Landing Sites in Antarctica
Details
HX Expedition's modern expedition ships strike the perfect balance between adventure, comfort and sustainability, and you’ll enjoy a varied schedule of landings, all designed to create unforgettable memories. The exact landing sites will depend on the weather conditions we encounter – such is the nature of an expedition cruise.
How HX conducts landings
Completing successful landings requires experience - HX we has 130 years of it. They take pride in offering seamless landings to all our guests. From our tender pit - a small pier folded out on the side of the ship - you board small expedition boats that seat approximately 10 people. Then they take you ashore. But before this happens, we make sure to follow a few simple principles to make every landing run smoothly:
- Guests are divided into boat groups
- Groups are called by their group name over the ship's speakers to avoid lines
- We put expeditions first, and fit your meals around them, which is what our explorer guests really love.
Once ashore, you will be greeted by the experienced Expedition Team at the landing site, offering you steps and helping hands to make the landing easier. Information about the landing site is provided, with tips on where to go and where to see animals. All guests are free to walk around the landing sites on their own, with the Expedition Team members nearby to answer questions or provide information. Special hikes are always guided by experienced Expedition Team members.
Potential landing sites in the Antarctic region
Weather, wind, ice and local conditions will determine the exact route and schedule. Safety is paramount and the ship’s captain will decide the final sailing itinerary during the voyage. Therefore, every voyage is unique and all advertised routes, by the very nature of the region, can only be indicative.
Below you will find a selection of some of the possible landing sites in Antarctica, depending on your voyage’s planned itinerary. Please note: The exact landing sites we visit will depend on the weather conditions we encounter – such is the nature of an expedition cruise
Deception Island, South Shetland Islands
One of the highlights of the South Shetlands, Deception Island is a distinctive ring-shaped volcanic caldera, a portion of which has collapsed and created a navigable opening into the flooded interior. The natural harbour within includes Whalers Bay, home to an abandoned whaling station known as Hektor, as well as a derelict British base
Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands
Staggeringly photogenic and blessed with some of the most spectacular Antarctic scenery imaginable, Half Moon Island is a glittering gem amongst these island treasures. Its serrated and creviced cliffs are home to a large colony of chinstrap penguins, as well as Antarctic terns, kelp gulls, snowy sheathbills, Wilson’s storm petrels and several species of seals who are regular visitors to the island.
Early sealers in the area used Yankee Harbour on Greenwich Island as a frequent base of operations, its remarkable setting providing a natural safe haven for the sailors. Remnants of those early days can still be seen littering the shoreline. The big draw for visitors here is the large colony of Gentoo penguins, whose numbers are estimated to be around 4,000 breeding pairs.
Cuverville Island
Situated in the scenic Errera Channel, Cuverville Island boasts the largest known colony of Gentoo penguins. The narrow Errera Channel offers a spectacular passage to and from Cuverville as icebergs become trapped and grounded in the nearby shallows. Watching from the observation decks as our navigators weave the ship carefully between the icebergs is as exciting as being surrounded by the throngs of nesting penguins onshore.
Neko Harbour
Neko Harbour, with its Gentoo penguin colony, lies nestled in Andvord Bay, surrounded by the mountains and high glacier walls of the peninsula. Named after a factory whaling ship from the early 1900s, Neko is one of the rare places in this area where you may land on the Antarctic mainland.
Lemaire Channel
This 11-kilometre long and 1.6-kilometre wide channel is one of the most beautiful passages in Antarctica. It bestows upon the traveller a glimpse into what fascinates us most about this incredibly contrasting environment; it is sublime yet imposing, delicate yet daunting, alluring yet inhospitable.
Activity Info
Schedule
Start Time
Jan 24