1st prize

A 30-day cruise ticket for Oceanwide Expeditions most spectacular expedition in Antarctica: Spectacular Ross Sea (with helicopters)!

Dates:

15 Feb - 17 Mar, 2017

Duration:

30 nights

Ship:

m/v Ortelius

Embark:

Bluff

Disembark:

Ushuaia

Important:

Crossing the Date Line

Trip highlight:

Emperor Penguins

Emperor Penguins hunt for fish and other marine life in the open seas or in cracks in the ice. They can dive to depths of almost 550 metres, staying underwater for almost 20 minutes at a time. To counter the cold they are able to reduce their metabolism and reduce blood flow to non-essential organs. To deal with the pressure of the water they have evolved solid bones, as opposed to the hollow bones that are a common feature of birds that fly.

Trip highlight:

Ross Ice Shelf

​The Ross Ice Shelf is a floating mass of land-ice, with a front of 30 meters high. ​It is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica. An area of roughly 487,000 square kilometers (188,000 sq mi) and about 800 kilometers (500 mi) across. 

Learn more about Ross Ice Shelf >

Trip highlight:

The Dry Valleys

The Dry Valleys in the Transantarctic Mountains are the world’s most extreme deserts. These ice free valleys have not seen rain for millions of years. This lunar landscape has seen only few people. The conditions in the Dry Valleys are the closest you get to the conditions on Mars anywhere on Planet Earth.

Trip highlight:

Borchgrevink’s hut

Borchgrevink’s hut became the first structure ever man-made built in Antarctica. This makes Antarctica the only continent in the world where the dwellings of the first human inhabitants still stand. 

Learn more about Borchgrevink's hut >

Trip highlight:

Shackleton’s hut

Shackleton’s hut is a historic site located at Cape Royds in Antarctica. The hut of Shackleton was used as a base for an earlier unsuccessful attempt to reach the South Pole (1907-1909), led by Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton’s Hut has become one of the most fascinating sites in Antarctica. 

Learn more about Shackleton's hut >

Trip highlight:

Scott's hut

Scott's hut is located on the north shore of Cape Evans on Ross Island in Antarctica. The hut of Scott was used during the winter of 1911. From here, Scott and his team made his fatal journey to the South.

Learn more about Scott's hut >

Trip highlight:

Cape Adare

Cape Adare is the setting for many of the heroic age expeditions and a must-visit location for fans of polar history. ​The historic hut where Norwegian Carsten Borchgrevink stayed in 1899 is surrounded by the largest colony of Adélie Penguins in the World. More than 250.000 pairs breed here.

Learn more about Cape Adare >

Trip highlight:

Peter I Island

Peter I Island: one of the planet’s most remote places on Earth. Peter I Island is an uninhabited volcanic island located in the Bellingshausen Sea. As of 2005, it is estimated that only 600 people have ever set foot on the uninhabited volcanic Island. Oceanwide Expeditions uses her helicopters in order to make a successful landing on the island.

Learn more about Peter I Island >