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Aurora Expeditions · 11 Days
A photography voyage from Ushuaia on the Douglas Mawson in March 2029, with reduced guest numbers, more room in the Zodiacs and workshops led by a special guest photographer.
The Voyage
The early explorers came home from the far south with stories of a vast, ice covered land full of life, and a handful of extraordinary photographs. Frank Hurley’s glass plates from Shackleton’s Endurance expedition and Herbert Ponting’s pictures from Scott’s Terra Nova expedition are still some of the most famous images ever taken. This special edition from Aurora Expeditions (also known as AE Expeditions) gives you the chance to make your own, with expert help, in one of the most photogenic places on earth.
It sails once, from 16 to 26 March 2029, on the Douglas Mawson, Aurora’s newest ship. Guest numbers on board and in each Zodiac are reduced, so there is room to move, change lenses and keep a bag of kit dry. Aurora’s expedition team works with a special guest photographer, and the day is shaped around light and opportunity: if a whale surfaces or a glacier catches the sun at the right angle, the team will try to give you more time, as long as it is safe. Workshops run alongside the usual lectures from naturalists, historians and marine biologists, and the voyage is open to photographers of every level.
You have four days on the Antarctic Peninsula and in the South Shetland Islands. March brings a different Antarctica from midsummer: the sun sets again, giving colour at both ends of the day, humpback and minke whales are feeding on krill, and Weddell and crabeater seals haul out on the floes. Glaciers calve into bays full of brash ice, and icebergs in every shade of blue make subjects of their own.
Unlike Aurora’s Greg Mortimer departures this season, this voyage starts and ends in Ushuaia. A hotel night with breakfast before the voyage is included, along with the transfers in the itinerary and premium drinks on board.
Day by Day
You are met on arrival in Ushuaia and transferred to your pre voyage hotel, where the night with breakfast is included; if you are already in town, make your own way there. Check in is from 3.00 pm, and Aurora’s hospitality desk in the lobby is open from 3.00 pm to 7.00 pm to hand out luggage tags and answer questions. Arrive later and a welcome pack will be waiting, with the desk open again from 8.00 am to 10.00 am the next morning. The rest of the day is free and meals are at your own expense. Ushuaia sits between the Martial mountains and the Beagle Channel, named after the ship that carried Charles Darwin through these waters in the 1830s.
After breakfast, tag your cabin bags and hand them to reception; they go to the port for you and will be in your cabin when you board. The day is at leisure, with a late check out and a hospitality room at the hotel. You might walk the waterfront, visit a museum or head into Tierra del Fuego National Park for a hike. At the time given by the ground team you meet in the hotel lobby or at the car park by the pier and board the Douglas Mawson. After the compulsory briefings the ship pulls away, with fine views back over Ushuaia, and the evening ends with a welcome dinner.
Two days crossing the Drake Passage are a good time to set up your camera and learn from the experts. The expedition team covers IAATO wildlife rules and biosecurity, the lecture programme and first photography workshops begin, and albatrosses and giant petrels make excellent practice subjects as they follow the ship. The gym, wellness centre and observation lounges are there in between. On the afternoon of day four, past the Antarctic Convergence, the first icebergs appear near the South Shetland Islands, and if time and weather allow a first landing may follow late in the day.
The expedition team and photography experts plan each day together, aiming to put you in the best place for the weather, ice and wildlife. There are usually two outings a day, with sunrise and sunset landings attempted where possible, which can be a challenge this far south. Zodiac cruises pass ice cliffs and grounded bergs, and sometimes run longer than planned when something special turns up. Ashore you can choose a hike to a ridgeline viewpoint or a slower wander among gentoo penguins and seals on the beach, where a leopard seal may patrol the shallows. Between outings, photograph from the ship’s observation lounge and open decks, and the bridge may be open at the captain’s discretion. The polar plunge is offered too. Landing sites are booked through the operators’ scheduler closer to departure, so Aurora will confirm likely sites later.
A final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands is planned before you re enter the Drake. With luck it will be calm, the so called Drake Lake. The crossing home brings recaps, image reviews and film screenings, and time to edit your best shots while the team is on hand for advice. Aurora hope you go home as ambassadors for Antarctica, with pictures that help others understand why it matters. Weather and time permitting, the captain may pass close to Cape Horn as the ship nears South America.
