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Welcome to Aurora Expeditions’ Ross Sea Odyssey expedition.

Experience one of the most remote, historic sectors of the deep South in comfort on this exploratory expedition aboard the luxurious Douglas Mawson. Your journey begins in the subantarctic, where yellow-eyed penguins waddle through wizened rātā forests and royal albatross nest amid megaherb moors. Cross the Antarctic Circle and cruise the pack, keeping watch for emperor and Adélie penguins porpoising along the ice edge, orcas patrolling for prey, and snow petrels soaring against a backdrop of the vast Antarctic Ice Sheet. 

Embrace the spirit of adventure as you continue along the Victoria Land Coast and into the Ross Sea, where the Antarctic Ice Sheet flows into the world’s largest floating ice shelf. These are historic waters, where the explorers of the Heroic Age staged their bold assaults on the South Geographic Pole. Hear the stories of their expeditions and attempt to land at some of their remarkably well-preserved huts.

Highlights

Skirt rowdy beaches crowded with harems of New Zealand (Hooker’s) sea lions to reach rātā forests where rare yellow-eyed penguins can be found.
Revel in the richness of the unique Ross Sea ecosystem, part of the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area and a Sylvia Earle Mission Blue “Hope Spot”.
Navigate through gleaming pack ice alive with Weddell and leopard seals, Adélie and emperor penguins and whales feeding in fathomless leads.
Reflect on the remarkable achievements of the Heroic Age explorers as we attempt to visit some of their beautifully preserved historic huts (conditions permitting).

Aurora Expeditions is actively monitoring developments around Avian Influenza outbreaks closely and are is in constant communication with key authorities such as IAATO. We have implemented enhanced biosecurity measures for arrival in Antarctica and reinforced our onboard protocols, and our expedition team will continue to closely assess each landing site to ensure to determine any risks. 

In the spirit of expedition travel, we encourage you to adopt a flexible and adventurous attitude when joining our voyages. This itinerary is a guide only and is subject to change due to weather, sea state and other conditions beyond our control.

Itinerary

Staterooms and Prices

Choose your departure

Meet our Expert Team

Each voyage is accompanied by our highly acclaimed expedition team who we believe are the best in the business. Many are recognised leaders in their fields, keen to share their daily insights on shore and onboard. While your actual team may vary between voyages, every member of our Expedition Team is among the world's best remote area specialists.

Included Activities

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Bird Watching
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Lectures on wildlife, our environment, history and destinations
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Marine Mammal Spotting
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Photography
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Polar Plunge
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Scenic Cruising
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Trips Ashore
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Walking
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Wildlife Watching
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Zodiac Cruising

Add-on Activities

Low impact
Moderate
Difficult
Advanced

Our Ships

The Douglas Mawson

Our new purpose-built small ship, the Douglas Mawson.
Capacity
154 Passengers Maximum (130 on Expedition)
Year built
2025
Cabins
86
Length
104.4 m
Decks
8
Speed
10-12 Knots

The Greg Mortimer

Capacity
130 Passengers Maximum
Year built
2019
Cabins
76
Length
104m
Decks
8
Speed
10-12 Knots

Loyal Travelers

We love celebrating our loyal expeditioners who return to explore with us. After your first Aurora Expeditions voyage, you’ll automatically achieve Bronze Adventurer status. The more voyages you embark on, the higher you climb—progressing to Silver and eventually Gold!

Solo Travelers

Voyages with Aurora Expeditions are such a fantastic choice for solo travelers, giving you the chance to experience the world’s most remote and incredible destinations with like-minded travelers and our expert guides, while on board our small, social and welcoming ships.