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ODYSSEY OF AION

Interactive map of the circumpolar route

Polar projection • South Shetland departure • clockwise

Visualise the complete loop south of 60°S: narrative waypoints structured by sea sector (Bellingshausen, Amundsen, Ross, Weddell), guided sector-by-sector reading.

View the map More about the circumnavigation
BRIEFING

Antarctic circumnavigation

This page illustrates the principle of a sailing circumnavigation around Antarctica, begun after crossing 63° South, offshore of the South Shetland Islands, in a clockwise direction.

Distance
Approximately 11,000 nautical miles for a complete loop around the white continent, depending on the actually navigable route and ice conditions.
Duration
Modern references show that a continuous circumnavigation can be achieved in just over 70 days under optimal conditions, but remains highly dependent on weather and strategic decisions.
Constraints
Strong winds, heavy seas, drifting icebergs, total absence of ports or assistance: at these latitudes, every sector is critical.
Reading
The trajectory shown is not a fixed route. It illustrates a plausible offshore corridor to understand the logic of such a passage.
Tour

Guided tour

Start an automatic playback: the map advances waypoint by waypoint clockwise. Each point opens a short "logbook entry" to understand the sector and its navigation logic.

Logbook
WP01
Position —
Sector —
Press "Play" to begin.
Map
Interactive map

Polar loop

Tip: click a waypoint or start the guided tour.

Waypoints (chapters)

Chapter I — Entry (Drake / South Shetland / Bellingshausen) 4 WP
WP01 START
Q1
63.100°S • 60.650°W
Circumnavigation start — offshore South Shetland (63°S crossed)
Click to centre
WP02
Q1
64.200°S • 67.800°W
Bellingshausen — West Peninsula margin (offshore)
Click to centre
WP03
Q1
65.100°S • 75.500°W
Central Bellingshausen — westward heading (offshore)
Click to centre
WP04
Q1
66.000°S • 84.000°W
West Bellingshausen — Amundsen approach (offshore)
Click to centre
Chapter II — Southern Pacific (Amundsen → Ross) 8 WP
WP05
Q2
66.800°S • 96.000°W
Amundsen Sea — entry (offshore)
Click to centre
WP06
Q2
68.200°S • 110.000°W
Southern Amundsen — Thwaites/Pine Island sector (offshore)
Click to centre
WP07
Q2
69.583°S • 130.183°W
REF Katharsis — 69°35'S 130°11'W (midpoint / Amundsen sector)
Click to centre
WP08
Q2
68.400°S • 145.000°W
Marie Byrd Land — margin (offshore)
Click to centre
WP09
Q2
67.800°S • 160.000°W
Heading toward Ross — South Pacific (offshore)
Click to centre
WP10
Q2
68.200°S • 172.000°W
Ross Sea approach (offshore)
Click to centre
WP11
Q2
68.700°S • 178.000°E
Ross — symbolic southern point (offshore)
Click to centre
WP12
Q2
68.000°S • 170.000°E
Exiting Ross — eastward return (offshore)
Click to centre
Chapter III — Southern Indian Ocean (Wilkes / Davis / Lazarev) 7 WP
WP13
Q3
66.600°S • 155.000°E
Victoria Land / Oates Land — offshore
Click to centre
WP14
Q3
64.700°S • 142.000°E
Wilkes Land — offshore (wide corridor)
Click to centre
WP15
Q3
64.900°S • 118.000°E
Adélie Land — offshore
Click to centre
WP16
Q3
64.700°S • 92.000°E
Davis Sea — offshore (wide corridor)
Click to centre
WP17
Q3
65.400°S • 75.000°E
Southern Indian sector — offshore
Click to centre
WP18
Q3
62.467°S • 64.894°E
REF Katharsis — "closing the loop" (62°28'S 64°53.66'E)
Click to centre
WP19
Q3
65.200°S • 40.000°E
Lazarev / Riiser-Larsen — offshore
Click to centre
Chapter IV — Southern Atlantic (Weddell / Scotia / Drake return) 5 WP
WP20
Q4
66.000°S • 15.000°E
East Weddell approach — offshore
Click to centre
WP21
Q4
67.467°S • 6.917°W
REF Katharsis — Weddell Sea (67°28'S 006°55'W)
Click to centre
WP22
Q4
65.600°S • 28.000°W
West Weddell — Scotia heading (offshore)
Click to centre
WP23
Q4
64.800°S • 45.000°W
Scotia Sea — Drake return (offshore)
Click to centre
WP24
Q4
63.100°S • 60.650°W
Loop closed — back to South Shetland
Click to centre