The ship cruises up the Beagle Channel early in the morning and docks in Ushuaia, with disembarkation around 8.00 am. Transfers to hotels are provided for guests who booked accommodation through Aurora or are staying in the town centre near the port. If your flight leaves before 2.30 pm you go straight to the airport; later flights allow time to explore before an afternoon airport transfer. Aurora advise against booking flights out of Ushuaia before 12.00 pm on this day in case of delays.
Every Antarctic itinerary depends on the ice, the weather and the wildlife. The Captain and Expedition Leader choose each day’s landings and Zodiac cruises on the spot, so the order of the days and the places visited can change.
Watch
A short tour of Aurora’s newest ship, the Douglas Mawson, which hosts this photography voyage.
Video: Discover with the Douglas Mawson, from Aurora Expeditions on YouTube.
2028/29 Season
Antarctica: Through the Lens has one departure, 16 to 26 March 2029, on the Douglas Mawson, starting and ending in Ushuaia. Late season suits photographers well: the sun dips below the horizon again, giving golden light morning and evening, whales are at their peak and the ice is full of texture after a summer of melt. Fares start from £12,933 per person, and Aurora’s launch savings are up to 20%. Because numbers are reduced for this edition, there are fewer cabins than usual, so we would not wait long. Our when to go guide has more on the season.
One departure in the 2028/29 season, on the Douglas Mawson.
| Departs | Ship | Aurora Stateroom from | Balcony Stateroom from | Suites from | Solo from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Mar 202911 days, Ushuaia round tripSave up to 20% | Douglas Mawson | £12,933was £16,166Limited | £14,041was £17,551 | £20,694was £25,867 | £19,861 |
Prices are per person in pounds, two sharing, and include Aurora’s current savings. The Solo column is the price for a cabin to yourself. They are taken from Aurora Expeditions’ UK fares on 5 November 2026. The fare includes the charter flight shown in the itinerary, but not your flights from the UK to South America. Aurora adjust fares and offers often, so prices and availability can change daily. Call us on 0333 405 0194 for today’s fare and the full range of staterooms on your chosen date.
Your Fare
Aurora’s fares cover more than many people expect, including drinks, landings and your polar jacket. On this voyage the price includes:
Not included: flights to and from South America unless shown above, travel insurance (which must include at least US$250,000 of medical, repatriation and evacuation cover), optional add-on activities, visas and personal spending. A crew gratuity of US$20 per person per day is added to your onboard account, and you can adjust or remove it when you settle up. For suite guests the gratuity is already included. Our Aurora what’s included page has more detail.
Make More of It
Aurora do not sell optional paid activities on this departure, so the focus stays on photography, Zodiac cruising and landings. The polar plunge is still offered, conditions permitting.
Ushuaia is the start and end point, so it is easy to add a few nights in Tierra del Fuego or Buenos Aires before or after the voyage. Ask us and we will arrange it.
Questions
No. Aurora say this voyage is for photographers of every level, from complete beginners to professionals. The guest photographer and expedition team run workshops and are on hand during landings and Zodiac cruises, and the usual lectures on wildlife, history and science are offered too.
Aurora list a special guest photographer for this voyage but have not yet named them for 2029. We will tell you as soon as the line up is announced, and guest hosts can change nearer departure.
Guest numbers are reduced on board and in each Zodiac, giving photographers room to move and space for kit. The daily plan is shaped around light and photography opportunities, sunrise and sunset landings are attempted when possible, and photography workshops run throughout.
In Ushuaia, Argentina. A hotel night with breakfast on day 1 is included, and the ship sails on the evening of day 2. You will need flights to and from Ushuaia, usually via Buenos Aires, and we can book them. Aurora advise against flying out of Ushuaia before 12.00 pm on the last day.
The Douglas Mawson, which entered service in 2025. She carries up to 130 guests on expeditions and has an X-BOW hull, an observation lounge, a heated outdoor pool, a Science Centre and a lecture theatre.
A camera with a zoom covering roughly wide angle to short telephoto works for most scenes, and a longer lens helps for whales and seabirds. Bring spare batteries, as cold drains them quickly, plenty of memory cards and a waterproof bag for Zodiac trips. The guest photographer can advise on settings once you are on board.
The Douglas Mawson has single staterooms, and for 2028/29 Aurora offer solo options with no single supplement on every voyage. They are limited, so please ask us early.
Other Voyages
Antarctica: Behind the Lens sails in January 2029 with a team of documentary filmmakers, and South Georgia & Antarctica: Through the Lens is a longer photography voyage that adds South Georgia. For whales at the same time of year, see Gentle Giants of the Antarctic. Every voyage we sell is on our Antarctica cruises page.