Antarctica Active Expedition - Greg Mortimer
Immerse yourself in Antarctica on this action-packed expedition: kayaking, snowshoeing, snorkeling, or even an unforgettable sleepover on the ice, offering an unparalleled adventure in this breathtaking wilderness.
SPECIAL OFFER
9.5*
ECO SCORE
132
PASSENGERS
15
DAYS
3.5/5
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Antarctica: Drink It In
Welcome Aboard the
Greg Mortimer
This operator is renowned for the variety and volume of activities offered to expeditioners on our voyages. On these activity-packed sailings, you will experience the wonders of Antarctica on a deeper level. Not only will you enjoy Zodiac excursions and guided walks offered on all our voyages, you will also paddle in among icebergs in protected bays and perhaps glimpse wildlife close up. Step into your own snowshoes for a gentle hike, where breathtaking views await. For the ultimate overnight adventure in Antarctica, pack a sleeping bag for a sleepover on the ice. We can't guarantee a sound slumber, but we can guarantee an unforgettable night on the ice.
- • This itinerary is ideal for the more daring and adventurous of explorers – dive into two weeks of paddling, camping, snowshoeing and snorkeling on this adrenaline-fueled expedition.
• Enjoy nearly 18-24 hours of daylight each day during the Southern Hemisphere's summer, maximizing your opportunities for activities and wildlife sightings.
• With additional observation platforms and a dedicated activity loading area onboard your ship, this trip is designed for you to experience the unspoiled Antarctic wild up close!
Travel Curator’s Insights:
SPECIAL OFFER:
Rates:
From $14,871 per person
Late November through December marks the beginning of summer, with long daylight hours and warming temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula. Witness nesting penguins, seal pups, and feeding whales.
Inquire for specific dates.
November – December;
Hover here for more information.
Departures:
Trip Sustainability Awards
CARBON
Fantastic advances in minimizing carbon footprints at locations.
ENERGY
On the East African Energy Renewal Board
EDUCATION
Runs local educational facilities for children.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Ushuaia
Arrive in Ushuaia, where you will be met by a representative and transferred with your fellow expeditioners to your assigned pre-voyage hotel. If you are already in Ushuaia, we ask you to make your way to your hotel. Check-in is from 3:00pm. This afternoon, visit the hospitality desk in the hotel lobby, between 3:00pm and 7:00pm, to collect your luggage tags, and confirm if you wish to join our Beagle Channel and Isla de Los Lobos Cruise (sea lion island) tomorrow. Our team will confirm details regarding your embarkation day, answer any questions and provide you with information on where to dine or purchase last minute items. The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense.
Day 2: Embarkation
This morning, enjoy breakfast and check-out. Please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. By 11:00am take your cabin luggage to hotel reception, prior to, or at check-out. Your luggage will be stored and transferred directly to the port for clearance, to be placed in your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day. Your morning is at leisure to explore Ushuaia.
Those wishing to join our afternoon catamaran cruise, meet back at the hotel lobby at 12:15 pm ready to transfer to the port at 12:30 pm. Here we board our catamaran and sail the Beagle Channel, towards the city’s iconic Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. Crossing the Bridges Archipelago we’ll slow down to watch colonies of sea lions and imperial cormorants sun themselves on the rocky outcrops, while gulls, rock cormorants, skuas, petrels, albatrosses and cauquenes are often sighted. Our cruise offers panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountain range, in addition to hearing tales of the people and communities of the region.
Alternatively, enjoy your day at leisure and meet at your hotel lobby at 3:00pm, or 3:30pm from the meeting point at the parking lot near the pier (details will be given by our ground staff at the hotel), to be transferred to the pier for embarkation.
Once onboard, you’ll have time to settle into your cabin before our important mandatory briefings. As the ship pulls away from port, we’ll gather on the deck to commence our adventure with spectacular views over Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego.
This evening get to know your fellow expeditioners and friendly expedition team and crew at a welcome dinner to celebrate the start of a thrilling adventure to Antarctica.
Days 3-4: Drake Passage Crossing
As we commence the Drake Passage crossing, we make the most of our time getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. Our expedition team prepare you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurity procedures and start our lecture program to help you learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife and environment.
Our wildlife experiences begin as we enjoy watching and photographing the many seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels following our vessel. On sea days, you can enjoy the facilities on board the vessel including the gym, sauna and jacuzzis or relax in one of the observation lounges.
Nearing the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on the afternoon of day four, the excitement is palpable with everyone converging on one of the observation decks watching for our first iceberg. The ocean takes on a whole new perspective once we are below the Antarctic Convergence and are surrounded by the surreal presence of floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting is likely to remain with you for a lifetime. Time and weather permitting, we may attempt our first landing in Antarctica by late afternoon.
Days 5-12: Antarctic Peninsula
It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the most fresh, crisp air on earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.
