The Big Four – adventure: Whale watching in Antarctica

The more you start selling expedition cruises, the more you will realise that more often than not the operators themselves will use a key selling point – be that the northern lights, bird spotting or, in this case, whale watching. The poles are the natural habitat for a number of the mammoth mammals. So, whether you specifically want to go on a tour dedicated to seeing them, or you want to widen your horizons and see other animals too, we’ve laid out a few gems for you to choose from.

Following on from the publication of Cruise Adviser’s Expedition & Adventure guide 2015-16, each week we will be running our Big Four feature, which gives you four cruise options to choose from. This week it’s cruises to Antarctica.

To request a copy of Cruise Adviser’s Expedition & Adventure guide email: info@cruise-adviser.com or read it online here.

Whale watching

Line: One Ocean Expeditions
Departure port: Ushuaia
Departure date: November 8, 2016
Destination: Antarctica
Duration: 12 nights
Ship: Akademik Loffe
Price: £5, 243

Line: Hurtigruten
Departure port: Santiago, Chile
Departure date: November 22, 2016
Destination: Chilean Fjords and Cape Horn
Duration: 18 days
Ship: MS Midnatsol
Price: £4,226

And two more

Line: Quark Expeditions
Departure port: Ushuaia
Departure date: November 22, 2016
Destination: Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica
Duration: 20 days
Ship: Ocean Diamond
Price: £8,287

Line: Aurora Expeditions
Departure port: Ushuaia
Departure date: March 9, 2016
Destination: South Georgia and Antarctica
Duration: 18 days
Ship: Polar Pioneer
Price: £9,261

Cruise Adviser top tip

While guests can spot whales from the side of the ship, frequently it will mean getting in a zodiac to get a better sighting