Wildlife in South Georgia and Icy Antarctica PDF

The Falklands, South Georgia and spectacular Antarctica are highlights of this journey. Sailing from cosmopolitan Montevideo, our expedition team gives fascinating lectures to prepare you for exploring remote beaches and kayaking clear blue waterways among the icebergs. Encounter penguins, whales, seals and sea birds on this unforgettable voyage.

  • Dates29 October 2017
  • Duration18 Days
  • Starting From € 4 990.00
  • ShipMS Fram
Tabs
Pristine, remote and truly awesome

The power of nature and teeming wildlife, thriving despite the extremes of temperature, will leave you with everlasting memories to take home. Come ashore on isolated beaches to encounter wildlife in haunting landscapes, kayak in untouched waters with icebergs floating by, or perhaps spend a night in a tent under the stars.

Starting in cosmopolitan Montevideo, the lovely capital of Uruguay, we sail out of the Rio de la Plata into the open waters of the Atlantic. The river mouth is a very busy shipping lane, and it fascinating to track the vessels from all over the world.

Enchanting Falklands

We cross open sea on our way to the Falkland Islands, with their seamless horizons, vast open spaces, stunning white sand beaches and wildlife like penguins and albatrosses. The penguins here are unafraid of humans and often come close, providing great photo opportunities! Bird lovers will be thrilled with Carcass Island, with a rich variety of ducks, geese, penguins, albatrosses, caracaras and wrens.

Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, makes a wonderful starting point for excursions. The town is easy enough to discover in a day on foot, as shops, pubs, and services are all clustered around the port.

Captivating South Georgia

On board lectures will prepare you for your journey to unique South Georgia. This area offers magnificent scenery with majestic glaciers and beaches teeming with wildlife.

During our stay here, you will see elephant seals lounge on the sand, fur seal pups race in and out of the water, albatross soar overhead, and king penguins in the thousands. In Grytviken, you will see an abandoned whaling station, a whaling museum, the Norwegian Seaman’s Church, and the tiny graveyard where we can pay our respects to the great Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton.

In South Georgia, king penguins form huge breeding colonies; with the St Andrews Bay colony boasting over 100,000 birds. Because of the long breeding cycle, colonies are continuously occupied.

As we sail ever further south, the lecture series will turn its focus on Antarctica, including an introduction to the Antarctic visitor guidelines, as we approach the coldest, driest, windiest and most remote continent on Earth.

Antarctica and the wonders of the Deep South

Antarctica is far different from anything else you will ever experience! There are no permanent human inhabitants on the continent, but it is home to millions of penguins and serves as the feeding area for thousands of whales.

Two of the highlights during our time here are Deception Island and Half Moon Island, because of the resident colonies of penguins. Enjoy beautiful vistas and the gentoo penguin colonies on Yankee Harbour, Cuverville Island, Neko Harbour and Paradise Harbour. The British base in Port Lockroy is one of the most popular sites, and offers a peek into life on a polar base in the 1950s.

When opportunities arise, we will launch our kayaks, pitch tents ashore, and take you on unforgettable hikes to explore one the most beautiful, untouched places on the planet.

Returning, we will sail through the Drake Passage, notorious among the early polar explorers, before disembarking in Ushuaia, the southernmost town in the world.


Departs From
Montevideo, Uruguary

Day 1

The journey begins

Location: At sea

Late in the evening, MS Fram sails out of the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, following the Rio de la Plata and into the open waters of the Atlantic. The river mouth is a very busy shipping lane, and it is very interesting to see vessels from all over the world.

Explore

Location:At sea

We set a course to the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, located 772 kilometres north of Cape Horn and about 1,600 kilometres from Antarctica. Enjoy life on board. Relax in the panorama lounge, keep a lookout for wildlife from deck, or join the lectures.