The Antarctic Peninsula is a bustling metropolis of wildlife in late spring, but despite the frenetic pace of life for the locals, you have ample time to immerse yourself in the wonders of surrounding environment. Over the next eight days you will settle into the natural rhythms of life in the Antarctic Peninsula. With extra time for exploration, we plan to show you our favorite spots along the peninsula and possibly discover new future favorites along the way.
Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore, and we have a host of choices available to us. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hours of daylight and the days can be as busy as you wish.
Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities. We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. You will want to rug up before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, keeping a close watch for whales, seals and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also shuttle you from the ship to land, where you can visit penguin rookeries, discover historic huts and explore some of our favourite 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 participate in the activity whenever conditions allow, and of course keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting! The polar plunge can take place at any time during the voyage, so listen out for the announcement from the expedition team and get ready for the most exhilarating dip of your life!
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 or make your way to the bridge (open at the captain’s discretion) for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendour. Listen out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve into sea. Take a quiet moment to experience the wonder of the pristine paradise of the splendid white continent.
Day 13: Drake Passage Crossing
Enjoy a final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands before we re-enter the Drake Passage for our return journey to South America.
With lectures and film presentations to complete our Antarctic experience, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and the life that calls it home. There is time for reflection and discussion about what we have seen and experienced. We hope you become ambassadors for Antarctica telling your family, friends and colleagues about your journey to this magical place, advocating for its conservation and preservation so that they might one day visit the region to experience what you have been lucky to see and do here. As we approach the tip of South America, our Captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and time permitting.
Day 14: Disembark Ushuaia
During the early morning, we cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where we will be free to disembark around 8:00am. Farewell your expedition team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature.
Upon disembarkation, for those continuing their travels in the region, transportation to the hotel will be arranged exclusively for guests who have booked their accommodations through Aurora or for those staying in downtown areas near the port. Expeditioners departing on flights prior to 12:30pm will be directly transferred to Ushuaia Airport, those with flights after 12:30pm will have the opportunity to explore Ushuaia before an afternoon airport transfer, and the transfer procedures and details will be communicated onboard before disembarkation.
Note: At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing Ushuaia prior to 12:00pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.
** Antarctica Active is an all inclusive activities expedition. Paddling, camping, snowshoeing and snorkeling are included in the activity cost.
This operator is renowned for the variety and volume of activities offered to expeditioners on its voyages. On these activity-packed sailings, you will experience the wonders of Antarctica on a deeper level. Not only will you enjoy Zodiac excursions and guided walks, you will also paddle in among icebergs in protected bays and perhaps glimpse wildlife close up. Step into your own snowshoes for a gentle hike, where breathtaking views await. For the ultimate overnight adventure in Antarctica, pack a sleeping bag for a sleepover on the ice. We can't guarantee a sound slumber, but we can guarantee an unforgettable night on the ice.
Snowshoeing: Snowshoeing makes walking up gentle slopes and across Antarctica’s soft, powdery snow a breeze, allowing you to explore places others struggle to reach in boots alone. Armed with your very own set of snowshoes and ski poles, you’ll be led by our expert guides who will provide all the instruction you need. Snowshoeing is an excellent way to ascend to some of Antarctica’s best vantage points, stretch the legs and take in the most spectacular scenery on the planet. Snowshoeing is the perfect activity for everyone, with no previous experience required. Join in on the fun and discover a different slice of Antarctica!
Required Experience & Fitness: This popular alpine activity is easy to learn. No experience is necessary – all you need is a willingness to try. All training is provided and our team of guides will have you trained and ready to go in no more than half an hour. Participants should be confident in their footing and have an average level of fitness – outings may be up to three hours in duration. Those who enjoy hiking trails or taking long walks at home will possess enough fitness to enjoy this activity. As with any other activity, you will get more enjoyment out of it with some preparation in advance, such as long walks with uphill sections or bike riding. The minimum age for this activity is 14.
Snorkeling: Witness wildlife and scenery unlike any other place on earth. Through crystal clear waters you’ll discover the amazing mobility and speed of penguins entering and exiting from the ice, marvel at beautiful sculpted icebergs below the water and witness marine life such as crustaceans, isopods, starfish and nudibranchs! This unique experience will allow passengers to see both destinations in a completely new dimension, witnessing wildlife and scenery unlike any other place on earth.
This latest innovative activity option is led by expert polar diving guides, and utilizes state of the art equipment including drysuits, gloves, hood, fins, mask, and snorkel. Passengers will be provided with all of the training and equipment they need to experience Antarctica from this truly unique angle. Passengers who take part will enjoy the opportunity to snorkel daily (weather dependent), taking delight in sheltered bays, offshore islands and secluded shipwrecks which make for spectacular wildlife viewing.
