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Photographing in the snow.

Photographer's First Light - Antarctic Peninsula & South Georgia

Example 18 Day Cruise aboard Polar Pioneer
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South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula are the focus of this 18-day springtime photographic expedition cruise. Capture perfect light as the days grow longer, king penguins shuffle eggs on their feet, elephant seals pup, and fur seal males battle for mating rights. Toast the graves of Wild and Shackleton and visit Grytviken’s whaling museum. Sail to Elephant Island and the Antarctic Peninsula, with ample time to photograph penguin rookeries during nest-building and breeding, whales and seals, historic sites, and the continent itself before crossing the Drake Passage to Puerto Williams.
A close up of an Elephant Seal.Antarctica is a photographers delight! Enjoy myriad photo ops on your Antarctica expedition cruiseZodiac cruising among the pack ice and icebergs of the peninsulaKayaker's wandering through the beautiful waters.Photographing in the snow.
Highlights
  • Photograph South Georgia's spectacular northern coast
  • Visit the world's largest king penguin rookeries & majestic albatross nests
  • Pay your respects at Sir Ernest Shackleton's grave
  • Sail down to Gerlache Strait, a photographer's paradise!
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Falkland Islands | Embark

Fly from Santiago or Punta Arenas, Chile, and tour the Falkland Islands’ very British capital, Stanley, before embarking the Polar Pioneer in the late afternoon.

Day 2-3: Bound for South Georgia

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Bound for South Georgia, escorted by albatrosses, giant petrels, and tiny Wilson’s storm petrels, where your photography program begins. Your naturalist and historian enliven the crossing with informative talks and the rest of the team prepares you for first landings with environmental and Zodiac briefings.

Day 4-8: South Georgia

  • Ship
  • 5 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 5 Dinners
Spring brings an explosion of life to South Georgia, offering ample time to explore and photograph the island’s spectacular northern coast. Photograph wildlife havens that include the world’s largest king penguin rookeries, majestic albatross nests, and beaches cluttered with basking elephant seals, feisty fur seals, and penguins. Inspired by Shackleton’s epic, hope to retrace the expedition’s final steps from Fortuna Bay to Stromness.

Day 9-10: Scotia Sea

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Cross the Scotia Sea, watching for seabirds, your first icebergs, and great whales including blues, fin, and sei. Enjoy time to reflect on South Georgia and prepare for Antarctica, the next leg of your adventure.

Day 11: Elephant Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Conditions permitting, approach Cape Wild, a bleak, rocky spit along Elephant Island’s dramatic north coast. If the sea state allows, Zodiac cruise, possibly even step ashore, to pay tribute to Shackleton’s 22 men who survived four months here.

Day 12-15: Antarctic Peninsula

  • Ship
  • 4 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners
Land in the South Shetland Islands before sailing down Gerlache Strait and awaken to the drama of Antarctica – a photographer’s paradise! Encounter pack ice and penguin rookeries alive with courtship, mating and nest-building, visit historic sites, and land on the continent proper.

Day 16-17: Drake Passage

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Return to the realm of the albatross – the Drake Passage. Celebrate, recap your many experiences, and learn to manage your abundant collection of new photos.

Day 18: Disembark in Puerto Williams | Punta Arenas

Dawn greets you in the Beagle Channel. Disembark for a tour of Puerto Williams before boarding your flight to Punta Arenas.

Ship/Hotel

Polar Pioneer

Enjoy a drink at the bar.
Polar Pioneer's dining room.
Polar Pioneer's bar and lounge.

Dates & Prices

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Per person starting at
$17,200
Polar Pioneer's Public Twin Cabin.
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Twin Shared
Twin Shared Cabins have two lower bunks, a desk, small washbasin, ample storage and hanging space and portholes. Showers and toilets are very close by and are shared with other Main Deck cabins.

Notes

Please note that all of Polar Pioneer itineraries are at the mercy of weather conditions and not all landings are guaranteed. These itineraries are flexible and will change voyage to voyage, allowing the best chance to make the most of surprising wildlife displays and unexpected opportunities.

- Rates 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 costs are 1.7 times the twin rate
Included
  • 17 Breakfasts, 16 Lunches, 17 Dinners

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This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf

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