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Peregrine Travel Centre

Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands

Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands

From USD $19,095

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Description

The towering peaks and immense glacial systems of the Antarctic Peninsula are home to a great abundance of wildlife which we observe on shore, from the zodiacs and the ship. Large penguin rookeries are found at several locations and we encounter seals and whales in the iceberg filled waterways.

Opportunities to visit historic huts and active science stations add further interest. We explore on shore through guided walks which may last up to several hours. Or if you prefer to sit and observe the penguins as they come and go from the water – why not? The more active may choose the sea kayaking option and experience a whole new side of Antarctica.

Our journey continues as we follow the course taken by Sir Ernest Shackleton whose epic small boat journey, from Elephant Island across the Scotia Sea to South Georgia remains one of the greatest feats of navigation in history. We explore the northern coastline of the island, home to some of the largest king penguin colonies on earth. The shores are covered in wildlife – including nesting albatross, fur seals and elephant seals. Rusting relics from the old whaling era sit silent and provide a dramatic contrast to the green tussock grass, and snowy peaks that surround us. We then head for the Falkland Islands and aim to spend one final day exploring the wildlife-rich Sea Lion Island and nearby by Bleaker Island. Our voyage comes to an end in Stanley – the small capital from where we fly back to South America.

Please Note: your voyage prices include flights to Stanley, Falkland Islands

Trip Name
Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands
Days
19
Overview
Vessel Type: Ice - Strengthened Length: 117 metres Passenger Capacity: 92 Built: 1988 The Akademik Sergey Vavilov is modern, comfortable, safe and ice strengthened. From small group sessions to briefings for all passengers, we have public spaces onboard the ship ideally suited for each and every need. A separate lounge and bar with panoramic views, as well as a library provide ideal places to sit and relax or catch up on some reading. A selection of movies and documentaries can also be watched in the lounge. The sumptuous meals prepared for you by our culinary team are enjoyed in our dining room, which can host all passengers in a single seating and will keep you feeling healthy and strong for the myriad of activities offered throughout the voyage. Other facilities include the theatre style presentation room, gift-shop, fitness room, massage room, hot water spa, sauna and plunge pool. There’s also a dedicated expedition ‘mud-room’ where you prepare for your off-ship excursions. Features: Superior Comfort and Stability Highest standards of Marine Safety Comfortable Bar Bridge Communications Dining Room Fitness and Fitness Room Gift Shop Wellness Centre Presentation Room Top Deck and Observatory Multimedia Room