Camping: One of our most popular activities, camping offers you the unique opportunity to roll out your sleeping mat and wriggle into your thermal sleeping bag for a night out on the ice – no camping experience necessary! Once you’ve settled in, prepare to witness the stunning beauty of the Antarctic night sky, as well as the sounds of ice cracking in the distance and wildlife carrying on their busy schedule around you. This is the activity for the ultimate bragging rights!
Paddling: The thrill of visiting wild and remote regions on an expedition to Antarctica, Costa Rica and the scattered isles of western Scotland is elevated when you’re actively immersed in the environment. In our inflatable kayaks, you can paddle safely among brash ice and along rocky shorelines where penguins and fur seals might be sunning themselves. It’s a unique opportunity to remain fully immersed in your surroundings, at water level in your sturdy kayaks. You might see Adélie penguins darting around you or, perhaps, an Antarctic fur seal slipping off its rock as you glide past. Your experienced guides will look for wonderful opportunities for you to enjoy a paddle, and hopefully push you beyond your comfort zone, safely.
Required Experience & Fitness: Our Paddling Activity is suitable for novices and no prior experience is required to participate. However, you must be able to swim independently for up to 25 meters and be confident in the water. You must be able to walk on loose, uneven surfaces such as gravel or pebble beaches. You must also be able to get into your inflatable kayak at knee level. Although our Paddling activity requires no prior experience to participate, you are more likely to enjoy the experience more if you are mildly fit and undertake some regular gentle exercise at home, such as walking.
Greg Mortimer
We drew on centuries of collective experience to map out the Greg Mortimer: purpose-built for expeditions to the wildest and most remote places on earth.
The first passenger ship to feature the revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW®, this allows the ship to cross oceans more comfortably and efficiently, and with expansive observation decks to bring you closer to the environment, inviting communal areas and unsurpassed environmental credentials, the Greg Mortimer offers the perfect base camp for adventures at the outer limits of human exploration.
Accommodating on average 132 expeditioners per voyage, it features 76 cozy, comfortable cabins with a view of the ocean – 85% of cabins have their own balcony! The ship also features a modern lecture lounge, multiple observation areas, a restaurant serving excellent meals, a Wellness Center, gym, sauna, Jacuzzis, a mudroom and many other amenities.
ACHIEVEMENTS
2023 World Travel Awards: "World's Leading Polar Expedition Operator"
2023 World Travel Awards: "World's Best Expedition Cruise Line"
2023 Wave Awards 2023: "Best Expedition Cruise Line"
2022 Wave Awards 2022: "Best Expedition Cruise Line"
2022 World Travel Awards: "World's Leading Polar Expedition Operator"
"This ship is small but mighty, designed to take you right to the heart of the action. Known for its enthusiastic expedition staff and thrilling excursions, this operator is perfect for exceptionally adventurous travelers. The Greg Mortimer features spacious activity loading areas for easy access to excursions, along with unique hydraulic viewing platforms that fold out for unobstructed views of marine life and seabirds – so you don’t miss a thing! If you're after a ship that offers modern comfort and endless adventure, the Greg Mortimer is your top pick."
Wild Nectar
Life On Board
Deck Plan
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Questions?
Rates
“This operator is a Certified B corporation and has deep reverence for the polar waters they travel. The Greg Mortimer is named after the ship’s founder, and Greg and his team have always had a powerful sense of adventure. Their ships are simpler than some, yet their passion to showcase the best of what Antarctica has to offer will leave you spellbound and delighted.”
Joy Martinello, Founder
Questions?
What’s Included & Cancellation Policy:
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
All transfers mentioned in the itinerary; One night’s hotel accommodation including breakfast, in Ushaia on Day 1; Afternoon catamaran cruise in Ushuaia, on Day 2 prior to embarkation; Luggage transfer from your hotel in Ushuaia to ship on Day 2; On-board accommodation during voyage including daily cabin service; All meals, snacks, tea and coffee during voyage; Beer, house wine and soft drinks with dinner; Captain’s Farewell reception including four-course dinner, house cocktails, house beer and wine, non-alcoholic beverages; All shore excursions and Zodiac cruises; Educational lectures and guiding services provided by Expedition Team; Complimentary access to onboard expedition doctor and medical clinic (initial consultation); One 3-in-1 waterproof polar expedition jacket; Complimentary use of Muck Boots during the voyage; Comprehensive pre-departure information; Port surcharges, permits and landing fees; Wi-Fi - Please note we travel to remote regions and therefore the connection can be unreliable.
NOT INCLUDED:
International or domestic flights to or within South America – unless specified in itinerary.
Transfers – unless specified in itinerary.
Airport arrival or departure taxes.
Passport, visa, reciprocity and vaccination fees and charges.
Travel insurance or emergency evacuation charges.
Hotels and meals – unless specified in the itinerary.
Optional excursions and optional activity surcharges.
All items of a personal nature, including but not limited to alcoholic beverages and soft drinks (outside of dinner service), gratuities, laundry services, personal clothing, medical expenses, or phone charges.