Day 2-4

Day 5

Explore

Location: Falkland Islands

The Falklands Islands consist of two large islands and around 700 smaller ones, with an estimated 3,000 inhabitants. Teeming with wonders of wildlife and nature, this is a pristine environment with fantastically clear blue skies, seamless horizons, vast open spaces and stunning white sand beaches. The penguins will come close, stop and take a glance, then continue on their way in total disregard to your presence, providing great photo opportunities! Bird lovers will rejoice as we reach Carcass Island – an avian paradise with a rich variety of ducks, geese, penguins, albatrosses, caracaras and wrens. It is also one of the few islands in this area with trees. We will use our small boats go ashore for exploring, hiking or taking a closer look at all the birds.

Explore

Location:Stanley

Stanley, the islands’ capital, makes a wonderful starting point for excursions. The town is easy enough to discover in a Day on foot, as shops, pubs and services are all clustered around the port.

Day 6

Day 7-8

Explore

Location: At sea

We spend two Days cruising southward to beautiful South Georgia. En route, you can participate in a number of presentations about the area’s wildlife, as well as whaling and polar history. Our expedition team is well versed in every facet of South Georgia, from its geology and glaciology to the mating rituals of the sooty albatross and the legends of the Norwegian whalers. One of the fascinating stories that will be told is that of Sir Ernest Shackleton and the men of the ill-fated Endurance, and their amazing feats of bravery.

Explore

Location: South Georgia

There is nowhere, in any latitude, quite like South Georgia. It offers magnificent mountain scenery with majestic glaciers and beaches teeming with wildlife. During our stay here, you will see elephant seals lounge on the sand, fur seal pups race in and out of the water, albatross soar overhead, while king penguins squawk and waddle in the thousands. In Grytviken, you will see an abandoned whaling station, a whaling museum, the Norwegian Seaman’s Church, and the tiny graveyard where we can pay our respects to the great Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. In South Georgia, king penguins form huge breeding colonies; such as the colony at St Andrews Bay with over 100,000 birds. Because of the long breeding cycle, these colonies are continuously occupied.

Day 9-11

Day 12

Explore

Location: At sea

As we continue towards Antarctica, we learn more about the wonders of the Deep South of this great continent, focusing on the history, environment and wildlife of the region.

Explore

Location: Antarctica

Antarctica is far different from anything else you will ever experience! There are no permanent human inhabitants in Antarctica, but it is home to millions of penguins and the feeding area for thousands of whales. The penguins are fearless when encountering humans, and they might be just as curious about you, as you are about them. Some of the highlights during our time here are Deception Island and Half Moon Island, because of the resident colonies of penguins. Enjoy beautiful vistas and the gentoo penguin colonies on Yankee Harbour, Cuverville Island, Neko Harbour and Paradise Harbour. The British base in Port Lockroy is one of the most popular sites, and offers a peek into life on a polar base in the 1950s. When opportunities arise, we will launch our kayaks, pitch tents ashore, and take you on unforgettable hikes to explore one the most beautiful, untouched places on the planet.

Day 13-15

Day 16-17

Explore

Location: Drake Passage

The Drake Passage was notorious among the early polar explorers and is a unique voyage, which few have had the chance to experience.

Journey Home

Location: Ushuaia/Buenos Aires

After a spectacular sea journey to Antarctica, we return to land and the South American continent to dock at the southernmost town in the world. We transfer you to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires.

Day 18

Location
Ushuaia/Buenos Aires

PRICE INCLUDES
  • Hurtigruten Expedition in cabin grade of your choice on a full board basis
  • Transfer ship to airport in Ushuaia
  • Flight in economy class from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires
  • Wind- and water-resistant jacket
  • Landings with small boats and activities on board and ashore
  • Wind- and water-resistant jacket
  • Professional English-speaking Expedition team that gives lectures as well as accompany landings and activities
  • Free tea and coffee
NOT INCLUDED
  • International flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Luggage handling
  • Optional Excursions and Gratuities
Note:
  • Prices are in EUR per person
  • All planned landings are subject to weather conditions
  • All itineraries are subject to change
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