Itinerary



Day 1 - DAY 1 / USHUAIA (ARGENTINA)
Our journey to Antarctica commences this afternoon in Ushuaia,Argentina. We gather at our central meeting point and transferto the pier and embark our expedition ship. After settling intoour cabins and exploring the ship, we meet our expedition teamand fellow passengers. Excitement is in the air as we enjoy awelcome cocktail, dinner and cast off, bound for Antarctica andthe adventure of a lifetime.
Day 2 - DAY 2-3 / DRAKE PASSAGE - AT SEA TOWARDS ANTARCTICA
Sailing south towards Antarctica we will be joined by hundredsof seabirds including the wandering albatross. Giant petrelsand smaller Cape petrels are also constant companions as wetransit the Drake Passage. Photographing these magnificentbirds takes patience and skill and our photography expert willbe on hand to show you the best techniques. Join the ship’sCaptain on the bridge and learn about the operations of ourmodern expedition vessel. Throughout the day our onboardexperts educate us with a series of presentations about theenvironment, wildlife and history and the locations we hope tovisit in the coming days.
Day 3 - DAYS 4-6 / GERLACHE STRAIT AND ANTARCTIC PENINSULA EXPLORATION
Take a deep breath and venture out on deck as the toweringpeaks of the Antarctic continent are laid out before us. This isthe moment you have been waiting for. For the next three dayswe have a varied itinerary exploring the Gerlache coastline. Ifice conditions allow, we cruise through the Lemaire Channeland may visit sites which may include Pleneau Island and thePenola Strait. Southerly Petermann Island, is home to a sizeablepenguin rookery where both Adelie and gentoo penguins nestside by side. A visit to an active research base nearby providesa fascinating insight into the important climate change scienceoccurring in Antarctica. The landscape all along this sectionof the Antarctic coastline feature heavily glaciated mountainspermanently covered in ice and snow. Our activity program is infull swing by now, and each day we enjoy guided walks on shore, visits to wildlife colonies, and Zodiac cruising among theice with our expert guides providing insight and interpretation.Planned visits could include Paradise Harbour, Orne Harbour orAndvord Bay, or a cruise through the Errera Channel to visit thepenguin rookeries at Cuverville Island. Wilhelmina Bay is anotherfavourite location where we frequently encounter humpbackwhales.
Day 4 - DAY 7 / NORTHERN ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
We are now heading north, skirting the coastline of the SouthShetland Islands. Along the way we hope to make a plannedvisit at Deception Island. If weather conditions permit, we sailthe ship right into the middle of a volcanic caldera. This is avery dramatic place and home to several penguin rookeriesalong the black sand beaches. History is all around us aswe explore the old whaling station, with the rusted relics anddilapidated wooden structures. Fur seals gather among the oldstructures seeking protection from the elements. At the far endof the beach is an old aircraft hangar. This is where Australian,Sir Hubert Wilkins made the very first flight in Antarctica in1928. There is an outstanding hike here to a location knownas ‘Neptune’s Window’ - high up onto the rim of the crater. Ifconditions allow, we hope to enter Antarctic Sound – the broadchannel that separates the continent of Antarctica from JoinvilleIsland. This is the entrance to the Weddell Sea.
Day 5 - DAY 8 / ELEPHANT ISLAND
After several busy days of exploration along the AntarcticPeninsula and the South Shetlands, we head for ElephantIsland – a location forever connected to the story of Sir ErnestShackleton and the HMS Endurance expedition a centuryago. On the windswept north coast, exposed to the swells ofthe South Atlantic is Point Wild. It was here that Shackletonand his exhausted men camped under their upturned boats– pondering their chances of survival. Shore landings here arenotoriously tricky due to often gale force winds and poundingsurf onto the rocky beach. This is a thrilling location for anyonewith a passion for polar history.
Day 6 - DAYS 9-10 / SCOTIA SEA – TOWARDS SOUTH GEORGIA
As we depart Elephant Island we cannot help but ponder thejourney made by Shackleton and his four companions – as theyattempted the near impossible – navigating 800 nautical miles ina 30 foot converted lifeboat across the tempestuous Scotia Seato South Georgia. We make a much easier time of the crossingin our state of the art expedition ship. Onboard experts keep usbusy with fascinating presentations and lead lively discussionsthroughout the day. The great pelagic seabirds are sure to keepus company – and we anticipate excellent sightings of albatrossand giant petrels soaring on the winds of the South AtlanticOcean. Anticipation builds as the mountainous peaks appear onthe horizon, marking our arrival at South Georgia.
Day 7 - DAYS 11-14 / EXPLORATION OF SOUTH GEORGIA
Rounding the remote south-eastern end of South Georgia,we spend the next four days exploring the coastline. Darksand beaches, tussock covered hinterland and a backdropof towering peaks and glaciers are a feast for all the senses.South Georgia has often been called the greatest wildlifeshow on earth. Seals cover the beaches, seabirds fill the skiesand living in rookeries of immense size, live the majestic kingpenguins. Our aim is to visit a number of these huge colonies– where naturalists estimate that more than 100,000 adult andjuvenile penguins live in close proximity. Locations we hopeto visit include Gold Harbour, Royal Bay, St Andrews Bay andSalisbury Plain.Dotted along the coastline are the rusting relics of the earlywhaling era. The largest of these locations is Grytviken. Here wefind a fascinating museum and a beautifully restored NorwegianLutheran Church. Adjacent to the old whaling station lies a smallcemetery. This is the final resting place of Sir Ernest Shackleton– who was laid to rest here in 1922. For many onboard, beingin the presence of the great polar explorer is a highlight of thetrip. We continue our journey along the coastline, hoping tovisit Stromness – another former whaling station – and the finaldestination of Shackleton and companions Frank Worsley andTom Crean having made the near impossible traverse acrossthe interior of South Georgia after their epic boat trip fromAntarctica a century ago.
Day 8 - DAYS 15-17 / AT SEA – TOWARDS THE FALKLANDS
By now we are in sensory overload, our cameras full of imagesand our journey towards the Falkland Islands commences.The spectacular seabirds including several albatross and petrelspecies are our constant companions as they soar above theship. The onboard educational program continues and ourexperts recap our remarkable journey to date. These daysprovide a good opportunity to catch up on journal entries, sortthrough your images in the multimedia room and catch somerest after several busy weeks of activity.
Day 9 - DAY 18 / FALKLAND ISLANDS
We wake to the sight of landfall in the Falkland Islands.Approaching Sea Lion Island, we first note the very barrenand windswept landscape, exposed to the prevailing weatherthat originates in the Drake Passage. We launch the Zodiacsand go ashore to view the incredible diversity of wildlife foundat this location. Three species of penguin including gentoo,magellanic and rockhopper, as well as southern elephant sealsand South American sea lions are known to inhabit the area.King cormorants and striated caracaras are just some of thebird species we expect to see. As we cruise along the coastof the Falklands, bound for Stanley, we enjoy a special dinnerattended by the ship’s Captain.
Day 10 - DAY 19 / STANLEY – RETURN TO PUNTA ARENAS
In the early morning, we navigate through the narrows and intothe harbour of Port Stanley. A transfer will take us to the airportfor our return flight to Punta Arenas in southern Chile (this flightis included in the price of your voyage). It will be possible toconnect to flights through to Santiago or other destinationsin Chile. Otherwise enjoy a night in Punta Arenas, or venturefurther afield to explore the highlights of Patagonia.
Day 11 - Please Note:
Polar exploration can be unpredictable, which regularly causes variations to our itineraries. Specific sites visited will depend on prevailing weather and ice conditions at the time of sailing. The above itinerary should be read as a 'guide only' and may change. The ship's Captain in conjunction with the Expedition Leader continually review the sailing plan throughout the voyage, making adjustments to the itinerary along the way to take advantage of optimal weather and ice conditions or to maximize our encounters with wildlife. Decades of experience spent exploring these waterways mean we have a large number of outstanding landing sites and zodiac cruising locations to consider, even when the weather conditions may not be ideal or when heavy ice may block out a planned route. A flexible approach is something we encourage you to bring to the ship.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
21-01-201909-02-2019USD $0Triple Share
21-01-201909-02-2019USD $0Twin Semi-Private
21-01-201909-02-2019USD $0Twin Private
21-01-201909-02-2019USD $0Superior
21-01-201909-02-2019USD $0Shackleton Suite
21-01-201909-02-2019USD $0One Ocean Suite

Inclusions

    • Fantastic glaciated scenery of the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia
    • Outstanding wildlife observation on shore, zodiac cruising and from the ship
    • Visits to historic sites and science stations
    • Learn about the environment, wildlife, history and ecology from polar experts

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