Antarctica leopard seal diving trip
Snorkeling with leopard seals, swimming with whales, killer whales, seals and penguins, iceberg diving
2 - 29 February, 2024
- 28 days
- Diving/snorkelling expedition
- Level of difficulty: hard
- 15 500 EUR
Highlights
A real expedition
Our journey starts in Ushuaia, the southernmost port of Argentina. A comfortable and safe yacht Aurora and its seasoned crew will take us across the Drake Passage. Aurora is equipped with everything necessary for a long expedition, from a shower and a kitchen to modern means of communication and salvage equipment. In 4 days we are going to find ourselves at the Antarctic Peninsula where we'll spend more than 2 weeks savoring the beauty of the primordial nature, engaging in iceberg diving and snorkeling with whales, watching penguins and seals. We'll visit abandoned stations of the pioneers and in our turn will become the explorers of new lands.
Snorkeling with leopard seals
The key moment of the expedition is snorkeling with leopard seals. These large seals are indeed a calling card of Antarctica, they are well known for their unusual behavior towards divers. It's in February and March when the chance to come across these magnificent creatures is at its highest. Accompanied by an experienced guide, we'll go into the water with these gracious predators. Very few divers in the world can say they've done the same thing. The better part of this expedition is going to be about snorkeling with leopard seals.
Scuba diving, iceberg snorkeling and snorkeling with penguins
Are you a diver or a free-diver? Do you want to see the underwater part of Antarctica? Then you've come to the right place. Our yacht has everything there is necessary for a group of scuba-divers and free-divers. Our experienced guide will tell you how to dive right and without any risk to your health, how to properly choose your gear, he will fill your tanks and make sure that your dives are exciting.
Lectures
Besides thrilling adventures, there are also educational programs waiting for you. Our guides will tell you about whales, seals, leopard seals and penguins. You will learn about the formation of icebergs, what crabeater seals eat and many other things. You'll hear exciting stories about expeditions of previous years and how to survive for a month in an isolated group of people.
Why is better to sail a yacht rather that a cruise liner?
What's special about our expedition is that we go on our own vessel in a small group of people which allows us to fully control the route and adjust it to the guests' needs and wishes. You can always swim with passing whales or spend more time taking pictures of penguins and their colonies if you want to.
The Aurora yacht can take aboard 14 people including the crew and the guides which means that we're going to have a small group of 7 guests, so that everyone can spend some time alone with nature, have plenty of time for taking pictures of animals and get individual approach in anything. Besides, each and every one of you will have an opportunity to learn how everything is organized and works around the yacht, to steer the wheel, to wind winches and feel what it's like to be a real sailor.
What animals are we going to see?
We'll have an opportunity to see a lot of rare and endemic animals, among which are:
- Whales (minke whales, humpback whales, killer whales, fin whales)
- Seals (leopard seals, crabeater seals, Weddel seals, southern elephant seals, fur seals)
- 3 species of penguins: Chinstrap, Gentoo and Adelie
- Many different species of seabirds
Our journey starts in Ushuaia, the southernmost port of Argentina. A comfortable and safe yacht Aurora and its seasoned crew will take us across the Drake Passage. Aurora is equipped with everything necessary for a long expedition, from a shower and a kitchen to modern means of communication and salvage equipment. In 4 days we are going to find ourselves at the Antarctic Peninsula where we'll spend more than 2 weeks savoring the beauty of the primordial nature, engaging in iceberg diving and snorkeling with whales, watching penguins and seals. We'll visit abandoned stations of the pioneers and in our turn will become the explorers of new lands.
Snorkeling with leopard seals
The key moment of the expedition is snorkeling with leopard seals. These large seals are indeed a calling card of Antarctica, they are well known for their unusual behavior towards divers. It's in February and March when the chance to come across these magnificent creatures is at its highest. Accompanied by an experienced guide, we'll go into the water with these gracious predators. Very few divers in the world can say they've done the same thing. The better part of this expedition is going to be about snorkeling with leopard seals.
