An Odyssey in the Footsteps of Jean-Baptiste Charcot

Early rise.

Charter flight from Santiago to Ushuaia. 

Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole.

This city is nestled in the mountains surrounded by fertile plains.

Here, the Andes plunge directly into the sea, so Ushuaia is one of the most exciting places on Earth.

Boarding in the afternoon.

Access to the sea.

Getting to know the yacht and information about Antarctica. 

Security briefing with the expedition leader. They will explain to us how the zodiac landings will take place. 

If there is a place that even seasoned sailors fear, then this is undoubtedly Drake Strait. But this is exactly the place that you need to go to earn a meeting with the White Continent. 

Here, cold currents rising up from the Southern Ocean meet warmer equatorial water masses, so the Drake Strait harbors a very diverse marine fauna.

We continue to get acquainted with the yacht and information about Antarctica.

We observe marine animals.

From the bridge, we will be able to see the journey through the eyes of the captain, and then join the naturalist guides on the open decks to observe albatrosses, Cape petrels and other seabirds that will accompany us in the Drake Strait.

This place is the end point for many cruises to Antarctica, beyond which cruise ships do not go.

We will go south and, passing the dark waters of the picturesque Crystal Bay dotted with white ice floes, we will become one of the few Antarctic visitors who have crossed the Arctic Circle. 

We will definitely celebrate this event and raise a glass of champagne in honor of him.

Minke whales, humpback whales and subantarctic penguins are frequent visitors to this densely populated area of Antarctica. There is a high probability of seeing them!

Disembarkation at Detail Island in the afternoon. It is a small island located in the Strait of Crystal Sound, a magnificent region surrounded by snow-capped peaks.

The British Research Station was established here in 1956, on the eve of the International Geophysical Year 1957-58. Due to the island's inaccessibility, this station was closed in 1959.

The remains of the buildings and sled dog pens, which have mapped more than 4,000 miles around the island, are now managed by the United Kingdom Heritage Trust.

The incredible scenery of this narrow channel between Adelaide Island and Graham Land attracts all visitors walking towards Marguerite Bay.

It looks like an ice palace, its immaculate white walls reflected in the icy mirror of the waters of the Southern Ocean, dotted with icebergs and sparkling blocks of ice.

This passage was first explored by the expedition of Jean-Baptiste Charcot in 1909, who mapped it.

It was here, in this magical setting, that some of the first underwater images of Antarctica were taken during Philippe Cousteau's four-month expedition to Antarctica between 1972 and 1973.

When Jean-Baptiste Charcot discovered this island surrounded by sea ice in 1910 while mapping Alexandra Island, he found it very mysterious.

This is still the case, because low pressure systems and regular cloud cover are often observed here.

It is completely covered with ice and sheer cliffs, with the exception of rocky outcrops in the north.

The amount of ice in the narrowest part of Wilkins Strait has been decreasing recently, which officially separates this island from its neighbor, Alexander Island, located 50 km away.

Very few people have landed on this virtually untouched island, whose waters attract numerous seabirds such as petrels, Antarctic terns and skuas.

Stretching from the west of the Antarctic Peninsula to the Amundsen Sea, the Bellingshausen Sea was named after the Russian admiral and explorer who is credited with the first confirmed observation of the Antarctic mainland in 1820.

You will explore this sea among ice floes, blocks of sea ice and majestic icebergs.

The coastal areas along the Bellingshausen Sea are also known as home to colonies of emperor penguins. 

Icebergs, one more majestic than the other, are scattered across the deep and rich blue waters of Marguerite Bay, one of the most beautiful in Antarctica. 

It is bounded on the north by the mountainous Adelaide Island, on the south by the George VI Strait and Alexander Island, and on the east by the Fallier Coast.

Charcot named it after his wife during his second expedition to Antarctica.

The bay is home to many cetaceans, and you may have the opportunity to observe sea leopards or Adelie penguins.

We will land on the coast of the island of Purqua Pa, named so in the 1930s by John Riddock Rimill in honor of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, who discovered it from aboard his ship Le Purqua Pa during his second expedition to Antarctica between 1908 and 1910. 

This mountainous island, located in the north of Marguerite Bay, is 28 km long and 14 km wide.

It is dotted with narrow fjords and snow-capped mountains. 

We will go ashore on a zodiac boat with our expedition team, and we will have the opportunity to watch the Adelie penguins going about their business on the rocky shores of the island.

To this day, the mythical Antarctic Peninsula still has a real charm and promises its visitors unforgettable moments. 

During our adventure in this ice kingdom, we will find ourselves in the very center of an impressive decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife.

Penguins, humpback whales, seals and giant petrels feel at home here, as well as elephant seals, fur seals, Antarctic minke whales and killer whales. 

Every day, depending on the ice conditions, the captain and the head of the expedition will offer zodiac walks or landings to discover the endless riches of the Antarctic Peninsula for us. 

Glaciers, ice floes, icebergs, mountain peaks stretching directly into the sea, volcanic beaches, research stations, charming coves and traces of whaling are the faces of Antarctica, which are likely to open up to us in a subdued and even surreal atmosphere. 

We will follow Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Adrien de Gerlache and Sir Ernest Shackleton, the great Antarctic explorers who set out to conquer these remote and uninhabited lands in the 19th century.

We return along the Drake Strait, and the silhouettes of Antarctica melt behind us, leaving memories that will now be with us forever. 

The team will continue to show presentations about the nature of these places, including, if possible, slide shows with the highlights from our trip. 

We relax, participate in events and presentations from the team.

We will also have the opportunity to once again recall everything that happened these days and chat over a cup of coffee with new acquaintances and friends.

Breakfast.

Arrival in Ushuaia.

Transfer to the airport and flight to Santiago.

The description of this route is the general plan of the expedition.

The route may change under the influence of external factors: weather, ice conditions and other significant events.