Falklands, S.Georgia, S.Shetlands & Peninsula

Arrive today in the world's southernmost city and transfer to hotel. This afternoon and tomorrow morning take time to shop and explore. In the evening, enjoy succulent Fuegan lamb cooked over an open fire.

Arriving at the ship in the afternoon, you will be greeted by our Expedition Team and ship's officers at a safety and orientation briefing followed by the Captain's welcome dinner. Then, watch the city lights fade in the fresh night air as we sail down the Beagle Channel.

Among the wildlife spotting opportunities as we sail the South Atlantic are the Albatrosses, Prions, and Petrels that frequently follow the ship. Our Expedition Team will be out on deck as well, looking for the Whales and Dolphins that may also be seen in the area. Our experts will begin the presentations with informative and entertaining lectures on the wildlife, history, and geology of The Falkland Islands and Southern Ocean. Helpful briefings on environmental regulations and expedition safety will also be held in the comfortable lecture hall.

Many of the settled outposts in the Falklands are remote farms that have been family-owned for six and seven generations. The sheep graze alongside albatross colonies and rockhopper, king, and Macaroni penguin rookeries while striated caracaras patrol overhead and upland geese graze at the water's edge. Elephant and fur seals can be seen on beaches and orca and dolphins swim offshore. A visit to one of these homesteads often includes an invitation for cakes and a cup of tea. 

We will also visit the very British city of Stanley and maybe enjoy a drink at a local pub.

There will be plenty of wildlife spotting as we make our way east across the Antarctic Convergence and officially enter Antarctic waters. Ship board presentations will continue featuring the dramatic history and abundant wildlife of South Georgia.

Its unique position inside the Antarctic Convergence yet outside the limit of the yearly sea ice makes this 3,755 square kilometer island home to tens of millions of breeding penguins, seals, and seabirds. Magnificent mountain scenery, glaciers galore, a rugged coastline punctuated with icebergs, a rich history and an astounding array of wildlife are all evident as we travel down South Georgia's leeward. Landing sites feature huge elephant seals, aggressive fur seals, Macaroni penguins, albatross, petrels, skuas and gulls. King penguins from fluffy brown chicks to sleek adults can be seen in the hundreds of thousands. We will visit historic Grytviken whaling station, home of the whaling museum, Norwegian seaman's church, the active British Antarctic Survey station plus the tiny graveyard where the great Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried.

Heading farther south, we continue our informative presentations and wildlife watch as the icebergs become more and more plentiful. Albatrosses and other pelagic birds monitor our progress

The land of superlatives, Antarctica! Our Expedition Leader and Captain will create a flexible itinerary based on weather, ice, and opportunity. The route will stress the most scenic bays and channels of the Peninsula with stops at penguin rookeries, seal and bird colonies as well as sites of historic and scientific interest. The trip may include picturesque Neko Harbour, sheltered Paradise Harbour, the humpback whale favoured Wilhelmina Bay, the striking Lemaire Channel, the wildlife-filled Penola Channel, or the majestic Neumayer Channel. We may stop at an active scientific base such as Poland’s Arctowksi or Ukraine’s Vernadskiy as well as an historic base such as U.K.’s Port Lockroy. Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins abound, and Weddell, crabeater and elephant seals are often found hauled out to rest along with predatory leopard seals and the aggressive Antarctic fur seal. Whales and orca are also frequently encountered. 

We will continue our lecture series and wildlife spotting as we sail back to Ushuaia and reflect on beautiful Antarctica and its fragile future. We arrive at Ushuaia in the early hours of Day 21.

Disembark and transfer to hotel or airport