By Alice Cooper | 18th December 2024
Our patron and BBC presenter, Julia Bradbury, will join our partners Intrepid Travel on the departure of their incredible Journey to the Antarctic Circle trip on board the Ocean Endeavour on the 25th February 2025.
As a supporter you’re invited to join Julia on this once in a lifetime adventure into the pristine wilderness of Antarctica. This extraordinary voyage offers you the chance to observe some of the most awesome whale and dolphin species on the planet.
Seeing these magical creatures isn’t the only awe-inspiring wildlife opportunity you’ll have on this trip. Your journey will take you in sight of Adelie, gentoo and chinstrap penguins as well as a huge variety of seal species including leopard, crabeater, Weddell, elephant and fur seals. Antarctica is also home to an abundance of birdlife such as albatrosses, petrels, skuas, shags, gulls and terns.
When you book with the code ‘692386’, you’ll generate a 10% donation to WDC and receive an adoption of a humpback whale, bottlenose dolphin or orca as our way of saying thank you for helping to protect these amazing marine mammals. For more information, call 0203 300 0154 or email polar@intrepidtravel.com
So, who might you see?
Humpback whale
| Male | Female | Calf | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum length | 17m | 17m | 4.5m |
| Maximum weight | 36,000kg | 36,000kg | 900kg |
Tuneful, graceful and simply, huge, the amazing humpback whales are the virtuosos of the deep. Singing some of the longest and most complex songs in the animal kingdom, humpback whales are masters of melody. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, they also undertake some of the longest migrations of any mammal in the world.
Antarctic minke whale
| Male | Female | Calf | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum length | 9.7m | 10.7m | 2.8m |
| Maximum weight | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Antarctic minke whales are the second smallest member of the rorqual whales, usually weighing in at under 10 tonnes. Graceful and nimble, Antarctic minke whales are perfectly suited to their environment. Deep divers, these impressive little whales can hold their breath for up to 25 minutes!
Fin whale
| Male | Female | Calf | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum length | 25m | 27m | 6.5m |
| Maximum weight | 70,000kg | 120,000kg | 2,700kg |
Some whales are big, some are fast, some have unusual looks. The fin whale somehow manages all three. Nicknamed ‘the greyhounds of the sea’, fin whales are the second biggest mammals in the world. Whilst on their left side their lower jaw is black, on the right side it is a brilliant white. The difference in colouration between each side of the body is called “asymmetrical pigmentation” and is only found in one other whale species, Omura’s whale.
Blue whale
| Male | Female | Calf | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum length | 29m | 33m | 7m |
| Maximum weight | 150,000kg | 190,000kg | 2,700kg |
The blue whale is one of nature’s most magnificent and graceful beings. Louder, larger, longer and heavier than any other living creature, this whale’s a multi-record breaker and a totem of conservation for all whales and dolphins.
Orca
| Male | Female | Calf | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum length | 9.8m | 8.5m | 2.4m |
| Maximum weight | 6,600kg | 4,700kg | 180kg |
Did you know that orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family? With their distinctive black and white patterning and huge dorsal fins, a pod of orcas powering through the waves is one of the most impressive sights in the natural world.
Book with the code ‘692386’. You’ll generate a 10% donation to WDC and receive an adoption of a humpback whale, bottlenose dolphin or orca as our way of saying thank you for helping to protect these amazing marine mammals. For more information, call 0203 300 0154 or email polar@intrepidtravel.com