Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula

Join us on a voyage of discovery to Antarctica, a fabulous and virtually pristine paradise for wildlife with incomparable scenery. Explore one of the last true wilderness areas left on earth, largely unchanged since early explorers and whalers first landed on its shores less than two centuries ago.

Throughout the voyage, a team of lecturers and staff will share their knowledge of the remarkable natural history of Antarctica along with entertaining stories from its earliest and most notable expeditions. The expedition also offers possible visits to scientific bases. 

Travel in an ice-strengthened vessel, which is ideally suited to expedition cruising in this icy wilderness and which offers a more intimate atmosphere than a traditional cruise. A fleet of Zodiac boats enable shore excursions and short cruises among the icebergs and whales.

2008 Itinerary
Day 1
In the afternoon, we embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the
southernmost city in the world located in the shadow of the Andes and right at the
Beagle Channel shore. Weíll sail through this scenic waterway during the
afternoon.

Day 2
At sea, in the westerlies the ship is followed by several species of albatrosses,
storm petrels, shearwaters and diving petrels.

Day 3
In the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) we plan to spend the whole day on the
fascinating western side of the archipelago. On New Island weíll witness how heavy
Black-browed Albatrosses try to land and take off in a colony they share with the
sturdy Rockhopper Penguins. A hike along the shore of Carcass Island will give us
instead views of Magellanic and Gentoo-Penguins, as well as close encounters with
water fowl and Night herons.

Day 4
In Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, we can experience Falkland culture, which
has some South- American characteristics as well as Victorian charm. In Stanley
and surrounding area we can see a quite important number of stranded clippers
from a century ago.

Day 5 and 6
At sea, on our way to South Georgia we will cross the Antarctic Convergence.
Entering Antarctic waters, the temperature will drop as much as 10 degrees C in the
time span of only a few hours. Near the Convergence we will see a multitude of
southern seabirds near the ship; several species of albatrosses, shearwaters,
petrels, prions and Skuas.

Day 7- 9
In South Georgia we shall visit the bay of Elsehul, with it´s very active fur seal
breeding beach, and then take course to Right Whale Bay, Salisbury Plain, Gold
Harbour and Cooper Bay to give you a good opportunity to see a wide spectrum of
landscapes and wildlife, like the introduced Reindeer, Elephant seals, King and
macaroni penguins. At Fortuna Bay we might try to follow in the footsteps of the
great British Explorer Ernest Shackleton and hike over to Stømness Bay. There and
at Grytviken we´ll see and abandoned whaling village, where King Penguins now
walk in the streets and seals have taken over the buildings. At Grytviken we´ll also
offer a visit to the Whaling History Museum as well as to Shackleton´s grave near
by. One of the highlights might be our visit to Prion Island, where we will witness
the breeding efforts of the huge Wandering Albatross and enjoy watching their
displays.

Day 10
At sea, where the ship is again followed by a multitude of seabirds. At some point
we might encounter sea-ice, and it is at the ice-edge where we might have a chance
to see some high-Antarctic species like the Maccormick skua, Snow Petrel and the
elusive Emperor Penguin.

Day 11
We are aiming for a visit at Orcadas station, an Argentinean base located in the
South Orkney Islands. The friendly base personnel will show us their facilities and
we can enjoy the wonderful views of the surrounding glaciers.

Day 12
At sea

Day 13- 16
We will sail into the Weddell Sea through the ice-clogged Antarctic Sound. Huge
tabular icebergs will announce our arrival to the eastern side of the Antarctic
Peninsula. We plan to visit Paulet Island with a million pairs of Adelie Penguins
and the remains of the Nordenskiöld expedition. At Brown Bluff we can put our feet
on the continent.
On our way West and south we will pass the Orne Islands with large colonies of
Chinstrap Penguins and a beautiful view across the Gerlache Strait or to Cuverville
Island, a small precipitous island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic
Peninsula. It contains a large colony of Gentoo Penguins and breeding pairs of
Brown Skuas. From there we sail to Neko Harbour in Andvord Bay and through
Paradise Bay with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, while having chances of
seeing large whales. We will have opportunities for zodiac cruising between the
icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords.
We sail through the spectacular Lemaire Channel to Pleneau and Petermann
Island where we can find Adelie Penguins and Blue- eyed Shags. In this area there
are good chances to encounter Humpback Whales, Minke Whales and Fin Whales.
Sailing north through Neumayer Channel we may visit Hannah Point, where we will
find a nice variety of Gentoo penguins, Chinstraps and southern giant petrels, as
well as Elephant seals hauling out on the beach. At Deception Island, we will try to
land at Baily Head home to a colony of ten thousands of Chinstrap Penguins.
Deception itself is a sub ducted crater, which opens into the sea, creating a natural
harbour for the ship. Here we find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station,
thousands of Cape pigeons and many Dominican gulls, Brown and South Polar
Skuas and Antarctic Terns. Wilsonís Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm
Petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay. Good walkers may
hike from Baily Head over the ridge of the crater into Whalers Bay, while our ship
braves its entrance into the crater through the spectacular Neptune´s Bellow into
the ring of Deception Island.we arrive at the Melchior Islands with a very beautiful
landscape and again possibilities for zodiac cruising among the icebergs, where we
may encounter Leopard Seals, Crabeater Seals and whales.

Day 17- 18
On our way north we are again followed by a great selection of seabirds while
crossing the Drake Passage.

Day 19
We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark.

