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Helicopter Tours

Helicopter Tours

Take flight above the breathtaking Antarctic wilderness, visiting locations inaccessible by any other means

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Fly to Antarctica's Most Remote Sites via Helicopter

When sailing isn't possible, flying becomes essential. On select Ortelius voyages, we use helicopters to reach areas inaccessible by vessel, making your polar exploration even more thrilling.

In the Ross Sea, this includes the Ross Ice Shelf and Peter I Island. On Weddell Sea cruises, we aim to visit the emperor penguin colony on Snow Hill Island.

Below is a summary of our helicopter operations. Detailed information will be provided after booking.

Deciding When and Where to Fly

The expedition leader (EL) decides the voyage itinerary, holding regular meetings with the pilots, captain, and deck party officer (DPO) to assess conditions before any helicopter operations.

If conditions are favorable, the EL scouts the area by helicopter to assess the landing site and begin transporting staff and safety equipment. For scenic flights without landings, pilots determine the best flight paths for views.

Allocating Flight Groups

Each passenger receives an individually numbered "helicopter card" for flight tracking. Generally, calls are made by cabin number, but the EL rotates the order to ensure fairness.

If you are traveling with someone in a different cabin, notify our staff. The aircrew will seat you based on height/weight or preference, though flying together is not always possible.

Planning and Briefing

All passengers must attend a mandatory safety briefing and sign a waiver. These steps are required for flight. We also practice boarding procedures for safe movement to and from helicopters.

Special Note: Flights Not Guaranteed

The polar regions are known for unpredictable weather, sea, and ice conditions. Helicopter flights occur only when the EL deems conditions safe. No guarantees can be given, and no claims accepted. For more details, please see our general terms and conditions.

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Antarctica’s first Marine Protected Area - Nexta Expeditions

Antarctica’s first Marine Protected Area

In October of this year, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which includes 24 countries such as the United States, the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand, reached a consensus on a New Zealand/United States proposal to establish a large-scale Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Ross Sea region.

Adélie penguins in the Ross Sea - Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions

Adélie penguins in the Ross Sea - Antarctica

The Adélie penguin population in the Ross Sea has reached its highest numbers in 30 years, with up to a million breeding pairs during the summer. This accounts for about 38 percent of the entire Antarctic Adélie population.

Shackleton’s Push to the South Pole - Nexta Expeditions

Shackleton’s Push to the South Pole

On the evening of February 11, 1907, Irish-born polar explorer Ernest Shackleton, already among the more famous polar explorers in the world, announced his intention to embark on a momentous Antarctic expedition.

An igneous paradise: Franklin Island - Nexta Expeditions

An igneous paradise: Franklin Island

In the most remote reaches of the world's oceans, those daring enough to embark on the Ortelius to the Ross Sea eagerly boarded zodiacs in the southernmost part of the Pacific Ocean.

The Seven Best Things to Do in Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions

The Seven Best Things to Do in Antarctica

Unless you’re a scientist, there’s no such thing as a means-to-an-end trip to Antarctica.

What the ice reveals about Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions

What the ice reveals about Antarctica

The continent you'll explore during your Antarctica cruise is far more than just an ice-covered land with penguins, whales, and seals. Beneath the thick ice lie hidden freshwater lakes teeming with thousands of microbes, hinting at a diverse array of life. In 2013, a team of researchers obtained the first uncontaminated water sample ever retrieved directly from an Antarctic lake.

The First Overwintering Hut in Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions

The First Overwintering Hut in Antarctica

In 1899, Carsten Borchgrevink and his nine crewmen became the first to spend the winter in a hut in Antarctica. (Technically, the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897-1899 was the first to overwinter there, though this was done on their vessel after it was caught in ice.) Borchgrevink and his men spent the dark winter months isolated in a dirty hut, surrounded by equipment and sled dogs fighting each other outside.

