Oceanwide Expeditions Unveils Cutting-edge Antarctic Voyages: Weddell Sea & Uncharted Islands Of The Deep South

Published on September 12, 2025

There is thing profoundly stirring successful mounting ft astatine places wherever maps are uncertain and legends loom large. For travellers pinch that spark of curiosity, Oceanwide Expeditions is offering 2 exceptional Antarctic itineraries successful nan 2026 play that induce adventurers to task acold beyond mean cruise routes.

New Frontiers: What’s Being Offered

Oceanwide has announced Remote Weddell Sea Explorer and Antarctica – Uncharted Islands of nan Deep South, 2 trips designed not for spectators but for explorers.

• Remote Weddell Sea Explorer runs from 22 January to 18 February 2026 aboard nan m/v Ortelius for 27 nights.
• Uncharted Islands of nan Deep South departs 18 February and returns 4 March 2026, a 14-night travel into poorly charted waters disconnected nan Antarctic Peninsula.

These trips are portion of Oceanwide’s push into much remote, little visited Antarctic regions.

Remote Weddell Sea Explorer: Retracing Shackleton, Chasing Ice

This 27-night expedition is simply a travel done ice, history, and wildlife, intended for those who want to trace Shackleton’s famed Endurance expedition and spell beyond what astir cruise ships attempt.

Highlights

• After embarking successful Ushuaia, nan vessel visits South Georgia, wherever travellers tin sojourn Grytviken, salary respects astatine Shackleton’s and Frank Wild’s graves, and research relics of nan whaling era.
• From location nan voyage heads toward nan South Sandwich Islands, Neuschwabenland (Queen Maud Land), nan monolithic crystal shelves for illustration Larsen, Filchner-Ronne, and Brunt. Depending connected oversea crystal and weather, nan way whitethorn spell arsenic acold southbound arsenic possible.
• Helicopter operations are built in, enabling entree to places different unreachable by ship.

Adventure & Wildlife

• Expect melodramatic crystal formations, immense tabular crystal shelves, water wildlife including whales, seals, and penguins.
• The itinerary deliberately ventures into areas wherever crystal conditions vary, visibility tin beryllium low, and charts whitethorn beryllium little precise — adding risk, yes, but besides discovery.

Uncharted Islands of nan Deep South: Mystery & Discovery

The 2nd itinerary is shorter but nary little fascinating, aimed astatine those drawn to places fewer person visited and wherever maps are much proposal than certainty.

What Makes It Unique

• The region astir Lazarev Bay and nan Glinka Islands is notably poorly mapped; existing reference charts day from aerial photographs taken decades ago.
• In that area, travellers whitethorn spot islands that are not connected charts, while positions of known features whitethorn beryllium disconnected by kilometres. There is moreover imaginable for discoveries—new islands aliases updated mapping.

Itinerary and Experiences

• Stops besides see nan Antarctic Peninsula, Adelaide Island, The Gullet, and Lazarev Bay. The voyage whitethorn push southbound arsenic acold arsenic conditions allow.
• Each time includes elements of hands-on expedition travel: navigation done ice-filled waters, apt Zodiac landings, and perchance aerial reconnaissance wherever feasible.

Why These Trips Matter

These voyages are portion of a larger activity successful polar travel: not conscionable visiting, but exploring. They harvester history, science, adventure, wildlife, and moreover cartography. For group willing successful much than a postcard photograph, these itineraries connection immersion.

• They honour nan bequest of polar explorers for illustration Shackleton, not by repeating their misfortunes, but by contextualising them successful modern journeys.
• They spot travellers successful zones wherever alteration is ongoing: shifting ice, biology variability, and places that stay partially unknown.
• They push nan letter cover for what is feasible pinch mini expedition ships and skilled, elastic crews.

Considerations & Practicalities

These trips are not for everyone. The distant quality of nan Weddell Sea and nan Deep South intends risk, discomfort, and longer sailing times. Weather and crystal conditions whitethorn unit itinerary changes. Landings whitethorn beryllium restricted. Prices are high, reflecting nan demands of polar logistics. But for those who relish challenge, they whitethorn present once-in-a-lifetime rewards.

What You Might Feel

Imagine opinionated ashore astatine Grytviken, nan quiet hush of snowfall underfoot, nan gravestones of Ernest Shackleton and Frank Wild nearby, nan creak of crystal breaking successful floes. Or watching nan Southern Ocean’s glassy surface, wherever chartless islands look wherever maps show nothing. These aren’t postcards—they are moments of astonishment, of confronting really small of nan Earth is genuinely known.

Final Thoughts

Oceanwide Expeditions is offering much than cruises. They are offering journeys that trial maps, situation perception, and springiness travellers a chance—if only briefly—to beryllium explorers. If your bosom leaps astatine maps pinch blank spaces; if you judge that escapade lives successful uncertainty—these trips are calling.