Falkland Islands Exclusive

Your Falklands cruise will begin in Puerto Madryn, where after having arrived independently you will embark your ship in the afternoon. As you settle in to your cabin, your ship will sail south towards the Falklands. Golfo Nuevo is renowned for its visiting southern right whales, so you have a good chance of spotting one as you sail toward the open ocean.

As we make the sea crossing towards the Falkland Islands your programme of informative and entertaining lectures and presentations will begin, covering everything from the geology and wildlife you are about to discover to the history of the Falklands conflict. There will also be safety and bio-environmental briefings in preparation for your time in the Falklands. We recommend spending some time on deck to spot the several species of albatross which will likely be following the ship along with storm petrels, shearwaters, and diving petrels.

The Falkland Islands (Malvinas) offer a wide variety of wildlife, which with caution is easily approachable. In many ways, the islands are largely an unknown selection of wildlife gems mainly known to the wider public for the war between the UK and Argentina in 1982. Not only do various species of birds occur here, but chances are great to see both Peale’s dolphin and Commerson’s dolphins in the waters around the islands.

Our itinerary will aim at offering the best of the Falklands and although our itinerary will be flexible and weather dependent there are numerous areas that we can expect to visit as we circumnavigate around the archipelago. Our first stop is likely to be the rarely visited Steeple Jason Island, home to the largest Black-browed albatross colony in the world (app. 113.000). Steeple Jason is a wild area dominated by wind and waves and the weather and swell conditions will dictate our success of landing here. Next we will visit Carcass Island which is rodent free and hence has a bounty of birdlife from breeding Magellanic and Gentoo penguins, to numerous waders and passerine birds including several endemics to the islands such as the Cobb’s wren and the Tussack bird.

On Saunders Island, there will be even more wildlife to see with four species of breeding penguins - gentoo, king, Magellanic and rockhopper - as well as black-browed albatross and king cormorants being present here. Next up will be West Point Island which is inhabited by a great number of Black-browed albatrosses and Rockhopper penguins, followed by Grave Cove which offers relative shelter and many nesting Gentoo penguins along with excellent hiking opportunities.

As we continue east we will arrive at the large white sandy beach of Volunteer Point where we will find a large King penguin rookery along with a plentiful birdlife, before continuing on to Stanley, the capital of the Falklands. Stanley showcases the epitome of Falklands culture, which has some South American characteristics as well as English charm. In Stanley and the surrounding area we can see a number of stranded wrecks from a century ago and geese, giant petrels and other birds. All passengers are free to wander around the town on their own. We recommend a visit to the local museum (admission fees not included) and perhaps a drink in one of the charming pubs.

After exploring Stanley we will sail south to Sandy Bay Island to enjoy an easy walk to see gentoo penguins, Magellanic penguins, rockhoppers, and king cormorants. The nearby Big Pond offers excellent wildlife opportunities, featuring dark-faced ground-tyrants and Magellanic snipes.

Our last stop on the south side of the archipelago will be Sea Lion Island where if luck is on our side we should hopefully be able to make landfall to visit the largest breeding colony of Southern elephant seals in the archipelago. There should also be opportunity to take a gentle walk across the island to see a southern sea lion haul-out.

Sailing along the south of the archipelago we will make our way back to the west coast to land on New Island. Making land at Coffin’s Harbour we can enjoy a relatively short walk to the New Island South Wildlife Reserve to get fantastic views of nesting black-browed albatrosses and rockhopper penguins. You can also choose to take a longer and more strenuous hike to Landsend Bluff to see a number of South American fur seals. The New Island North Nature Reserve requires a special permit for landing and approval dependent this will be the last stop on our fantastic Falklands cruise. If permitted we will pay a visit to see Black-browed albatrosses, South American fur seals, and several other species of birds that call the Falkland Islands home.

As our Falklands cruise comes to end it’s time to head back towards mainland South America as we sail south towards Ushuaia followed by a vast array of seabirds. Enjoy the last presentations from your team of noted naturalists and take the time to dissolve all of the unforgettable memories you will have made on your expedition.

As we sail through the scenic Beagle Channel and arrive in Ushuaia in the early morning it’s sadly time to say goodbye to your crew and fellow shipmates. After breakfast you will disembark and a group transfer will be provided to the airport for onward or homeward journeys.