Antarctic whale watching cruise

Planet

We work hard to conserve and protect the polar regions and their fragile ecosystems. We are members of IAATO – the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators and are fully compliant with their rules and guidelines. All our trips are run under strict regulations that ensure the environment of Antarctica remains in a pristine state. Being a member means that we actively support and contribute to the environmental and scientific work being carried out there. Encounters with wildlife are also controlled by a responsible code of conduct.

Our expedition vessels are much smaller and less imposing on the polar environment than the bigger cruise ships. Hence, group landings are more easily managed. Plus, due to our low passenger to crew ratio (8:1), we can provide a much more personalised experience. Our expedition staff, who are highly-skilled experts in fields like natural history, glaciology and marine biology (to name but a few), will introduce passengers to the wonders of Antarctica. As well as learning more about the local and global conservation issues facing polar habitats.

People

The places we visit in Antarctica have no permanent residents other than researchers who live there seasonally or overwinter at their research stations. There’s a strong relationship between the researchers at these stations and our expedition staff, meaning our passengers get the opportunity to visit the research stations and find out all about their work. The Ukrainian research station Vernadsky for instance loves to give passengers a tour of their laboratories – the place where the hole in the ozone layer was first discovered. They share their knowledge and stories and passengers can even join them for a beer or vodka at their bar. We also take the research staff with us on board if they need to be transferred back to South America or vice versa.

Travelers are welcome to book pre and post tour accommodation with us. We’ll always do our best to secure rooms at family-run bed and breakfasts or hotels. Our travelers will also be given local restaurant recommendations, so that money is put back into the Argentinian economy. As this trip starts and finishes in Ushuaia, we encourage our clients to buy souvenirs from local vendors and discourage the purchase of endangered animal products or items unduly taken from the environment.

We also support the Mawson’s Huts Foundation which was established in 1997 to conserve the Mawson’s Huts at Cape Denison in East Antarctica. Since then, it has funded over 10 major expeditions to the historic site with further expedition planes.