Falklands, Antarctica & Elephant Island Birds

Your Falklands and Antarctica cruise begins in Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, where after arriving independently you will make your way to the port to board your expedition vessel. After settling into your comfortable cabin and exploring your new surroundings, you may wish to spend some time on deck watching as we sail out through the scenic mountain-fringed Beagle Channel.

During these two days we will sail across the famous Drake Passage, encountering a variety of seabirds along the way. You may want to spend some time on deck in search of bird sightings including wandering, grey-headed, black-browed and the beautiful light-mantled sooty albatross, southern fulmars, Wilson's storm, blue, Cape and Antarctic petrels. There may also be whale sightings, and your programme of entertaining and informative lectures and talks will begin, along with safety and bio-environmental briefings for your time in Antarctica. As we pass the Antarctic Convergence and sail close to the Shetland Islands we will spot the first of many icebergs.

Welcome to the indescribable lands of Antarctica! Upon arrival in this enchanting ice wonderland we will sail directly to “High Antarctica”, passing the Melchior islands and the Schollaert Channel between Brabant and Anvers Island. The Antarctic Peninsula is famed for its icy beauty and bountiful wildlife, and during our time here we will optimize the experience to get the very best of everything. Each day your experienced captain and crew will assess the weather and ice conditions to create a flexible itinerary to allow you to discover as much of this penguin’s playground as possible.

Sites that may be visited include Danco Island and Cuverville Island in the Errera Channel where activities may be focused around the Gentoo penguins nesting high on the island as well as Weddell and Crabeater seals that may be on and around the island. There’s also good chances of sightings of pairs of breeding brown skuas. In Neko Harbour we may have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent in a magnificent landscape of huge glaciers calving at sea level. Zodiac cruising around here will be an unforgettable experience and for those who have booked kayaking this will offer another spectacular way of enjoying the landscape surrounded by ice incrusted alpine peaks.

In Paradise Bay with its myriad icebergs we may again have the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent. Again, we may offer an opportunity for a zodiac cruise in the inner parts of this amazing waterway. In this area, we have good chances to see Humpback whales and Minke whales.

After an exploration of the peninsula your ship may sail into the Weddell Sea via the Antarctic Sound, before making its way towards Elephant Island.

We now plan to explore the rarely-visited Elephant Island, lands synonymous with Sir Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton and his men were stranded here over-winter during their Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, also known as the Endurance Expedition, and as we visit here you will learn all about Shackleton’s daring rescue mission to South Georgia. Conditions on Elephant Island are severe. The coastline is mostly made up of vertical rock and ice cliffs highly exposed to the elements. If possible you will take the Zodiacs to Point Wild, where the marooned members of Shackleton’s expedition miraculously managed to survive.

As we sail from Antarctica towards the Falkland Islands we will again cross the Antarctic Convergence and the temperatures will become considerably milder. As we spend these 2 days at sea there will be excellent opportunities for bird spotting on deck with likely sightings of several species of albatross, shearwaters, petrels, prions, and skuas. The informative and entertaining lecture programme will also continue as well as briefings for your time in the Falklands.

As we arrive in the Falkland Islands, we plan to spend 2 days on the fascinating western side of the archipelago. The exceptionally scenic Falklands offer an abundance of wildlife and have an intriguing history. Our first adventure may be the wild and rarely visited island of Steeple Jason where we will find the world’s largest black-browed albatross colony. We will then journey onwards for a hike along the shore of Carcass Island which will give us views of magellanic and gentoo penguins, as well as close encounters with elephant seals, water fowl, night herons and passerines. Later we will visit Saunders Island to observe four species of breeding penguins - gentoo, king, Magellanic and rockhopper,as well as black-browed albatross and king cormorants.

On New Island we will make land at the New Island South Wildlife Reserve where a strenuous but rewarding hike to Landsend Bluff will be offered. This hike will be likely to bring you sightings of South American fur seals as well as nesting black-browed albatrosses and rockhopper penguins. We also have time to visit the only land-based whaling station on the Falkland Islands which his found here, before moving on to the New Island North Nature Reserve (permit granting permitted) for another perspective on this remarkable wildlife-filled location.

As your fantastic expedition comes to a conclusion, it’s time to head back to mainland South America as we make our way to the Argentinean city of Puerto Madryn. As we sail you can enjoy the last of your presentation programme, and some time on deck looking for those last seabird sightings. Upon arrival in Puerto Madryn, in the morning it will be time to disembark and make your way homewards or onwards.