Ortelius offers niche expeditions to visit Emperor Penguins or explore the Ross Sea.
The m/v Ortelius is a purpose-built polar expedition vessel, originally constructed for research and now refitted to deliver immersive voyages to the most remote regions of the Arctic and Antarctic. With an ice-strengthened hull and a capacity for just over 100 guests, Ortelius is designed to navigate challenging environments while offering a comfortable onboard experience. The ship features open deck space for wildlife viewing, a lecture room for expert-led talks, and a welcoming atmosphere that encourages interaction among guests and guides.
Ortelius stands out for its operational flexibility and adventurous spirit. On select itineraries, the vessel supports helicopter-assisted landings, allowing access to rarely visited ice shelves and remote terrain unreachable by Zodiac. Its small-group format ensures more time ashore and a deeper connection to the landscapes and wildlife encountered. Whether cruising past towering tabular icebergs or tracing the path of historic explorers, Ortelius offers a genuine expedition experience with a strong focus on education, discovery, and environmental awareness.
Oceanwide Expeditions is committed to protecting fragile ecosystems – directing a portion of its profits toward reforestation efforts in the Amazon Rainforest, restoring over 1,600 hectares of damaged land. In addition to offsetting emissions, they support polar-focused environmental initiatives, apply best practices aboard their ships, and are working to make their supply chain more sustainable.
What our clients say
Highlights were South Georgia – amazing king penguin colony, bathing in thermal pool and cooling off in Whalers Bay on deception island, the open air party as we left Paradise…
HG, Surbition
Feb 2010
Highlights: “Setting foot on Antarctica and seeing the wildlife in its natural habitat. The first part had always been an ambition of mine”
SM, Dennie
Jan 2010
Most memorable experience: "A hard question to answer, but probably being able to walk on the continent, and not just strolling along the shore line, but fairly serious walking on…
HW, New Romney
Feb 2014
The whole experience of sailing across Antarctica was amazing, but being able to visit Scott's at Cape Evans was probably the pinnacle of the trip.
JW, Bedford
Jan 2020
This was a trip of a lifetime. The scale of the natural beauty of Antarctica is overwhelming. The icebergs, penguins ,mountains and sunshine which reflected it all in the clear…
Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.
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Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.
Paul Winrow-Giffin
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After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.
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Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.
Chris Rendell-Dunn
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Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.
Juliet Ellwood
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After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!
Lina Fuller
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Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.