Discover the exhilarating wildlife, unspoiled scenery and rich history of South Georgia on this 16-day cruise expedition aboard the Placius, an ice-strengthened vessel ideal for polar expeditions in the Antarctic. Seet foot in one of the most amaizing places in the world and become a member of a small group of explorers who have experienced and exclusive quaility program on South Georgia. During this season life is teaming on the beaches with the constant coming and going of King penguins as well as the countless Antarctic fur seal pups playing in the surf before beginning adulthood in the open sea.
Highlights
Observe molting southern elephant seals and gentoo penguins
Spot humpback, fin and minke whales, and possibly even blue whales
Follow the final section of Shackleton’s route to Stromness
Land at Grytviken to visit an abandoned whaling station
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
In the afternoon, embark in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world located at the Beagle Channel and sail through this scenic waterway for the rest of the evening.
Cross the Antarctic Convergence on your way to South Georgia. Entering Antarctic currents, the temperature drops considerably in the time span of only a few hours. Nutritious water is brought to the surface by the colliding water columns, which brings a multitude of seabirds near the ship: several species of albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, prions and skuas are possible to see during this crossing along with several species of whales and dolphins.
Reach South Geoargia and begin an exciting expedition in one of the most amazing places in the world. The density of wildlife is second to none anywhere on Earth and the autumn spells the peak of the King penguin numbers on the island. Many King penguin chicks have newly hatched and yet many more parents are still on eggs. Life is teaming on the beaches with the constant coming and going of King penguins as well as the countless Antarctic fur seal pups playing in the surf before beginning adulthood in the open sea. Huge southern elephant seals may be seen hauled out moulting at this time of year along with the endemic species South Georgia pipit and South Georgia pintail proliferating after the island-wide rat eradication has taken hold. Macaroni penguin chicks are fledging and the gentoo penguins may be seen moulting in places. The eggs of the wandering albatrosses have started to hatch and if luck dictates that a landing at Prion Island is possible, a rare site of the white fluffy chick of this most majestic of birds, may be seen. Light-mantled albatross and grey-headed albatross also breed on the island and chances are that you can get great encounters with these birds too. Humpback whales, fin whales, minke whales, and possibly even southern right whales and blue whales may be spotted during the trip too.
Weather conditions on South Georgia can be challenging and can largely dictate the program. Sites that may be visited include: Prion Island, where you may witness the breeding efforts of the huge wandering albatrosses. In Fortuna Bay penguins and seals inhabit the beaches. You may follow the final section of Shackleton’s route to Stromness, the abandoned whaling village. The route leads you across the mountain pass past the “Shackleton Waterfall”. The terrain is partly swampy and some small streams may have to be crossed along the way. At Grytviken, you can also see an abandoned whaling station, where King penguins now walk in the streets and elephant seals have taken residency. Here a visit to the Whaling History Museum is offered, as well as to Shackleton’s grave nearby. Salisbury Plain, St Andrews Bay, Gold Harbour, and Right Whale Bay house the four largest King penguin colonies in South Georgia whereas Copper Bay offers a wide variety of wildlife including macaroni, gentoo and chinstrap penguins. Aim to depart after a pre-breakfast activity on day 10.
Once again cross the Antarctic Convergence zone and head into warmer waters. The birdlife is prolific around the ship with numerous species of tube-noses that follow the ship throughout your sea days. Keep a sharp lookout for rare species of birds and mammals on the way north. In the past fascinating encounters with rarely seen species have been logged at this time of year.
Day 16: Montevideo, Uruguay | Disembark
1 Breakfast
This morning arrive in Montevideo, Uruguay and disembark for your continued journey home.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double or triple occupancy. Request the Twin or Triple Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabin mate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.
- Single occupancy: All cabins 1.7 times the share twin price
-Children between the ages of 3-15 will be discounted 40% in triple or quad cabins, one child per cabin.
- Due to the extreme nature of itinerary destinations, travel insurance is mandatory for all cruises aboard the Plancius - including medical, accident and repatriation/evacuation insurance.
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days prior to departure by Bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
We are so glad that we chose Adventure Life. The service is top-notch. Everything is well taken care of and we just have to print the documents and go. Franny even gave us timely updates on possible airport strike.
KC Chan
TrustScore 4.7 | 114 reviews
TrustScore 4.7 of 5
Based on 114 reviews on
15 hours ago
A Mind Blowing Adventure!
Adventure Life kept me well informed and up to date in the lead up to my trip and Albatros delivered a once in a lifetime adventure in full. A totally awesome experience from start to finish.
Jan Price
23 hours ago
Jane Packer helped us through the cancellation of our trip due to American Queen Voyages bankruptcy and then finding another cruise with American Cruise Lines.
Jane is very prompt in response, answers any questions, and makes good suggestions thereby making the process much easier!
Deb Donaldson
1 day ago
Adventure Life did an excellent job of planning, organizing and executing a great trip to Argentina. It was nice to have the trip with just the two of us which allowed for a more personable tour with excellent tour guides in all four locations visited. We learned lots of details of the beautiful sites in BA, Mendoza,Baliloche and Iguazu Falls. We want to do another trip with Adventure Life some day.
John WhartonMary Jo Catlett
2 days ago
Kassandra rocks! She had our trip planned and helped us arrange our air travel within the day we contacted her. She has helped us with our trips to Chile Argentina and Costa Rica, and she always finds us wonderful activities and accommodations. We’re looking forward to seeing what she’s planning for us this time when we go to Easter island