ANTARCTIC 2021.22 SOUTH GEORGIA & ANTARCTIC PENINSULA Penguin Safari with flights from Buenos Aires INAUGURAL SEASON Contents 1 Overview 2 Itinerary 5 Arrival and Departure Details 7 Your Ship: Ultramarine 9 Included Activities 10 Adventure Options 12 Dates and Rates 13 Inclusions and Exclusions 14 Your Expedition Team 15 Extend Your Trip 16 Meals on Board 17 Possible Excursions 21 Packing Checklist Overview South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula: Penguin Safari Antarctica is an incredible destination with the power to transform those who are fortunate enough to experience it. At Quark Expeditions, we’ve been delivering transformational polar experiences for three decades, and in that time we’ve realized that the more personalized an expedition is, the more enriching the experience will be. That’s why we’ve designed this guide; to help you plan your perfect expedition to the 7th continent. Our South Georgia and Antarctica: Penguin Safari itinerary is the fastest way to get to the seldom visited South Georgia Island while also setting foot on the 7th continent. As we set sail, photograph massive albatross and beautiful pintado EXPEDITION IN BRIEF petrels as they swoop and soar around the ship, guiding us toward South Georgia. Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Beaches teeming with king penguins and elephant seals greet us on this fabled tango capital of the world, and let us take care of the rest of your journey island, where we’ll pay our respects to famed explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. Antarctica awaits, with its soaring peaks and staggering expanse. Go further into See South Georgia’s incredible the Antarctic sea on a Zodiac, experience the rugged peninsula from a sea kayak, wildlife, including 30 breeding bird species and four penguin species undertake an exhilarating hike up a sparkling glacier, or share an endearingly Follow in the wake of Sir Ernest comical moment with an inquisitive gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguin. In Shackleton’s perilous voyages to these ways and countless others, Antarctica will amaze, surprise and delight. South Georgia and visit his gravesite Explore the Antarctic Peninsula by Antarctica has been inspiring explorers for centuries—now it’s your turn. Be ship, Zodiac and foot among the first guests on our pioneering new vessel,Ultramarine . This purpose- Learn about Antarctica’s unique built vessel is designed to extend the boundaries of polar exploration and offer geology, history and wildlife from our an unmatched Antarctic experience, including a flightseeing tour you’ll never onboard experts forget and a range of adventure options more extensive than any other ship in its Immerse yourself in the icy realm of the Antarctic with an optional class. We’re excited to host you on your unforgettable adventure! Please feel free paddling excursion to reach out to our team of Polar Travel Advisers, who are happy to answer your Enjoy helicopter flightseeing from questions and provide assistance at any time. Ultramarine for a unique perspective of the Antarctic Peninsula 1 Itinerary DAY 1 | ARRIVE IN After a late afternoon embarkation, Santiago Buenos Aires BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA you will sail along the historic Beagle You may arrive in Buenos Aires at any Channel, which transects the Tierra ARGENTINA time during Day 1 of your itinerary. Upon del Fuego archipelago in the extreme arriving in this splendid city, known for its south of South America. Expect an air of architecture and rich European heritage, anticipation as you depart! CHILE you will independently transfer to your group hotel (pre-expedition hotel night DAYS 3–6 | AT SEA Atlantic Ocea n There are many activities available to South Georgia included in mandatory transfer package). Punta keep you engaged while you are at sea. Arenas Ushuaia DAY 2 | FLY TO USHUAIA & EMBARK Elephant Learn to identify seabirds that glide Drake Passage South Island After an early breakfast at the hotel, Shetland alongside the ship, or attend dynamic Islands the group will transfer to the airport presentations by your Expedition Team. and board our private charter flight to Lemaire Channel You will be prepped on safety procedures ANTARCTIC C IRCLE Ushuaia, Argentina. for Zodiac cruises and shore landings, Weddell Sea Antarctic Upon arrival, you will be transferred and also be given instructions for Peninsula from the airport to a central downtown getting the most out of your optional sea SOUTH GEORGIA & ANTARCTIC PENINSULA Penguin Safari location to have some time on your own kayaking adventures (extra cost), a truly On board the Ultramarine intimate way to experience Antarctica. to explore this quaint port town before Flights to/from Buenos Aires making your way to the pier. 2 If