Expedition Itinerary - Ross Sea

(Nov 9 – Dec 7, 2011) The Ross Sea is a deep bay on the west coast of Antarctica – shown on the “bottom” of the continent on most maps.  Famed as the staging point for many of the great 20th-century Antarctic explorations, it is icebound for much of the year, and thus not usually accessible to expedition travelers. 

Unless, that is, you can travel aboard an icebreaker – a unique class of ship designed to crush through Antarctica’s 3-meter-thick mantle of shifting pack ice.

This year is your last chance to do just this.  Kapitan Khlebnikov, the only Russian polar-class icebreaker in Antarctica, has been leading Quark travelers through polar seas for two decades, but after 2011 she returns to escort duties in the Russian Arctic.  This means 2011 is your last chance to explore the otherwise-inaccessible Ross Sea area, and tread in the footsteps of heroic explorers like Ernest Shackleton, Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen.

Not only that, but 2011 marks the 100-year anniversary of the first human arrival at the South Pole.  To celebrate, we’ve invited Nigel Watson to join this expedition as our special guest.  Nigel is Executive Director of the Antarctic Heritage Trust (New Zealand), an organization dedicated to preserving the historic expedition bases and artifacts associated with the heroic age of Antarctic exploration.

If adventure runs in your blood, don’t miss this end-of-an-era Ross Sea expedition

Ross Sea Interactive Map
Ross Sea - Discovered by James Ross in 1841, a 33-ft long squid weighing half a ton was captured here in 2007.
Lyttelton, New Zealand - Port town from which Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition left to explore Antarctica on January 1, 1908.
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia - Founded in 1803 as a penal colony, it is the financial and administrative heart of Tasmania.
Ross Ice Shelf - About the size of France and several hundred meters thick, Ross dubbed it the Great Ice Barrier.
Auckland Islands - Part of New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands, evidence suggests Polynesians discovered Motu Maha.
Campbell Island - A remote, mountainous island, one of the UNESCO World Heritage New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands.
Macquarie Island - Belonging to Tasmania, the residents of its permanent base are the island's only human inhabitants.
Terra Nova Bay - Discovered by Scott and named for one of his relief ships, the Italian Zucchelli Station is here.
Balleny Islands - Formed by the so-called Balleny hotspot, glaciers cast from these uninhabited islands into the sea.
McMurdo Station - Home to the largest community in Antarctica, this was the fictional setting of the film, The Thing.
Ross Sea Lyttelton, New Zealand Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Ross Ice Shelf Auckland Islands Campbell Island Macquarie Island Terra Nova Bay Balleny Islands McMurdo Station
  1. Christchurch, New Zealand

    Day 1 - Christchurch, New Zealand

    Your adventure begins with an overnight stay in Christchurch, New Zealand’s second-largest urban area.  Known as “the garden city,” Christchurch was also the departure point for Ernest Shackleton’s famed Antarctic expeditions of 1908/09.

  2. At the ice edge, the Ross Sea.

    Day 2 - Embarkation at Lyttelton, New Zealand

    In the charming port town of Lyttelton, New Zealand, you’ll join Khlebnikov and begin your epic Ross Sea expedition.

  3. Views from the fly deck are nearly 360!

    Day 3 - At sea

    There’s lots to do at sea!  Your Expedition Team may include expert ornithologists, marine biologists, historians, geologists and more.  When conditions permit, we’ll fill these days with onboard presentations, preparing you for the adventures to come.

    Special guest Nigel Watson is Executive Director of the Antarctic Heritage Trust (New Zealand), entrusted with caring for the expedition bases left by Scott, Shackleton and Borchgrevink in the Ross Sea region.  His presentations are sure to be filled with fascinating stories about these adventurers of Antarctica’s heroic age

     

  4. Tabular icebergs frozen in the sea ice.

    Day 4 - The Snares

    Snares Islands, or “the Snares” were so named in 1791 by Captain George Vancouver, who considered them a shipping hazard.  They are now part of a group of five islands known as the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands, collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Snares are home to up to five million (yes, million!) Sooty Shearwaters, as well as the endemic Snares Crested Penguin.  They also provide breeding grounds for three species of Albatross, including the Buller's Mollymawk.  Pack your binoculars!

