Antarctica, South Georgia and Falklands

Your epic Antarctica, Falklands and South Georgia photography adventure will begin in the pretty Chilean town of Punta Arenas. After having arrived independently you will make your way to your hotel for your included overnight stay. A welcome desk will have been set up in your hotel so that you can meet some of your expedition team, tag your luggage and get some advice on how to spend your free evening in this Chilean Patagonia gateway town.

After a good night’s sleep, the following morning you will join your transfer to the airport. Your included 2-hour flight to King George Island in the South Shetlands will see you flying over the famous Drake Passage and landing in the pristine wilderness of Antarctica in next to no time. Upon touchdown you will get your first sense of Antarctica’s true magnitude and your first adventure as you transfer to the vessel via Zodiac boat. After a refreshing welcome drink you can spend some time settling in to your comfortable cabin and exploring your new surroundings as we set sail for the heart of Antarctica.

This morning we will awake to the awe-inspiring sight of the Antarctic Peninsula and the pure majesty and remarkable remoteness of Antarctica will suddenly become even more apparent. You have arrived in the heart of one of the most spectacular places on earth! Overnight we will have sailed across the Bransfield Strait towards the Gerlache coastline and the anticipation will build as we prepare for our first of many landings.

As with all polar expeditions, our course 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. As we make our way through the waterways of the Peninsula we will sail through the exceptionally scenic Gerlache Strait where some time on deck should reward with whale sightings.

We will spend some time around the Errera Channel visiting various landing sites such as Danco Island and Cuverville Island, an important research site where one of the largest gentoo penguin colonies can be found. You may wish to partake in the thrilling camping on ice excursion that will be available somewhere along this stretch of coastline if weather conditions allow. This unforgettable experience will see you camping out in your provided tents under the clear Antarctica skies surrounded by nothing but wilderness and the sounds of the Antarctic silence. There will also be excellent opportunities for optional sea kayaking excursions here. Sea kayaking should be booked in advance and occurs an additional cost.

In Paradise Bay we hope for the opportunity to step foot on the continental land mass of Antarctica and enjoy some hiking opportunities and Zodiac cruises to the nearby Skontorp Cove. Other areas we may visit include the rarely-visited and geologically fascinating rocky outcrop of Spert Island and the whale-favoured Mikkelson Harbour.

Throughout your time in Antarctica Zodiac cruises, shore walks and entertaining presentations will fill your days and your cameras!

Having enjoyed a thrilling sail along the peninsula we will now head north towards the imposing Antarctic Sound and Weddell Sea area, and we hope to sail into the flooded volcanic caldera of Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands along the way. 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, learning all about Antarctica’s first flights and early explorations as we walk. We will also be on the lookout for the sizeable penguin rookeries that are often spotted along the distinctive black sand beaches.

Having navigated into the Antarctic Sound, this morning we will awake to the awe-inspiring sight of the Antarctic icecap, and as we sail deeper into the Weddell Sea the incredible sight of icebergs increasing both in number and size will not fail to impress. This will bring exciting ice navigation and your captain will determine some fantastic landing sites that will surely confirm to you Antarctica’s greatness. The sheer numbers of wildlife, penguins in particular, is also sure to impress, with rookeries vastly outnumbering those that you will have seen so far on your voyage. Landing sites may include Gourdin Island, Brown Bluff and Hope Bay.

As we explore, our expert onboard historians will introduce us to the stories of historical polar explorations including Nordenskjöld’s Swedish expedition of 1901-1904, with remnants of the exploration dotted throughout several locations here. As we sail back out of the Weddell Sea towards Elephant Island our learning will continue as we hear stories of Sir Ernest Shackleton and prepare to visit the island where his tale comes to life.

Whilst onboard your lecture and presentation programme delivered by onboard experts covering everything from Antarctic wildlife and geology to historical polar explorations will have been keeping you entertained. You will now 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 once again as we attempt to land. 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 land at Point Wild to learn all about the horrendous conditions that Shackleton and his men faced. We will also be on the lookout for the impressive chinstrap penguin colony that resides here and the southern elephant seals and fur seals that are often seen hauled out on the rocky beaches. This will be an exciting day for the history enthusiasts amongst us and a great way to bid farewell to Antarctica.

Over the course of the next two to three days we will enjoy a relaxing sail towards South Georgia. Some further time on deck should reward with excellent bird watching opportunities and your presentation and lecture programme will continue. One particular theme close to the hearts of your expedition crew is Polar conservation, and you will be introduced to the ongoing efforts in wildlife conservation in the South Georgia region.

There will also be bio-environmental briefings for your time on the island, 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 St Andrews Bay 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 wonders of South Georgia behind, we will now make our way to the equally beautiful Falkland Islands for the final segment of our voyage. By now your cameras will surely be bursting with wildlife and scenery photos, and your onboard photography expert will be happy to help you with tips on editing your images and making the most of them.

Your lecture programme will continue, along with bio-environmental briefings for your time in the Falklands. This is also an excellent time to simply relax in the comfort of your ship after what will have been an action-packed couple of weeks.

Arriving off the eastern coast of the Falkland Islands, we will now spend a day exploring around this beautiful wildlife-rich area. Our itinerary today will be flexible and dependent upon time and weather conditions, and we may explore around either the west side or east side of the Peninsula. We will go in search of some of the Falklands’ famous wildlife such as its amazing array of birdlife including striated caracara, black-browed albatross, various penguin species and many endemic species. There is also abundant marine wildlife including sea lions and Commerson’s and Peale’s dolphins. Landing sites may include Bleaker Island in the east and West Point in the west.

In the evening we will get back on board to sail to Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, and you will be invited to join the captain for a special farewell dinner to commemorate our epic expedition.

Sailing through ‘the Narrows’ and into the port of Stanley, it will sadly be time to disembark and bid farewell to your crew as your expedition comes to a conclusion. There will be some time to explore this charming town with its brightly coloured houses and quaint pubs before making your way to the airport for your included flight back to mainland South America. Upon arrival in Santiago, the capital of Chile, a transfer will be provided to a downtown location should you wish to extend your stay here.