Basecamp Plancius

Basecamp Plancius – Our activities
“Basecamp Plancius” emphasis is on activities, including: zodiac excursions, hiking, kayaking, glacier walking/
mountaineering, camping and photo shooting. All activities will be conducted by trained expert guides. All
adventure activities are free of charge on “Basecamp Plancius” voyages and are included in the package. On our
regular voyages, activities can be booked as specialized stand alone modules. These modules are supplemented
by a fee. Please refer to “Basecamp Plancius” dates and activity codes on our regular voyages in the dates &
rates.
Basecamp Plancius – Our guides
An international team of Polar experts and field guides is enthusiastic about sharing their in depth knowledge
with lectures, briefings and field excursions. Lectures are selected and relevant to the destinations we travel to.
We cover major topics like marine biology, geography, geology, glaciology, ornithology and history. Our staff is
skilled, trained and qualified in the activity they are in charge of: mountain guiding, photography, kayaking, zodiac
driving, guarding against polar bears. Expedition guides organize the informative ship program and actively guide
our shore excursions in different languages.
Rubber Boots and Expedition Jackets
Onboard Plancius all passengers are entitled to use a pair of sturdy rubber boots for free. Sizes need to be preordered
with Oceanwide’s reservation departments the latest 8 weeks prior to departure. A voucher will be sent
with final travel documents approximately 4 weeks prior to departure. The rubber boots are high quality; they keep
feet dry, warm and comfortable for all landings. Expedition jackets can also be pre-ordered for a special price.
Terms and conditions can be found on the pre-order form.

Select your activity
- Kayaking
- Photo workshops
- Snowshoeing / Hiking
- Mountaineering
- Field Camping


1 kayak excursion free of charge. Every passenger will be
able to take advantage of at least 1 outing but it can be more
availability allowing.
Kayaking must be pre-booked with Oceanwide’s reservation
departments prior to departure (maximum 1 outing for
Basecamp Plancius. There are no waitlists for any extra outings
that might be offered

All Activities must be pre-booked with reservation departments prior to departure


Day 1
In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world located at the Beagle Channel and sail through this scenic waterway for the rest of the evening.

Day 2 & 3
During these two days we will sail across the Drake Passage. When we cross the Antarctic Convergence, we arrive in the circum-Antarctic up welling zone. In this area we may meet Wandering Albatrosses, Grey Headed Albatrosses, Black-browed Albatrosses, Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses, Cape Pigeons, Southern Fulmars, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Blue Petrels and Antarctic Petrels. If the winds are favourable we might enter Antarctic waters in the evening of the third day near the South Shetlands.
These volcanic islands are windswept and often shrouded in mist and fog, but do offer subtle pleasures. There is a nice variety of flora (mosses, lichens and flowering grasses) and fauna, such as Gentoo Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins and southern Giant Petrels.

Day 4 – 5
A typical itinerary in the Weddell Sea and Antarctic Peninsula could be as follows. This is a sample only, the final itinerary will be determined by the Expedition Leader on board.
We will sail into the Weddell Sea through the ice-clogged Antarctic Sound. Huge tabular icebergs will announce our arrival to the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. We plan to visit Devil Island and Vega Island with a large colony of Adelie Penguins and a magnificent view for those hikers who can make it to the top of the hill. Melting ice sometimes provides spectacular waterfall from the cliffs close to point ‘Well-Met’. The protected waters around Herbert Sound at the North side of James Ross Island will become our “Basecamp” for all activities. This place is hardly visited by other ships and offers us a great opportunity to scout this region first time on foot, per zodiac, during photo excursions and kayak trips. We plan to stay two overnights at anchor in order to implement two camp nights and one full day activity from Basecamp at either Uru Pensinsula on James Ross Island or Vega Island. If we cannot follow our itinerary into Herbert Sound due to sea ice, we can continue our voyage to seek for new camping grounds somewhere else. Exploring the unknown - this is true expeditioning!

Day 6
In the morning, after we brought the shore campers back to the ship, we will set sail to Paulet Island. Weather and conditions permitting we will land on this remote island to see the remains of the Nordenskiöld expedition and thousands of Adelie penguins. We might also have time to visit Brown Bluff in order to make a continental landing at the Northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. During hours at sea watch out for stray Emperor penguins. There might be a chance to see one on an ice-floe. If the sea is calm at Brown Bluff there is opportunity to kayak and walk along the shore line. We continue sailing through the Antarctic Sound to the West side of the Antarctic Peninsula along the Davis Coast.

Day 7
We will sail along the Wright Ice Piedmont at the Antarctic continent, named after the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright who made the first flight with a plane in 1903. Exploration of Roe Island, an island lying in the entrance of the Curtiss Bay just about 2 miles west of Graham Land (Antarctic continent), named after the British pioneer aircraft designer Alliott Verdon-Roe, who made aircrafts since 1908. Seaplane Point is situated a few miles of Roe Island at the Antarctic continent. It was named in association with Curtiss Bay, after Glenn Curtiss, the American engineer who pioneered sea planes from 1911.

Day 8
We hope to sail to Neko Harbour and Paradise Bay to reach the southernmost area of our voyage, where we have again the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent in a magnificent landscape of huge glaciers. In this area we have good chances to see Humpback Whales and Minke Whales. Conditions permitting we will seek for a place to erect our tents for a camp night ashore.

Day 9
We will sail via the Melchior Islands towards the open sea of the Drake Passage. We have again a chance of seeing many seabirds.

Day 10 & 11
At sea .

Day 12
We arrive in the morning and disembark in Ushuaia.