Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica

Your adventure will begin in Punta Arenas, a beautiful city in southern Chile. After arriving independently, you will meet your team at a central location point to transfer to the airport to join your special charter flight to Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands. Upon arrival in Stanley there will be time to explore at your own pace around this quaint town with its distinctly British feel. After a walk around the area we will make our way back to the port to board your expedition vessel in the afternoon. After settling into your comfortable cabin and familiarising yourself with your new surroundings you can enjoy a welcome cocktail and dinner as we set sail for the adventure of a lifetime.

Having sailed overnight down the eastern coast of the Falkland Islands, this morning we will arrive at the wildlife-rich Sea Lion Island to enjoy an exploration of this barren and windswept island. We will take our first of many Zodiac cruises to make land and search for observations of the incredible diversity of wildlife and birdlife found here including rockhopper, magellanic and gentoo penguins, King cormorants, striated caracaras, South American sea lions and southern elephant seals. If time allows, we will also visit the nearby equally wildlife-rich Bleaker Island to get another perspective on this stunning area.

Over the course of the next two days we will enjoy a relaxing sail towards South Georgia. We recommend spending some time on deck looking out for the various seabirds that are likely to be following the ship along with possibly whales in the waters below. This will be a great time to brush up on your wildlife photography skills, with your resident photography expert on hand to provide you with hints and tips for perfecting your technique.

You can also enjoy the commencement of your lecture and presentation programme delivered by onboard experts covering everything from Antarctic wildlife and geology to historical polar explorations. There will also be bio-environmental briefings for your time on South Georgia, including important information on behaviour around the abundant wildlife.

Today you will arrive in the wilderness wildlife paradise of South Georgia, one of the most wildlife-rich and scenically beautiful places in the world. You will now enjoy four days of in-depth exploration of this remarkable place, taking Zodiac cruises, shore walks and hikes and getting up-close to the abundant wildlife that helps to make this island so special. Known as the ‘Serengeti of the Southern Ocean’, it won’t take long to discover why as we launch the Zodiacs and make land at Elsehul Bay to see the large numbers of fur seals and the huge elephant seals that almost completely cover the dark sandy beaches. The major draw here is undoubtedly the staggering numbers of penguins that live and roam here, and we will visit the sites of some of the biggest colonies on the island including Gold Harbour, Salisbury Plain and Gold Harbour to see rookeries numbering over 100,000 penguins in each. We will also hope to see good numbers of nesting albatross as we explore around.

As well as the enchanting and bountiful wildlife, South Georgia is an important destination for history enthusiasts, being the ending point of the epic survival and rescue mission of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men back in the 1910’s. Your accompanying expert historians will offer you an insight into this fateful journey and you will have the opportunity to visit Grytviken to pay your respects at the final resting place of this legendary explorer. In Grytviken you will also be able to visit the excellent museum, the beautifully restored church and the site of whaling stations which offer a fascinating glimpse into South Georgia’s past. As we enjoy a full exploration of the island, other sites we are likely to visit include Stromness, Leith, and Husvik, keeping a keen eye out for wildlife as we go.

Kayaking excursions may be offered here and are a fantastic way to get a different perspective on the island and its beauty. Kayaking occurs an additional charge and owing to its popularity should be booked in advance.

Leaving the marvels of South Georgia behind, we will now spend approximately three days sailing towards Antarctica, with our exact route determined by sea and ice conditions. As we sail, we will pass the South Orkney Island group which represent the peaks of a submarine mountain range called the Scotia Arc, connecting South Georgia to the South Shetland Islands. As these islands are completely surrounded by ice for most of the year it is not often that a chance to visit them is possible, but if weather conditions allow then we will attempt to get as close as possible.

Your lecture and presentation programme will continue, with a focus now on Antarctica, its wildlife and the history of polar exploration in the area. You may have the chance to get even closer to one particular historical expedition as the dark cliffs of Elephant Island gradually begin to appear on the horizon and excitement builds again as we attempt to make a landing. This exceptionally historically important area is where Shackleton and his men overwintered having lost the HMS Endurance in thick sea ice back in 1915, and the point from which Shackleton set off on his famous rescue mission to South Georgia. If weather conditions allow, we will hope to enjoy a thrilling Zodiac cruise to view the island close-up and learn more about the horrendous conditions that Shackleton and his men faced. This will be an exciting day for the history enthusiasts amongst us and a great way to set the scene for the adventures that lie ahead of us.

As the snowy peaks of the Peninsula gradually come into view and the size and numbers of icebergs dramatically increases you will know that you are nearing one of the most remote and breathtakingly beautiful places on the planet.

This morning we will awake to the awe-inspiring sight of the Antarctic surrounding us, and the pure majesty and remarkable remoteness of Antarctica will suddenly become apparent. You have arrived in the heart of one of the most spectacular places on earth!

As with all polar expeditions, our course throughout your time in Antarctica will be flexible and dependent on ice and weather conditions, but your experienced captain and crew will be sure to make the most of every opportunity available to ensure you get to see all that this incredible area has to offer. Exploring by Zodiac boat and on foot, each day will bring a new adventure and we will be on a constant lookout for the wildlife that abounds here including various species of penguins, seals, whales and seabirds.

Upon arrival in Antarctica our first visit will be to the often mist-shrouded South Shetland Islands group. There are a number of landing sites we hope to visit here including Yankee Harbour where good numbers of Weddell seals are often found, or Half Moon Island, an Important Bird Area which is home to numerous birds including chinstrap penguins, Antarctic terns, imperial shags and much more. We then plan to cruise along the coast of Livingston Island to reach the flooded volcanic caldera of Deception Island. This historically rich area is a delight to explore and weather dependent we hope to enjoy a walk around to see the old whaling station and aircraft hangar. For a more energetic walk there is an excellent hike which will bring you high up onto the rim of the crater.

After much anticipation, we will finally reach the awe-inspiring Antarctic Peninsula to enjoy further days of exploration by land and sea. Around the vicinity of Mikkelson Harbour and Cierva Cove we explore through exceptionally scenic bays and harbours, searching for the wildlife that abounds including chinstrap, gentoo and Adelie penguins, seals including leopard seals, and birds such as skuas, cormorants and gulls. We will sail into Willhelmina Bay which is known as “Whale-mina Bay” thanks to its fantastic whale spotting opportunities. We will enjoy some Zodiac cruising in this spectacular location to search for whales and gain some fantastic views of the glaciers of the Peninsula before sailing into the Errera Channel. Here we will hope to stop at some excellent landing sites including Cuverville Island, an important research site where one of the largest gentoo penguin colonies can be found, and the beautiful Orne Harbour.

Throughout your time in Antarctica shore walks, Zodiac cruises and entertaining presentations will keep your mind and body active, whilst exciting hikes across snowy mountain saddles will be readily available and kayaking excursions will be on offer. As the end of our exploration draws near, we will make our way back to the South Shetland Islands to King George Island on the evening of day 16. Tonight you will be invited to join the captain for a special farewell dinner to commemorate our epic expedition.

As we reach King George Island in the South Shetland Islands it will sadly be time to say farewell to your crew and disembark to begin your journey back to South America. After making land we will walk past the Chilean research station to the airfield to depart on our special charter flight back to Punta Arenas in Chile. This scenic flight will take just over 2 hours and upon arrival in Punta Arenas you will be transferred to your hotel for your included overnight stay. This evening will be at your leisure and is a great opportunity to sample some of this beautiful city’s many delights.

Your itinerary will end on the morning of day 18 and it will be time to make your way to the airport for your onward or homeward flights. Should you wish to spend some further time here we will be happy to help you arrange extra excursions or accommodation.