dry sack Mid-layer warm/fleece top Swimsuit (for the Polar Plunge!) Mid-layer warm/fleece pants Binoculars Wool and synthetic socks (3 to 4 pairs) Camera with charger and extra batteries Extra memory cards Neck warmer or balaclava Earplugs Warm hat that covers ears Eye masks for sleeping Waterproof pants (mandatory for every Zodiac ride) Moisturizer and lip balm (polar air can be drying) Waterproof gloves and glove liners Seasickness, indigestion, headache Sunscreen or other medicines as required Sunglasses with UV protection Voltage converters and plug adapters Spare set of gloves (220V/European outlets) Ski goggles (for Zodiac cruising on snowy or windy days)
FOR ON BOARD Comfortable casual clothing (pants/jeans, shirts, sweaters) Lighter shirts (in case the ship gets warm) Comfortable non-slip close-toed unheeled shoes (NOTE: Flip flops, sandals or slip-on shoes should not be worn on board due to safety concerns)
22 TO BOOK YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE Contact your Travel Professional
PHOTO CREDITS (over all Expedition Brochures for the Antarctic 21.22 season): Acacia Johnson; David Merron; Michelle Sole; Nicky Souness; Samantha Crimmin; Hugo Perrin; Taylor Cranney; EXPEDITION BROCHURE Sam Edmonds; Abbey Weisbrot; Hans Lagerweij; Rogelio Espinosa; Cindy Miller Hopkins; Grange Productions March 2020