Antarctica Unlocked

1,000 departures across 14 operators and 39 ships

Cruises visiting Gerlache Strait

297 upcoming Antarctic expeditions with Gerlache Strait on the route, from $6,650 per person.

The Gerlache Strait separates the Palmer Archipelago from the Peninsula and threads together many of the west coast's signature stops — Cuverville, Danco, Neko Harbour, Paradise Bay. Its sheltered waters are prime whale habitat.

From January to March humpbacks feed here in numbers that can make the bridge lose count; orcas and minkes patrol the same channels.

Wildlife you can spot here

Wildlife

Gentoo Penguin

A stocky, orange-billed penguin of the genus Pygoscelis, closest kin to the Adélie and Chinstrap. Its loud, trumpeting call, delivered with head thrown back, carries across the shoreline colonies where expedition landings are made.

Wildlife

Humpback Whale

A 14–17 metre baleen whale known for breaching and long pectoral fins, often seen feeding on krill in loose groups along the ice edge.

Wildlife

Orca

Black and white apex predator instantly recognizable by its pale eye patches, the orca is the largest of the dolphins and one of the ocean's most capable hunters. Sightings often involve a tight-knit family pod working the ice edge together.

Wildlife

Leopard Seal

The leopard seal is the Antarctic's second-largest seal after the elephant seal, built long and muscular with a spotted, leopard-like coat. It is the region's top predator, hunting penguins, fish, and even other seals along the ice edge.

Wildlife

Antarctic Minke Whale

The Antarctic minke is a small, fast-moving rorqual, the most abundant baleen whale on Earth, though singles and pairs still take some looking to spot. It surfaces briefly among the pack ice, more often glimpsed than watched.

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