conditions are right, the first indication blanketed with penguins and seals. It DAYS 9 & 10 | AT SEA that you are approaching South Georgia won’t take you long to realize that you Say goodbye to the king penguins, as is the sight of birds around a group of are in a bird paradise, as burrowing your next destination is Antarctica! Your rocky spires called Shag Rocks. Have seabirds, albatross and petrels can be days at sea are filled with presentations your binoculars and cameras ready to seen in abundance. and workshops led by your Expedition capture these rocky spires rising out of Team, who will prepare you for the You’ll find that South Georgia, once a the icy ocean waters. Shags and prions wildlife and landscapes that will popular base for whalers and sealers, often rest here, and due to nutrient rich surround you upon your arrival. is also scattered with abandoned relics upwellings around the rocks it can be a and evidence of human activity from DAYS 11–13 | ANTARCTIC PENINSULA good place to keep a lookout for whales. centuries gone by. Your Expedition Team The most common reaction upon DAYS 7 & 8 | SOUTH GEORGIA will help bring those days to life while reaching the White Continent is a sense After enjoying South Georgia from a you visit old whaling stations and enjoy of reverence and awe. The experience is distance, we’ll head toward its numerous presentations on the South Georgia of hard to put into words, since few places beaches to find a bay for your first then and now. are as untouched and enduring excursion. Landing sites are varied, One of the most significant sites you as Antarctica. largely determined by the weather will visit on the island is Grytviken. This You will discover that Antarctica is a conditions of your voyage. Whichever settlement is the first whaling stations land of extremes. At one moment you’ll sites we visit, they’ll provide you with established in sub-Antarctic waters. be overcome with a feeling of complete wildlife encounters unrivaled anywhere Many travelers find that this place has a isolation and silence, and at the next else on earth. special appeal, as it is the site of the grave moment you’ll be inspired by nature as South Georgia is one of the most fertile of Sir Ernest Shackleton, one of the most a calving glacier crashes into a brilliant breeding grounds in the world for famous Antarctic explorers. blue sea or a penguin waddles by to sub-Antarctic wildlife, with beaches inspect your footwear. 3 Your Expedition Team will take care of DAYS 14 & 15 | CROSSING you at each excursion, whether you are THE DRAKE PASSAGE EXPEDITION SPIRIT Zodiac cruising, visiting a historical site After more than a dozen days of unique Embracing the unexpected is part or consorting with penguin colonies. wildlife encounters and remarkable of the legacy—and excitement—of Chinstrap, Adélie and gentoo penguins landscapes, your journey home begins. expedition travel. When traveling are found here, along with Weddell, Crossing the Drake is your unofficial in extremely remote regions, your fur, crabeater and leopard seals. Keep rite of passage. Spend time on deck Expedition Team must consider the a lookout for Antarctic whales, such as watching for seabirds and whales, enjoy sea, ice and weather to guide the route and itinerary details. This itinerary is minkes, while on a Zodiac cruise. Each presentations by your Expedition Team, a tentative outline of what you may day and each excursion will present a or simply relax and reminisce about your experience on this voyage; please be new collection of creatures to delight you experiences. aware that no specific itinerary can be and keep your camera busy. DAY 16 | DISEMBARK IN USHUAIA guaranteed. By the same token, wildlife As exciting as the Zodiac excursions and & FLY TO BUENOS AIRES encounters as described are expected, landings are, perhaps you’ll treat yourself You will arrive in Ushuaia in the morning but not guaranteed. Your Expedition to an extra-special Antarctic experience and disembark after breakfast. The Team will use their considerable experience to seek out wildlife in by partaking in an optional paddling mandatory transfer package includes known habitats, but the presence of excursion (at an extra cost) or cast reason a little taste of Patagonia with a Tierra any particular species of bird or marine aside and jump into Antarctic waters for del Fuego National Park tour before wildlife is not guaranteed. the Polar Plunge! transferring to the airport for the return group charter flight to Buenos Aires. 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 15, learn how to add on a pre- or post-expedition stop—or both!—in your gateway city. Arrival Day and Embarkation ARRIVING IN BUENOS AIRES Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, you will make your way to the included group hotel.