South Georgia, Antarctica and Falklands Explorer

Day 1: Arrive into Ushuaia

Arrive in Ushuaia anytime today. On arrival you have an included transfer to your hotel.  Here you will enjoy a complimentary 2 night stay at Ushuaia's finest 5 star hotel, boasting spectacular views out across the Beagle Channel.

Day 2: Ushuaia

You have a free day to explore the trails, soak in the spa with the pool's incredible view, or jump on the shuttle into town for some culture at the local museum. Alternatively Swoop could arrange a tour for you, perhaps into the Tierra del Fuego National Park or to sample the local delicacy of king crab. The evening briefing is a great opportunity for you to ask questions and to meet some of your fellow travellers.

Day 3: Embarkation

Arriving at the ship in the afternoon, you will be greeted by our Expedition Team and ship's officers at a safety and orientation briefing followed by the Captain's welcome dinner. After dinner, relax and take in the mountainous scenery on our early evening sail down the Beagle Channel past Magellanic Penguin, Rock Cormorant, and Sea Lion colonies.

Day 4: Southern Ocean

Among the wildlife spotting opportunities as we sail south are the albatrosses, prions, and petrels that frequently follow the ship. Our Expedition Team will be out on deck as well, looking for the whales and dolphins that may also be seen in the area. Our experts will begin the presentations with informative and entertaining talks on the wildlife, history, and geology of the Falkland Islands and the Southern Ocean. Helpful briefings on environmental regulations and expedition safety will also be held in the comfortable lounge.

Those interested in Citizen Science can take part in sea bird sighting surveys, or help collect salinity samples and weather data along the way. You're likely to witness some spectacular sights, from icebergs to an array of seabirds and whale species. If you're lucky, you may see some of them fully breach from the sea.

Day 5: West Falklands

The westernmost settled outposts in the Falklands are remote farms that have been family-owned for six and seven generations. The sheep graze alongside albatross colonies and rockhopper, king, and macaroni penguin rookeries while striated caracaras patrol overhead and upland geese graze at the water's edge. A visit to one of these homesteads often includes an invitation for cakes and a cup of tea.

Day 6: Stanley, Falkland Islands

Chosen for its sheltered harbour and access to abundant fresh water and peat for fuel, Stanley is easy to discover on foot as shops and most services are centred on the port. The museum, the post-office featuring first day covers, plenty of shops with locally made wool items and Stanley's lively pubs will all be available. It is possible to experience the wildlife of the Falklands from the town, including sea lions and dolphins in the harbour or bird life in nearby Gypsy Cove.

Days 7 & 8: Southern Ocean

There will be plenty of wildlife spotting as we make our way east across the Antarctic Convergence and officially enter Antarctic waters. Shipboard presentations will continue featuring the exciting history and abundant wildlife of South Georgia.

Days 9 to 12: South Georgia

South Georgia's unique position inside the Antarctic Convergence yet outside the limit of the yearly sea ice makes this 3,755 square kilometre island home to tens of millions of breeding penguins, seals and seabirds. Magnificent mountain scenery, glaciers galore, a rugged coastline punctuated with castellate and tabular icebergs, a rich historical tapestry, and an astounding array of wildlife are all available to us as we travel down South Georgia's leeward coast.

Landing sites feature huge Elephant seals, aggressive Fur seals, Macaroni penguins, Albatross, petrels, skuas, and gulls. King penguins from fuzzy little chicks to grown adults can be seen in the hundreds of thousands. We plan to visit historic Grytviken whaling station, home of the whaling museum, Norwegian seaman's church, the active British Antarctic Survey station plus the tiny graveyard where the great Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried.

Days 13 & 14: Scotia Sea

Heading farther south, we continue our informative presentations and wildlife watch as the icebergs become more and more plentiful.

Days 15 to 18: Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands

The land of superlatives, Antarctica! Our Expedition Leader and Captain will create a flexible itinerary based on weather, ice and opportunity. We will approach the Antarctic Peninsula from the east to cross the northern boundary of the Weddell Sea, where a large cold body of water rotates clockwise driving cold water and ice north towards South Georgia and the South Orkney Islands.

Large tabular icebergs born in the Weddell drift north into our path while the ocean currents drive nutrients from the deep, feeding countless species of marine animals. Large groups of whales are common, along with scores of seabirds thriving off the bounty the Weddell provides. Our route will stress the most scenic bays and channels of the Peninsula with stops at penguin rookeries, seal wallows, bird colonies and whale feeding areas as well as sites of historic and scientific interest.

Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins abound, and Weddell, crabeater and elephant seals are often found hauled out to rest along with predatory leopard seals and the aggressive Antarctic fur seal. Minke and humpback whales are frequent visitors in the late season and orca sightings are also common.

Days 19 & 20: Drake Passage

We will continue our lecture series and wildlife spotting as we sail back to Ushuaia and reflect on beautiful Antarctica and its fragile future. Sailing through the Beagle Channel, we celebrate the conclusion of our expedition with a special slideshow.

Day 21: Ushuaia, Disembarkation

Morning disembarkation allows you to catch an afternoon flight to Buenos Aires or extend your stay in Ushuaia.

Please Note: This itinerary is for guidance only as each voyage will vary depending on ice and weather conditions, and opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is key and all part of the adventure of an expeditionary cruise.