The first race to the South Pole in 50 years - Nexta Expeditions

The first race to the South Pole in 50 years

Before the South Pole could be reached, the question was what exactly lay at the southern ends of Earth. The concept of Terra Australis Incognita, an unknown continent, was first introduced by Aristotle, who reasoned that a southern landmass must exist to ‘balance’ the known lands in the northern hemisphere.

Eight Ultimate Antarctica Adventures - Nexta Expeditions

Eight Ultimate Antarctica Adventures

Antarctica has adventure in its bones. Long before most travelers even reach the continent, they have to cross the Drake Passage, an oft-tumultuous waterway considered by many a hallmark of high adventure in itself. Once you do reach the Antarctic shores, the variations of landscape and wildlife are as multiform as the activities you can pursue there. While not all of these activities can or should be shoehorned into a single article, this piece will give you a survey of the top eight. Like everything in the polar regions, these activities are subject to weather conditions – and your own threshold for adventure.

Visiting the Nearly Unknown: New Zealand’s Campbell Island - Nexta Expeditions

Visiting the Nearly Unknown: New Zealand’s Campbell Island

New Zealand is a renowned destination globally, and for good reason: It’s absolutely stunning. Almost every corner is filled with unparalleled beauty. But did you know that New Zealand includes several sub-Antarctic Islands that are almost completely unknown?

Weddell seals: The data collectors scientists of Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions

Weddell seals: The data collectors scientists of Antarctica

Weddell seals inhabit some of the coldest and darkest waters deep within the Ross Sea ice, making them the southernmost naturally occurring mammals on Earth. During the winter and summer months, their movements are largely governed by the presence of sea ice and the availability of suitable breathing and exit holes.

The First Buildings in Antarctica: Borchgrevink’s Historic Huts - Nexta Expeditions

The First Buildings in Antarctica: Borchgrevink’s Historic Huts

Borchgrevink’s huts at Cape Adare hold a significant place in Antarctic history, being the first structures ever built on the continent.

Taking a polar expedition cruise delivers no shortage of show-stopping highlights, but one of the most exhilarating is lifting off from the ship in a helicopter and taking flight over the incomparable Antarctic wilderness. - Nexta Expeditions

Taking a polar expedition cruise delivers no shortage of show-stopping highlights, but one of the most exhilarating is lifting off from the ship in a helicopter and taking flight over the incomparable Antarctic wilderness.

Embarking on a polar expedition cruise offers a plethora of breathtaking experiences, but one of the most thrilling is taking off from the ship in a helicopter and soaring over the stunning Antarctic wilderness.

Five Reasons You Should Cruise the Ross Sea Immediately - Nexta Expeditions

Five Reasons You Should Cruise the Ross Sea Immediately

In our search for lesser-known holiday spots that still offer fully developed amenities like spas and gift shops, we often miss out on some of the planet's truly underrated treasures.

The bio-richness of the Ross Sea - Nexta Expeditions

The bio-richness of the Ross Sea

The Ross Sea is one of the most stunning and untouched marine areas globally. This sea, which remains frozen for most of the year, spans 3.6 million square kilometers (1.4 million square miles) along the Antarctic coast south of New Zealand. Its waters harbor a biologically diverse ecosystem of species that have flourished, unchanged, for millennia.

The Dirty Details of Antarctica's Dry Valleys - Nexta Expeditions

The Dirty Details of Antarctica's Dry Valleys

Situated on the western coast of McMurdo Sound, the McMurdo Dry Valleys represent the largest ice-free region in Antarctica.

Science of the Ross Ice Shelf - Nexta Expeditions

Science of the Ross Ice Shelf

Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf is vast, spanning 487,000 sq. km – comparable to the size of France – with a thickness that varies from a few hundred meters near the sea to over 1,200 meters away from the floating edge. The edge along the Ross Sea forms a towering ice wall, rising up to 50 meters above the water, with most of the ice submerged below the waterline.