• A voyage specially tailored for English-speaking travelers including discussions with scientists, transfers before and after your cruise, a pre-cruise hotel night in Buenos Aires, roundtrip flights to/from Ushuaia, and included activities on land and by sea.

• A program of onboard enrichment provided by scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, including polar oceanographer Dr. Ted Maksym, ocean and climate policy leader Dr. Kilaparti (Rama) Ramakrishna, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning ocean communicator Richard Vevers, and glaciologist and planetary scientist Dr. Catherine Walker.

• Engaging interactions with scientists from WHOI, including daily scientific briefings translating complex processes into human understanding; informal conversations focused on inquiry; deck-based observation connecting visible phenomena to deeper systems; and moments of quiet reflection designed to let insight emerge naturally.

• Searching for wildlife including Adélie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins; humpback and minke whales; orcas; crabeater, leopard, and Weddell seals; and countless seabirds.

• Weather permitting, visits to research stations and former whaling stations.

• Outings and shore visits in Zodiacs with a team of experienced naturalist guides.

This Antarctic sailing reflects three dimensions of WHOI’s work—woven
seamlessly throughout the experience.

Ocean (Re)Introduction
A framework for re-thinking how we understand the ocean—moving beyond surface impressions to system-level insight.

Deep Exploration
Nearly a century of pioneering deep-ocean exploration that has reshaped how we understand Earth’s most remote and influential systems. Discoveries made thousands of meters below the surface inform scientists’ interpretations of ocean circulation, ice-ocean interactions, and planetary change at the poles.

Ice Life
Research revealing that ice is not inert, but alive—supporting microscopic organisms that form the foundation of the Southern Ocean food web. From algae embedded in sea ice to the krill, penguins, seals, and whales that depend on them, ICE-LIFE connects ice, ocean, and life into a single living system.

Together, these perspectives transform Antarctica from a destination into a living laboratory.

Dr. Catherine Walker is a glaciologist and planetary scientist at the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) whose research takes her to some of the most extreme environments on our planet. She studies the interactions between Antarctica’s ice shelves and the surrounding ocean, using satellites, autonomous technologies, and field expeditions to understand how the polar ice sheets are changing and what those changes mean for future sea-level rise. Her work also extends beyond Earth, drawing remarkable parallels between Antarctica and the icy oceans hidden beneath the frozen surfaces of moons such as Europa and Enceladus. On board, Catherine will share captivating stories from Antarctic fieldwork, explain the science behind one of Earth’s fastest changing regions, and reveal how exploring our polar frontiers is helping scientists prepare to explore oceans on other worlds.

Dr. Kilaparti (Rama) Ramakrishna is one of the world’s leading experts
on ocean and climate policy, bringing together science, diplomacy, and
international law to help shape global environmental action. As Senior
Advisor to the President and Director on Ocean and Climate Policy at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), he works to ensure that cutting-edge ocean science informs international decision-making and climate solutions. Before joining WHOI, Rama spent decades in senior leadership roles with the United Nations, including the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Green Climate Fund, and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. A lead author for multiple Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments and a key contributor to major international climate and ocean agreements, he offers a rare insider’s perspective on how science influences global policy. On board, Rama will explore the critical role of the Southern Ocean in Earth’s climate system, the challenges and opportunities of international ocean governance, and why Antarctica lies at the heart of our planet’s future. Rama will also explore how emerging technologies, from artificial intelligence and autonomous observing systems, to digital twins of the ocean and advanced Earth observation, are transforming both scientific discovery and environmental stewardship.

Dr. Ted Maksym is a polar oceanographer and sea ice physicist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) whose research is transforming our understanding of Antarctica’s dynamic sea ice and its role in Earth’s climate system. A veteran of more than a dozen Arctic and Antarctic research expeditions, Ted combines cutting-edge technology, including autonomous underwater vehicles, satellite observations, and field measurements, to explore some of the planet’s most remote and challenging environments. His work reveals how Antarctic sea ice influences global ocean circulation, ecosystems, and climate, while pioneering new ways to study regions that have long remained beyond our reach. On board, Ted will offer a fascinating insider’s view of Antarctic science, sharing firsthand stories from life on the ice and explaining the remarkable processes shaping one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.

Richard Vevers is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning ocean communicator and conservation innovator dedicated to changing the way people see the ocean. As Director of Room 71 and the Ocean Communication Academy at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), he develops disruptive ideas and partnerships that inspire greater public understanding of the ocean and support for ocean science. His pioneering work includes taking Google Street View underwater and a Netflix documentary called Chasing Coral, and he is a fellow of The Explorers Club, having led ocean expeditions in over 30 countries. On board, Richard will share extraordinary stories from the frontlines of ocean exploration, reveal the hidden world beneath Antarctica’s icy waters, and offer a compelling new perspective on why the ocean is one of humanity’s greatest opportunities - and why understanding it has never been more important.

Contributing Visual Observation to Support the UN Ice and Ocean Decades

Created through the partnership between PONANT EXPLORATIONS and
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in collaboration with The Ocean Agency, the Polar Ocean Image Collection expands the Ocean Image Bank with more than 500 images captured across Antarctica and the Arctic.

Select guests with advanced photography experience may be invited to participate in a WHOI-guided visual contribution initiative during the voyage.

Under the guidance of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution scientists and PONANT EXPLORATIONS’ expedition team, participating photographers may submit a curated selection of images to the Ocean Image Bank—an archive supporting scientific communication, education, and public understanding of the ocean in partnership with UNESCO.

This opportunity emphasizes:
• Careful observation over volume
• Ethical wildlife and environmental photography aligned with IAATO standards
• Imagery that captures ice–ocean–life interactions and system-level context

For some guests, observation extends beyond understanding—becoming a contribution to how the ocean is seen and understood by others.

The RESQ ROV is a low-impact, biomimetic robotic platform designed for close-range, non-invasive observation of marine megafauna and underwater environments.

The IceLink Sphere is a prototype autonomous sensor system designed to
measure ice growth, melt processes, and ice-ocean interactions in polar regions.

An AI-enabled infrared camera system developed to detect and identify whales in real time, helping support marine research.