Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica

Receive a warm welcome upon arrival at Ushuaia Airport before transferring to the luxurious Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa, set high above the city with panoramic views of the Beagle Channel. Unwind in comfort or head out to explore Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, known for its lively waterfront, shops, and museums. If accommodations change, stay at one of Ushuaia’s premier luxury hotels. In the evening, join an optional briefing to meet fellow travelers and prepare for the upcoming Antarctic adventure.

Spend the morning relaxing at the hotel, exploring Ushuaia’s shops, or visiting one of its fascinating museums before joining the mid-afternoon transfer to the pier. Step aboard the Ocean Albatros, where the Expedition Team and crew provide a warm welcome and assist with settling in. Attend the safety and orientation briefing before enjoying the Captain’s welcome dinner as the ship sails through the Beagle Channel toward the icy wilderness of Antarctica.

As you sail south, important briefings on environmental regulations and expedition safety are held, and you won’t want to miss the scientific and environmental experts as they begin their deeply knowledgeable and always entertaining talks about the wildlife, history, and geology of the areas you will soon be exploring.

We’ll be exploring some of the westernmost settled outposts in the Falklands/Malvinas, a remote South Atlantic archipelago renowned for its rugged terrain and cliff-lined coast. Stretch your legs along the farmland and beaches, we’ll have an opportunity to visit Albatross and penguin colonies. Look for Rockhopper, King and Magellanic penguin rookeries.

The archipelago’s largest island, Stanley, is a lively hub of activity nestled in a sheltered harbor. Here, the Falklands Islands Museum has fascinating exhibits devoted to maritime exploration, natural history, and the 1982 Falklands War. We’ll likely visit Gypsy Cove, part of Cape Pembroke peninsula, a National Nature Preserve. Magellanic penguins, also known as Jackass penguins for the braying sound they make, breed here, nesting in underground burrows. Other native bird species include Black-Crowned Night herons, Long-Tailed meadowlarks, Two-Banded plovers, and Upland and Kelp geese. Nearby Ordinance Point is the final resting place for several World War II guns.

Things continue ramping up with plenty of birdlife sightings as you make your way east across the Antarctic Convergence and officially enter Antarctic waters. See if you can identify the world’s largest bird, the Wandering albatross. From soaring giants like the Southern Giant petrel to the tiny Wilson’s Storm petrel, a range of impressive bird species will be hitching a ride on the updrafts created by ocean swells and waves. And be on the lookout for whale blows and your very first iceberg sighting.

South Georgia is often referred to as the ‘Serengeti of the Southern Ocean’ and it’s easy to see why as you take in tens of millions (not a typo!) of breeding penguins, seals, and seabirds. Breathtaking mountain scenery, majestically sculpted icebergs, glaciers in every direction, and a rich historical tapestry are all here to complement the incredible array of wildlife on view as you travel down South Georgia’s leeward coast. We’ll also visit the historic Grytviken whaling station, featuring the tiny graveyard where the great Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried.

Heading farther south, continue your informative presentations and wildlife spotting as the icebergs become bigger and more plentiful.

Here we’ll explore any number of picturesque bays and famed harbors, maneuvering through iceberg-rich channels as you travel alongside an array of wildlife. There are opportunities to stop at several active scientific bases and historic landing sites as you take in the wide range of penguin species, seals, and whales along the rugged coastlines and in the sea.
 

Leave this magical place and make your way north, once again crossing the legendary Drake Passage. Have one last hurrah as you celebrate the conclusion of the expedition with a special slideshow and a final meal together.

With huge smiles on weary, content faces, disembark in the morning, letting you catch a flight to Buenos Aires or stay in Ushuaia for more sights and adventure.