Sailing in comfort aboard the comfortable and well-appointed Akademik Ioffe, we begin this 11-night expedition at the tip of South America. We chart a course through the Drake Passage and make our first landfall in the South Shetland Islands on our way to the Weddelll Sea – the ice-choked sea made famous by the saga of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men from the Endurance expedition. This area is also the realm of the Emperor penguin and, over the Christmas holidays, we will spend a few days among the islands of the Weddell Sea’s western shore in search of the Emperor, the largest of the 17 penguin species and the most vividly colored. Images of massive tabular icebergs and ice-choked waters come to mind when contemplating the Weddell Sea - all sights that we hope to see and experience over the course of our expedition cruise. We will push for Paulet Island, home to one of the Peninsula’s largest penguin rookeries, before heading south to Snow Hill Island, the base for the Heroic Age Nordenskjold expedition and Seymour Island, where scientists are still finding fossils of giant penguins. Hardy adventurers, or those with a yen for history, have the chance to camp out on the ice overnight and feel the thrill and audacity of those early explorers who attempted to conquer the white continent. Our departure from the Weddell Sea will take us north to the Falkland Islands where we hope to see King penguins before disembarking in Port Stanley.
As with all our expeditions, safety is our top priority. For that reason weather, ice or other conditions may require us to change our itinerary and shore excursions as we go but that is half the fun of Polar exploring. Predictability is a word that has no relevance in this environment
Safety is paramount on a Peregrine voyage. Due to new International Security Regulations, you will not be able to approach the ship on your own. You will have to arrive with the rest of the group, accompanied by a Peregrine representative. Full details of embarkation/disembarkation procedures will be supplied with your final documentation. On board you will be asked to participate in the obligatory lifeboat drill. We will also conduct important briefings on landing procedures and Zodiac operations.
Designed for polar research, the Akademik Ioffe is modern, comfortable, safe and ice-strengthened. From small group sessions to briefings for all passengers, we have public spaces onboard the ship ideally suited for each and every need. A separate bar and lounge, as well as a library provide ideal places to sit and relax or catch up on some reading. A selection of movies and documentaries can also be watched in the lounge.
Enjoy the sumptuous meals prepared for you by our culinary team in our dining room, which can host all clients in a single seating with ample room.
Other facilities include the theatre style presentation room, gift-shop, fitness room, massage room, sauna and plunge pool.
White noise
The silence in Antarctica is deafening. Confused? You’ll understand once you’ve been there. It’s something to do with the wide open spaces and all that white. You’ll get a shiver up your spine the first time you hear an iceberg calving – and again every...
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Glenyce Johnson is the Managing Director of Peregrine, and she's also one of our most passionate travellers. Glenyce has been to over 100 countries, and her next big challenge will be to tackle the Camino Trail in Spain next year.
I sat down to chat with Glenyce and was swept up in her world of...
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Argentina's Peninsula Valdes is renowned as one of the world's finest whale-watching destinations. For about six months of each year - from June to December - southern right whales crowd its protected bays, providing local tour boats with guaranteed sightings.
But outside the whale-...
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Here's ten things you didn't know about albatrosses. Pay particular attention to number ten and find out what you can do to help...
Albatrosses mate for life and take many years to find a new mate if their partner is killed – if they find a new partner at all Most birds lay...Read on...
Graeme Bruce is a very lucky man. In 2009 one of his lifelong dreams came true when he won a Peregrine trip to Antarctica. Here's Graeme's story...
From when I was a boy, I always wanted to go to Antarctica - it held a strange fascination for me. Over the years, my impatience grew, as I...
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