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The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea

In partnership with The Explorers Club

The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea

  • Itinerary
    Ushuaia to Ushuaia
    Duration
    16 days
  • Dates
    Starting price
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Onboard onto Le Commandant Charcot for an exquisite journey

Through PONANT’s alliance with The Explorers Club, this voyage will feature Dr. Cassandra Brooks, a marine scientist and Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies at University of Colorado Boulder. She draws on a diversity of disciplines including marine science, environmental policy, and science communication, with the last 15 years of her career focused on Antarctica. Her work helped drive the adoption of the world’s largest marine protected area in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, one of the healthiest marine ecosystems left on Earth. Dr. Brooks continues her engaged scholarship and seeks to empower the next generations of environmental leaders.

Equipped with specialized laboratories onboard Le Commandant Charcot, Explorers Club Science Grantees will provide invaluable firsthand knowledge, delving into their ongoing research.

With the presence of Sue Flood, British Photo Ambassador and polar specialist and author of "Emperor - The Perfect Penguin”.

The theatre of the greatest expeditions, a refuge for the rarest wildlife and an endless ice desert, the Weddell Sea promises you intense emotions during a voyage of exploration aboard Le Commandant Charcot, an enveloping cocoon that is wide open onto the exterior polar setting. This place is home to emperor penguins, majestic birds endemic to the Antarctic, rarely observed and only in the most southern latitudes. The ultimate quest and the promise of all-new, unforgettable encounters.

From Drake Passage, as the wind blows and the waves crash against the stern of your ship, you will enter the southern seas, to the extreme and captivating Weddell Sea. Ice floe as far as the eye can see and gigantic tabular icebergs form the horizon of the colonies of Adelie penguins that populate this expanse. Contemplating these curious and quirky birds is a real privilege and the guarantee of an equally fascinating and touching show. Yet the ultimate challenge of this exploration is the search for and the encounter with their majesties, the emperor penguins. In this season, as the winter gradually makes way for the southern spring, you will perhaps witness a magical show - that of the largest penguins in the world waddling along the ice floe or the younger penguins learning to swim. It is rare to discover their elegance, so the encounter will be priceless.

During your exploration of the Weddell Sea, you will follow in the footsteps of the great polar epics like that of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Our passionate naturalists will also share the history of the gigantic tabular icebergs with you, including their birth in the heart of the immense Larsen Ice Shelf. The ice here boasts all possible shades and the white takes different forms in the surrounding reliefs. Let yourself be guided and set off on an adventure into the heart of incredible and unexpected nature. Your Captain and the expert naturalists humbly seize these opportunities to give you an experience that will remain unique.

It is a challenge and a privilege to sail upon the Weddell Sea; welcome to an extraordinary universe with compelling appeal.

We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. Our navigation will be determined by the type of ice we come across; as the fast ice must be preserved, we will take this factor into account from day to day in our itineraries. The sailing schedule and any landings, activities and wildlife encounters are subject to weather and ice conditions. These experiences are unique and vary with each departure. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while respecting safety instructions and regulations imposed by the IAATO.

Overview

Your voyage

All inclusive, gourmet cuisine, room service, evening entertainment, shows, fitness center, hammam, sauna… Discover what is included in every Ponant cruise.

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Destination

Destination

Antarctica

Ushuaia to Ushuaia

Duration

16 days, 14 nights on board

The Explorers Club, Expeditions

The Explorers Club

The Explorers Club

Cassandra Brooks

Cassandra Brooks, Sue Flood

Night in santiago + flight santiago/ushuaia + transfers + flight ushuaia/santiago

Hiking or snowshoeing

Hiking or snowshoeing, Polar plunge, Kayaking - Le Commandant Charcot

Ref: UUIR45 - CC201225

Journey

Your journey day-by-day

  • Spend Christmas and New Year’s Day aboard Le Commandant Charcot, exploring the nearly inaccessible Weddell Sea in search of emperor penguins
  • Unforgettable encounters with unique wildlife (whales, orcas, seals, penguins and other seabirds) in spectacular landscapes (ice floes, glaciers, icebergs).
  • Activities: outings and shore visits in a rubber dinghy with a team including naturalist guides; kayaking; polar hiking on foot or snowshoes; polar plunge without a wetsuit.
The Emperor Penguins of Weddell Sea null

Customize your journey :

Guests

Sharing your journey with

Cassandra Brooks Christina Riesselman

Cassandra Brooks

Sue Flood null

Sue Flood

Staterooms and suites

Elegance and intimacy

*Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability, and subject to change at any time. The category of stateroom to which this price applies may no longer be available.

Details

More info

Services included in your cruise

Important trip details

In your luggage

Itinerary