It's almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Stepping outside and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience to cherish forever. Once you arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore. It was here that Nordenskjold and his team caught their first glimpses of Antarctica and made their first landings, just over one hundred years ago. After making landfall at Harmony Cove and exploring the South Shetland Islands, they continued into the Gerlache and Orleans straits, creating the first detailed charts of these coastlines from their wooden sailboat, the Antarctic. Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and wildlife opportunities. While on the Peninsula we generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. Make sure you rug up before joining a Zodiac cruise to view spectacular ice cliffs or explore grounded icebergs, keeping an eye out for whales, seals, and penguins, which frequently travel and feed in these waters. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic sites, and explore some of the favorite spots along the Peninsula. While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below. If you have chosen an optional activity, you will have the option to do that whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting! In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship-cruise some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland, or linger in scenic bays to marvel at sculptural icebergs and photograph spectacular scenery. This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendor. Keep an ear out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they break off, calving into the sea. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of this incredible white continent. Towards the Weddell Sea: Remote and inaccessible, entry into the Weddell Sea is highly prized among polar adventurers. Your passage begins at the northernmost extreme of the Antarctic Peninsula, in the beautifully barren Antarctic Sound. In this seldom-visited part of the Peninsula volcanic peaks tower above penguin colonies, and wave-sculpted icebergs parade through the deep channels leading to the Weddell Sea. When Captain Carl Anton Larsen skillfully steered the Antarctic through these waters in 1902, the Swedish Antarctic Expedition became the first to transit this now-famed waterway, which is named for their vessel. Unbeknownst to him, their uneventful passage through the Antarctic Sound was a stroke of good fortune: the region has since gained the nickname 'Iceberg Alley' and a reputation for being frequently filled with ice driven into the sound by the powerful Weddell Gyre. Continuing further east, embrace the expedition spirit as you forge your way as far as possible into the Weddell Sea. The Weddell Sea is renowned for its breathtaking tabular icebergs and expansive sea ice, which attracts an abundance of wildlife, including crabeater seals, Weddell seals, and an array of seabirds. Take some time out on deck to observe the flight of storm petrels, prions, and Antarctic cormorants drawn here by the rich blooms of Antarctic krill that flourish in the shelter of this ice-covered sea. This part of the Weddell Sea is also a stronghold for Adelie penguins, which flourish in the presence of abundant ice and krill. This is the natural amphitheater where the grand drama of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition (SAE) unfolded, and sites of historical significance are scattered across the eastern shores of the Antarctic Peninsula. As you sail through these historic seas, join your expedition team in the lecture room to hear presentations on the local wildlife and geology, and the stunning story of struggle and survival behind Nordenskjold's adventure. One of the great legacies of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition was the discovery of an extensive array of fossils including gastropods, large clams, and ammonites. Nordenskjold, a trained geologist, was inspired to visit the region after Captain Carl Anton Larsen discovered petrified wood on Seymour Island during an earlier Antarctic expedition in 1892. Returning to the same region, Nordenskjold collected the first samples of fossilized penguins, and discovered plant fossils from the Jurassic era. These discoveries led him to theorize that Antarctica may once have been much warmer, and covered by temperate forest with ferns and tropical plants, a view widely accepted today. We aim to cruise these dramatic coastlines explored by Nordenskjold and his men, and attempt to land at some of the historic locations that provided a backdrop for this incredible story of Antarctic survival. ...
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