Beyond the Antarctic Peninsula

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Discover Beyond the Antarctic Peninsula

Venture east beyond the Antarctic Peninsula into the Weddell Sea, a wonderland of fossil fields on ice-free islands, incomprehensively vast tabular icebergs. Search for enormous colonies of Adélie penguins, delight in curious fur seals and be mesmerised by your Discovery Guide’s tales of survival by Heroic Age explorers Shackleton and Nordenskjold.

Nearly half the Weddell Sea is covered by the massive, floating, Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, the second largest in Antarctica. Plus smaller ice shelves along the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, that calve huge, flattopped icebergs some 30 metres above sea level, 120 metres below and many kilometres long. Powered by deep currents, they slice through fields of frozen sea ice. As you sail down the west coast of the Peninsula, thread through pack ice and narrow channels where whales feed and penguins poise, to reach beyond the Antarctic Circle at latitude 66o 33’ south. It takes a unique ship to explore these waters, and Scenic Eclipse is in a class of its own. The first to be designed and built to Polar Class 6 standards, its strengthened hull, forward bow thrusters, 50 per cent larger stabilisers and electronic Azipod propulsion system enable safe navigation. The Discovery Team experts share insights into the environment and history of the region. Their expertise allows us to land in places few others have been before. Most have heard the Shackleton story, how his ship Endurance was trapped and crushed in Weddell Sea pack ice. Learn how Shackleton and five others escaped from Elephant Island and sailed from there, to South Georgia, on an epic rescue mission. Who knows the story of Otto Nordenskjold’s, Swedish Antarctic Expedition, who was here more than a decade earlier? Your Discovery Team historian will share the gripping tale of how Nordenskjold lost his support ship Antarctica to pack ice and how this started a series of events combining the hardship, coincidence, sheer luck and leadership that brought all but one of his men back alive.

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A Elephant Island B Adélie penguins, Paulet Island C Kayak expedition D Explore on the ice

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Whether by Zodiac or helicopter^, we aim to visit Nordenskjold’s Hut on Snow Hill Island and look for emperor penguins recently departed from the northernmost colony nearby. On adjacent Seymour Island, known as the Rosetta Stone of Antarctic palaeontology, scientists have discovered fossils of giant penguins, marsupials and evidence of the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs. We’ll search for ephemeral waterfalls on Vega Island, perhaps visit an abandoned British field camp in Duse Bay. Explore the volcanic Paulet Island, home to 100,000 breeding pairs of Adélies and the remains of Larsen’s Hut, built in 1903 by the survivors of Antarctica. Go above, below and beyond the horizon. Our two helicopters^ provide new perspectives on tabular icebergs, the Antarctic Peninsula’s icecap and access to remote fossil fields. Our custom-built submarine^, enables you to explore the depths of the Weddell Sea where no one has been. Who knows, there may still be relics of Nordenskjold’s and Shackleton’s lost ships somewhere on the sea floor. Back on board Scenic Eclipse, visit our expansive 550m2 Senses Spa for the pure indulgence of rejuvenating treatments, soak in our Vitality Spa or outdoor Vitality Pools, or stretch tightening muscles in our gym. Join your Discovery Leader for an illustrated recap of the day and learn what is planned for the next. After dinner, what better way to finish the day than with a nightcap in one of our nine bars and lounges, admiring evening light playing across the Weddell Sea Ice Factory outside.

^Flights on board our two helicopters, helicopter experiences and submarine at additional cost, subject to regulatory approval, availability, weight restrictions, medical approval and weather and ice conditions. BACK TO CONTENTS