90th Anniversary of Shackleton's Rescue Mission
Ice Scuba Diving, Land Exploration
and Wildlife Photography

In today's race for the ultimate adventure, seasoned travelers are looking for a journey that combines active challenges with thrilling scenery in a unique destination. Ultimate Antarctica is a journey designed to deliver pure adventure, spectacular scenery, and push the envelope in sport scuba diving, while at the same time, respecting safety and experiencing it all in comfort aboard the ice-strengthened 210 ft. vessel, the Aleksey Maryshev.

Ultimate Antarctica is a voyage of diving discoveries; an incredible 3,300 Nautical mile journey through the Southern Ocean. This 20-night adventure, with a group of only 44 guests, will depart from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina on February 21, 2008.  From there, we head for the Falklands Islands and South Georgia, then through the South Orkneys (time permitting) to the Antarctic Peninsula. We return to Ushuaia on March 10, 2008.

This Antarctica voyage is a carefully planned and coordinated adventure, precisely scheduled to take advantage of the short "austral summer" season to visit the frozen continent. The scheduling is of utmost importance in light of our ambitious scuba diving and photography itinerary. This 20 nights voyage will be a dream come true for photographers needing the extra time to capture the elusive "one great shot." As a member of this expedition, you will truly be one of the first pioneers, setting a new standard of Antarctic scuba diving exploration.

In the Falklands Islands, we will attempt to conduct a series of scuba dives (130 feet) exploring wrecks and observing the marine life surrounding this unique environment. On land, we will check in with the Elephant Seal harem and penguin colonies and perhaps visit a few local pubs.

East of the Falklands, we will visit one of the most beautiful places on our "blue planet" - South Georgia Island. Home to the Wandering Albatross and a large King Penguin colony (over 100,000 strong). This island was once a major whaling station, but is now mostly uninhabited. Below water we will find kelp beds with macro life unique to this area as well as penguins, seals and elephant seals.

To strike a chord with your adventurous soul above the water, you will have the opportunity to join in on an uplifting walk retracing a portion of the island crossing Sir Ernest Shackleton took to rescue his men, almost 90 years ago. Approximately 12 miles in length, this vigorous trek will have you hiking up hills, sliding down a glacier and walking through stunningly beautiful valleys.

On this hike, we will be saluting Sir Ernest for his heroic 1916 rescue mission consisting of an 800-mile open ocean crossing in a lifeboat and his daring 22-mile walk as he successfully crossed the treacherous uncharted South Georgia Island to reach the whaling station of Stromness. This selfless act ended up saving the lives of all 28 of his crew who had been stranded for 138 days on Elephant Island, in the isolation of the Antarctic after their vessel "Endurance" perished in the ice in 1915.

From the stunning beauty of South Georgia, we cruise 800 miles west toward the Antarctic Peninsula through the remote Southern Ocean. We will be traveling during this leg via the Iceberg Graveyard where we should encounter numerous floating icebergs in a spectacular array of colors, shapes and sizes. From there we cruise through the South Orkney Islands (time permitting) to the Antarctic mainland.

Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest place on earth. Some of the statistics are simply amazing:

1. Annual precipitation of less than 5 inches, all of it falling as snow
2. Two -thirds of the planet's fresh water is locked up in Antarctica in the form of ice
3. Antarctica is twice the size of Australia
4. Antarctica is the highest continent in the world, with more than half of the land over 6500 feet above sea level
5. This harsh environment is frequented with Katabatic winds, which can spring up without warning, roaring across the ice at a speed of 50mph

Surrounded by the Southern Ocean, defined as the water between latitudes of 40-64 degrees south, uninterrupted wind circulates vigorously developing into the notorious "roaring forties" and "furious fifties” . This interaction between wind and sea currents creates a region of intense turbulence and as a consequence, the Southern Ocean is richly productive ecologically. An abundance of plankton supports the world's largest concentration of marine wildlife. Millions of sea birds, penguins, seals and whales appear in glorious abundance with the coming of the Southern Hemisphere's spring season. Most forms of Antarctic life clings to the edges of the continent, where beaches and cliffs offer snow free nesting grounds for birds and pupping locations for seals. It is our intent on this voyage, to see and photograph most, if not all of the available species.

When you travel to Antarctica you can't help but be moved.

I have been holding a vision of this trip in my heart and soul since I made my first trip to Antarctica in the mid-70s to deliver a boat from Australia to Argentina via Antarctica. We encountered stormy weather at the "roaring forties" & "furious fifties" and ended up in Chile with a broken ship - but at least we were alive. At that time, I vowed to return to this wild and largely unexplored continent and the mysterious waters that surrounded it. I had never experienced such a challenging, yet rewarding environment.

As fate would have it, I made the return visit on a scouting trip for a diving expedition with Skin Diver Magazine. I was thrilled with the potential and the adventures I experienced, and was eager to share this bounty with other adventurers. After announcing the trip to the public, we sold out not only one, but two departures in just 3 months. Over 40 hardy souls joined us in February & March 2003 on an exciting diving adventure to Antarctica.

Still, I could not stop dreaming of a true voyage of discovery to that forbidding continent: a voyage that would pave the road for adventurers to be exposed to the wonders of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic marine wilderness.

Unlike traditional scuba diving adventures, this voyage will be a unique experience with its never-before attempted dive itinerary, extraordinary and untouched diving & wreck sites, a challenging environment, and exclusive wildlife both above and below the sea. So, if you're looking for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to the bottom of the world, join us on Ultimate Antarctica 2008.

Ready to join us on this trip?
We recommend early reservation to avoid disappointment since space is limited and interest is high.

If you know someone who'd like be interested in this trip, you can email this link to them.

Photographs Courtesy of Oceanwide Expeditions. Copyright © 2002 All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.