  5. Antarctic Shags have remarkable blue eyes.

    Day 5-6 - Auckland Islands

    The Aucklands are also part of the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Island group, and are an important seabird breeding ground.  Here you’ll see rare Yellow-eyed Penguins, endemic Auckland Shags, White-Capped Mollymawks and an abundance of other penguins, petrels and albatross.  You may also see many rare and beautiful plants and wildflowers, as the Aucklands host the richest plant life in the five-island group.

  6. Khlebnikov crushing ice as seen from the air.

    Day 7 - Campbell Island

    Today you’ll visit the third and final New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Island on this itinerary – Campbell Island.  Much of the island’s unique flora and fauna have been successfully re-established over the past 50 years, after being almost destroyed by introduced species of both plants and animals.  Today you may even see the rarest duck in the world, the Campbell Island Teal!  Penguin fans may also add two species to their field notebooks, the Erect-crested Penguin and the Eastern Rockhopper Penguin.

  7. Ice Shelf, Ice pack, Icebreaker!

    Day 8-9 - At sea

    More shipboard presentations prepare you for upcoming shore landings and Zodiac cruises along the Ross Sea coast.  You’ll know you’re in bona fide Antarctic waters when you cross the “Antarctic Convergence” – the biological boundary dividing Antarctic waters from those of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

  8. Cape Adare from a Zodiac.

    Day 10 - Cape Adare

    You’re here!  Cape Adare is where Norwegian explorers Henrik Bull and Carsten Borchgrevink first set foot on the continent of Antarctica, and the huts they erected in 1899 stand to this day.  Despite being overrun by a colony of Adelie Penguins, the site is still recognized internationally as a place of historical significance.  Special guest Nigel Watson will provide an insider’s insight into the site’s preservation.

  9. The Ross Ice Shelf up close.

    Day 11-21 - The Ross Sea

    Here is where you’ll see the awesome power of Khlebnikov’s icebreaking capabilities, as she takes you safely into the shifting pack ice of the Ross Sea.  Along the way you’ll visit Emperor Penguin rookeries, historic exploration bases and modern research stations.  When conditions permit, take a farewell flight to the McMurdo Dry Valleys – a spectacular and utterly unique landscape, accessible only by Khlebnikov’s onboard helicopters. 

  10. High jump, Adelie Penguin style.

    Day 22-23 - Balleny Islands

    Beginning your journey homeward, you’ll stop to explore these heavily glaciated volcanic islands, which straddle the Antarctic Circle.  The Ballenys are uninhabited, but house large breeding colonies of Adelie and Chinstrap Penguins.  You’ll have time to go ashore, and opportunities to Zodiac-cruise the spectacular icy coastline.

  11. Albatross on the wing in the Southern Ocean.

    Day 24 - At sea

    Steaming northward across the southern ocean, keep an eye out for whales, seals and the majestic albatross, soaring high above Khlebnikov’s wake.  Your Expedition Team keeps things interesting with more onboard presentations and recaps – or you can just laze around your cabin, reflecting on your adventure so far.

  12. Lazing seals on Macquarie Island ignore the photographer.

    Day 25-26 - Macquarie Island

    Another beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site, Macquarie Island is part of the Australian state of Tasmania.  An important breeding ground for four species of penguin (Royal, King, Gentoo and Rockhopper), it is also the only place on earth you can find the white chinned Royal Penguin.  Watch elephant and fur seals laze about the rocky shores, and enjoy walking the sturdy boardwalks laid down specifically for visitors.

  13. Celebrating the End of an Era.

    Day 27-28 - At sea

    Celebrate the closing days of your Antarctic adventure with new friends at the exclusive Captain’s Farewell Dinner.  This traditional event will be doubly special, as passengers, crew and staff mark Khlebnikov’s final tour of the beautiful and mysterious Ross Sea.

  14. No Photo

    Day 29 - Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

    After breakfast aboard the ship, we’ll transfer you to the airport for your flight home.

    Extend your stay

    Want to stay longer, or arrive earlier?  Contact our Polar Travel Advisors via email, live chat or phone (1-888-892-0334. +1.416.645.8243) for seamless, worry-free booking of all trip extensions.

    .

Back to Top