Scuba diving, iceberg snorkeling and snorkeling with penguins
Are you a diver or a free-diver? Do you want to see the underwater part of Antarctica? Then you've come to the right place. Our yacht has everything there is necessary for a group of scuba-divers and free-divers. Our experienced guide will tell you how to dive right and without any risk to your health, how to properly choose your gear, he will fill your tanks and make sure that your dives are exciting.
Lectures
Besides thrilling adventures, there are also educational programs waiting for you. Our guides will tell you about whales, seals, leopard seals and penguins. You will learn about the formation of icebergs, what crabeater seals eat and many other things. You'll hear exciting stories about expeditions of previous years and how to survive for a month in an isolated group of people.
Why is better to sail a yacht rather that a cruise liner?
What's special about our expedition is that we go on our own vessel in a small group of people which allows us to fully control the route and adjust it to the guests' needs and wishes. You can always swim with passing whales or spend more time taking pictures of penguins and their colonies if you want to.
The Aurora yacht can take aboard 14 people including the crew and the guides which means that we're going to have a small group of 7 guests, so that everyone can spend some time alone with nature, have plenty of time for taking pictures of animals and get individual approach in anything. Besides, each and every one of you will have an opportunity to learn how everything is organized and works around the yacht, to steer the wheel, to wind winches and feel what it's like to be a real sailor.
What animals are we going to see?
We'll have an opportunity to see a lot of rare and endemic animals, among which are:
- Whales (minke whales, humpback whales, killer whales, fin whales)
- Seals (leopard seals, crabeater seals, Weddel seals, southern elephant seals, fur seals)
- 3 species of penguins: Chinstrap, Gentoo and Adelie
- Many different species of seabirds
- 1Diving and freedivingWe will be diving in places where few people have been underwater. Diving in Antarctica is every diver's dream! Incredible iceberg shapes, amazing creatures and the amazing atmosphere of polar diving await you!
- 2Sea leopardsThis is our main destination of the trip. To see the largest seal in the world underwater! Our guide will make sure we find the leopards and stay safe in the water.
- 3IcebergsOur boat will pass amongst the icebergs, with which everyone will be able to dive and see what lies beneath the tops of them!
- 4WhalesOne of our main goals is to snorkel with whales!
- 5PenguinsWe will see several kinds of penguins! Perhaps some even underwater!
Itinerary
31 January - 27 February (28 days)
25 days at sea
31 January - 27 February (28 days)
25 days at sea
Day 1 (02 Feb)
Arriving to Ushuaia by plane and checking into a hotel.
Day 2 (03 Feb)
A reserve day in case of any flight delays. Extra activities by the request.
Day 3 (04 Feb)
Early in the morning we accommodate at the yacht, carry out the necessary paperwork and go into the open sea. We will start our journey through the magnificent Beagle strait, home to multiple marine species - magellanic penguins, southern sea lions, dolphins and whales.
Day 4-6
Crossing the Drake Passage.
Day 7
The Subantarctic. Meeting with penguins, fur seals and elephant seals on the islands of Livingston and Half Moon.
Day 8
Deception island, famous for the abandoned whaling station in a volcano crater. Going down south to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Days 9
At sea
Day 10
Enterprise island. Observing whales and possibly orcas in Gerlache strait. Snorkeling with whales if the conditions allow.
Day 14-18
The Cuverville Islands are home to the largest colony of gentoo penguins (up to 10 000 specimens) and a great variety of other seabirds. In February, leopard seals often come to the islands to feast on penguins. Here the main part of our expedition takes place. We will spend several days cruising around by zodiacs in search of leopard seals, trying to find the right one get into the water with the most beautiful and dangerous predator of Antarctica.
