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The Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula Thursday 4 February to Wednesday 24 February 2010 with a Sunbird leader
Cost: From £8500 in a triple shared cabin plus about £1050 for flights (Flight cost includes overnight in Buenos Aires) Maximum group size: 13 participants and 2 leaders.
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The Antarctic is regarded by many as the world's last remaining true wilderness. It's vast nesting colonies of penguins and it's wealth of other marine birds and mammals make it a highly desirable destination for birdwatchers, even though the total number of species present isn't large.
This cruise will take us from the very tip of South America, across to the Falkland Islands then south to South georgia and across to the Antarctic Peninsula before haeding north across the famed Drake Passage back to Tierra del Fuego. Our well-equipped ship and experienced crew will ensure we travel in the utmost comfort as we sail through some of the most exciting seas on the planet. Day 1: The tour starts with a flight from London to Buenos Aires where we spend the night. Day 2: In the morning we take a flight south to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego and in the afternoon we board our ship. Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world and located in the shadow of the Andes and right at the Beagle Channel shore. We’ll sail through this scenic waterway during the afternoon. Day 3: Today we are at sea where, in the prevailing westerly winds we should find ourselves followed by a variety of species of albatrosses, storm petrels, shearwaters and diving petrels. Day 4: On reaching the Falkland Islands, the exact itinerary will be determiined by the weather and the local guides. Typically we plan to spend the whole day on the fascinating western side of the archipelago. A hike along the shore of Carcass Island will give us views of Magellanic and Gentoo-Penguins, as well as close encounters with waterfowl and South American Sea Lions. In addition, on Saunders we will be able to observe Rockhopper Penguins, Black-browed Albatrosses and King Cormorants.
Day 5: In Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, we can experience Falkland culture, which has some South- American characteristics as well as Victorian charm. We'll use some of our land-based time to look for some of the local waterfowl and passerines including Striated Caracara, Two-banded Plover, Ruddy-headed Goose and Blackish Cinclodes. Days 6-7: These days will be spent at sea, crossing the Antarctic Convergenceon on our way to South Georgia. Entering Antarctic waters, the temperature will drop as much as 10 degrees centigrade in the space of only a few hours. Near the Convergence we will see a multitude of southern seabirds near the ship including Royal and Grey-headed Albatross, Southern Giant Petrel, Southern Fulmar, Slender-billed Prion, Grey-backed Storm Petrel and many other species. Days 8 - 11: In South Georgia we shall visit the bay of Elsehul, with its 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 12: 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 13: 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 14: At sea Days 15 - 17: 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. 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. 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. In the afternoon we may land at Half Moon Island, where we can obsereve Elephant, Weddell and Fur Seals as well as Chinstrap Penguins, Blue-eyed Shags, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Kelp Gulls, Snowy Sheatbills, Antarctic Terns and Antarctic Brown Skuas. On our way West, we sail 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. Day 18 - 19: On our way north we are again followed by a great selection of seabirds while crossing the Drake Passage. Day 20: We arrive in the morning in Ushuaia and disembark. Later we take a flight back to Buenos Aires and connect with an overnight flight back to London where the tour ends on Day 21.
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