2009 Itinerary:
Day 1
We embark our vessel Professor Molchanov in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina during the afternoon.  This southernmost city in the world located in the shadow of the Andes is right at the Beagle Channel shore. Our departure from Ushuaia is along this scenic waterway.

Day 2
At sea, as we cross to the Falkland Islands through nutrient rich waters, the ship will be followed by several species of albatrosses, storm petrels, shearwaters and diving petrels.

Day 3
In the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) we plan to spend a maximum time ashore at our two landings places On  Saunders Island  we witness heavy Black-browed Albatrosses trying to land and take off in a colony they share with the sturdy Rockhopper Penguins. King penguins also have a colony on Saunders Island. 
A hike along the shore of Carcass Island will give us views of Magellanic and Gentoo-Penguins, as well as close encounters with water fowl and Night herons.

Day 4
In Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, we have the chance to experience Falkland culture, with its mix of Victorian charm and South American influences. The "local" is a great way socialise.  In the surrounding harbour we can see a number of stranded clippers from a century ago.

Day 5 and 6
At sea, on our way to South Georgia we will cross the Antarctic Convergence.
Entering Antarctic waters, the temperature will drop as much as 10 degrees C over a few hours. The Convergence is an area of nutrient rich waters upwelling from the deep giving rise to a multitude of southern seabirds - several species of albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, prions and skuas feeding near the ship.

Day 7 - 10
Our days in South Georgia will encompass a diversity of landscape and wildlife as we progress southwards along the sheltered side of the island. Prion Island with its wandering albatross is a spectacular highlight along with Salibsury Plain teeming with King Penguins. Fortuna Bay was visited by Sir Ernest Shackleton on his epic Endurance rescue trip as they crossed from King Haakon Bay to Stromness to effect a rescue for his party in King Haakon and also on Elephant Island.
Any programme to South Georgia would not be complete with a visit to Gritvyken, once an industrious and thriving whaling base this is now the administrative centre for the island. The cemetery at Gritvyken is a poignant reminder of the many faces of this remote world and  a chance to remember the life of Sir Ernest Shackleton , affectionately called " the Boss" at his gravestone.
Visits ashore to Gold Harbour and St Andrews Bay will give ample opportunity to experience the wildlife and scenery whilst our final visit into Drygalski Fiord allows us to see geology in the raw and hopefully a remnant Weddell Seal population.

Day 11
At sea, where the ship is again followed by a multitude of seabirds. At some point we might encounter sea-ice, and it is at the ice-edge where we might have a chance to see some high-Antarctic species like the Maccormick skua, Snow Petrel and the elusive Emperor Penguin.

Day 12
We are aiming for a visit at Orcadas station, an Argentinean base located in the South Orkney Islands. The friendly base personnel will show us their facilities and we can enjoy the wonderful views of the surrounding glaciers.

Day 13
At sea through the waters of Antarctica.

Day 14- 16
Our time in the Antarctic Peninsula is planned to experience the highlights of this scenic and diverse area.
We plan to visit Paulet Island with a million pairs of Adelie Penguins and the remains of the Nordenskiöld expedition. At Hannah Point we explore what it is to be in Antarctica with chinstraps and gentoo penguins. On our way West and south we will pass the Orne Islands with large colonies of Chinstrap Penguins and a beautiful view across the Gerlache Strait or to Cuverville Island, a small precipitous island, nestled between the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula. It contains a large colony of Gentoo Penguins and breeding pairs of Brown Skuas. From there we sail to Neko Harbour in Andvord Bay and through Paradise Bay with its myriad icebergs and deep cut fjords, while having chances of seeing large whales. We will have opportunities for zodiac cruising between the icebergs in the inner parts of the fjords. Opportunities abound to encounter Humpback Whales, Minke Whales and Fin Whales.
At Deception Island, we will try to land at Baily Head,  home to a colony of Chinstrap Penguins. Deception itself is a sub ducted crater, which opens into the sea, creating a natural harbour for the ship. Here we find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, thousands of Cape pigeons and many Dominican gulls, Brown and South Polar Skuas and Antarctic Terns. Wilson's Storm Petrels and Black-bellied Storm Petrels nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay. Good walkers may hike from Baily Head over the ridge of the crater into Whalers Bay, while our ship braves its entrance into the crater through the spectacular Neptune´s Bellow into the ring of Deception Island.

Day 17- 18
On our way north we are again followed by a great selection of seabirds while crossing the Drake Passage.

Day 19
We cross into the quieter waters of the Beagle Channel and arrive in the morning to Ushuaia for our disembarkation.

Please note: Itinerary may vary depending on local ice & weather conditions and to maximise wildlife viewing. Visits to research stations depend on final permission. The itinerary is a general guide to the region and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. 

Tour Inclusions – cruise voyage, all meals during voyage, all shore excursions & boat trips (by Zodiacs), lectures /information sessions, expedition leaders, taxes & port fees, voyage notes.
Tour Exclusions – international / domestic flights, pre & post cruise accommodation, transfers, drinks, tips for guides & other staff, departure taxes.

Medical insurance, covering emergency evacuation / repatriation, is compulsory for this expedition. We also strongly recommend baggage and cancellation travel insurance. Travellers over the age of 70, or travellers with a pre-existing
Medical condition, are required to complete a short medical questionnaire, which must be signed by their physician.
This is to ensure that senior travellers have the necessary fitness and mobility to comfortably complete their chosen trip.