Days 19
Lemaire Channel and Petermann Island are the most picturesque places of Antarctica: here you can see tall mountains and lots of icebergs and animals. These are the places where colonies of Adelie and gentoo penguins live, as well as a lot of seals, among which are leopard seals.
Day 20
Pleneau Bay is an "Iceberg Graveyard", a place icebergs get drifted to shallow water by currents. The bay is inhabited by penguins and seals, including leopard seals which we are going to snorkel with.
Day 23
Visiting famous Port Lockroy research station. Starting our way North to the Drake Passage.
Days 24-26
Crossing Drake Passage back home.
Day 27 (28 Feb)
Beagle strait. Arriving to Ushuaia.
Day 28 (29 Feb)
Flight back home
The schedule and the program may be altered due to weather conditions. Sometimes the trip goes by the reverse schedule, but anyway this doesn't affect the programm.
Price:
15 500 EUR per person (a double or triple cabin). Single cabins are available on demand
02 - 29 February, 2024
15 500 EUR per person (a double or triple cabin). Single cabins are available on demand
02 - 29 February, 2024
- Included:
- Accommodation and meals at the vessel
- Polar diving/free-diving/snorkeling
- Tanks and weight belts
- Transfer to and from the airport
- Accommodation and meals at the vessel
- Not included:
- The airplane tickets to Ushuaia and back
- Living at the hotel in Ushuaia
- Any additional expenses in Ushuaia
- Your personal gear, including diving equipment
- Diving insurance
- The airplane tickets to Ushuaia and back
Is it scary to sail to Antarctica on a yacht?
No, it's not. Yachts are one of the most tough vessels to sink, and our crew members are seasoned guys who have been working in Antarctica and the High Arctic for years. To sail across the Drake Passage is a piece of cake for a crew like this one. They'll see to your full safety and make sure that you are comfortable during the entire expedition.
Additional Information
- Make sure that you have the following things
- Warm fleece clothes and thermal underwear.
- Several pairs of warm socks.
- Rubber boots (for landing).
- Shoes to wear on board of the yacht.
- A storm coat and waterproof clothes: gloves (it's better to take 2 pairs of them), a hat (it's also better to take 2 hats).
- Swimsuits, shorts and swimming trunks (in case we get lucky with a thermal bath at Deception Island.
- Sunshades (with a rope, otherwise you might drop them in the sea).
- Personal hygiene items.
- Sunscreen and hand cream.
- Waterproof cases for your photo devices.
- Your aid kit with your personal medications.
- It's better to pack your things in soft bags and backpacks.
- Motion sickness pills (Dramina)
- Diving Equipment
- A scuba mask, a scuba tube, paddles
- A dry diving suit with a hood
- A weather-appropriate set of thermal underwear (it would be a sound idea to take 2 sets of those)
- 2 independent DIN regulators for cold-water diving
- A buoyancy compensator
- Gloves (we recommend 7mm wet gloves), a buoy, a knife, a dive computer, a flashlight, a compass.
- A repair-kit for your equipment
- Please noteIn the Drake Passage where our route goes, the weather is highly unpredictable and can affect the route and duration of the expedition. We can't control the weather, and we can't guarantee that there's a calm sea ahead of us, therefore we are not responsible for any alterations to the schedule or to the expedition itself due to weather conditions.
It's easy to book with us!
The process of booking becomes easy with Whale Watching Expeditions.
- 1Contact usHowever you like: email info@whale-expeditions.com, using Facebook/Instagram or fill the application form below
- 2We will call you backOr write a message. We will answer all your questions, explain all the details and discuss your personal wishes
- 3Deposit paymentWhen you are ready to book expedition, we would ask you to pay the deposit, usually it's 50% of the price. You can pay the rest later, the last payment day is 60 days before expedition start.
- 4Done!You got your space on the trip, it's time to buy plane tickets! By the way, we can help you with tickets and visas if needed.
Your journey starts here!
Just give us some info and we'll contact you shortly.
Contacts
info@whale-expeditions.com