Antarctica, South Georgia & Falklands Odyssey

Named after the vessel on which famous naturalist Charles Darwin sailed through the area, the rugged Beagle Channel will greet you from the plane window on the approach to Ushuaia. It’s here, in this scenic seaside village that the journey to South Georgia and the Antarctic begins.

On arrival at Ushuaia Airport, please make your way through to the Arrivals Hall where the representative will be waiting for you to transfer you to your hotel. He/she will be holding a sign. Should you not be able to contact them, please refer to the emergency contact details of our representative office.

After settling into the hotel, enjoy one of the city’s many restaurants serving local seafood and Argentine cuisine or stretch the legs with a hike to the Martial Glacier taking in views of the surrounding valleys and mountains. From the wharf in Ushuaia you will board the Ocean Endeavour before setting sail to enjoy the pastel colours and fleeting wildlife of an afternoon and dusk on the Beagle Channel.
 

Sailing east, your time at sea can be spent learning from the on-board team of experts and guides through talks, workshops or casual conversation.
Or take to the Ocean Endeavour’s esplanade deck for panoramic views of the southern skies and the rare albatross that frequent them. These wanderers of the ocean will guide us toward our next destination while lecturers in ornithology, geology, glaciology and biology will prepare you to understand this remote and unique wilderness.

Day five will see the Ocean Endeavour sailing among the icebergs and penguin colonies of the world’s last true wilderness - the Antarctic continent.
As we approach the peninsula from the north, we’ll begin the immersive Antarctic experience with more zodiac excursions cruising among the brash ice or landing at some of the area’s most celebrated vantage points. To begin the true Antarctic wildlife experience, we will immerse ourselves within the sights and sounds of a gentoo or chinstrap penguin colony - a chance to marvel at these aquatic birds and witness their brief summer activities in this frozen land.

Across the following days, the Ocean Endeavour will venture even further south, the captain seeking the most prized of pristine Antarctic wilderness and aiming to access such famous sites as Neko Harbour, Port Lockroy and the Lemaire Channel. Along the way, the experts on the vessel’s bridge will be scanning for seals and the marine leviathans that call these waters home during the austral summer.

Here, among the ice, we’ll continue our exploration with snowshoeing, ice camping, sea kayaking and even take the chance for a polar plunge - a concise swim in Antarctic waters.

En route to South Georgia, weather and sea conditions permitting, we may attempt to call at Elephant Island, a half-submerged mountain cloaked with an ice sheet at the outer limits of the South Shetlands. We’ll learn the story of Shackleton and hear how his ship, the Endurance, was crushed in pack ice in the Weddell Sea, before him and his men climbed into three open boats, spending 16 months at sea, before finally making landfall on this tiny toe of rock and ice in the vastness of the Southern Ocean on 14 April 1916.

Attend lectures and presentations by the Expedition Team as they prepare you for what lies ahead on South Georgia - from the history and geology to the incredible wildlife. Take in the panoramic views from the observation lounge and spacious decks or make the most of the on board facilities that include a spa, saunas, pool, gym and yoga classes.

On day 11 of our expedition, hanging glaciers and the echoing howls of adolescent fur seals will emerge from the morning fog of South Georgia.
It’s on these very shores that famed Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackelton landed his crew of the James Caird in search of help for his party stranded on Elephant Island. We will spend the next several days retracing some of Shackleton’s steps, visiting his grave at the ex-whaling station of Grytviken and wandering among hundreds of thousands of king penguins in dramatic South Georgian light.

Across the island, dark volcanic beaches are backgrounded by hanging glaciers and penguin species nest among tussock grass along hikes to alpine lakes. For keen birders, one might even spot the South Georgia pipit - the world’s most southerly endemic passerine.

Saying goodbye to the wildlife of South Georgia, we head west towards the isolated and sparsely populated Falklands archipelago, where the silence is broken only by the call of birds.

Attend lectures and presentations by the Expedition Team, relax and unwind in the His and Hers saunas and spa and take advantage of all the other amenities on board.
 

Have your camera at the ready as we approach the ruggedly beautiful Falklands archipelago to capture not only the abundant wildlife but also the incredible scenery. Over the next couple of days we explore the Falkland Islands by Zodiac and on foot as we make daily shore landings and maybe even discover smaller inlets by kayak.

Learn about the intriguing and controversial history of the Falkland Islands as we explore the quaint capital of Port Stanley, with its British outpost feel.

Near the town you may see Southern giant petrels, the endemic Falkland steamer ducks, kelp gulls and dolphin gulls. There are also black-crowned night herons, redbacked hawks, peregrine falcons and turkey vultures.

As we explore the islands, look out for the 5 species of penguins found here, large populations of blackbrowed albatrosses, elephant and fur seals, Peale’s and Commerson’s dolphins, orcas and a myriad of bird species including the Falkland’s flightless steamer duck, imperial shags and Cobb’s wrens.

Departing from the Falklands, we set our course for Argentina. The next few days are spent at sea, as we head towards Puerto Madryn, but there are the many on board amenities to enjoy including a spa, saunas, pool and gym and relaxing yoga classes and of course a final presentation or two.

We are scheduled to arrive into Puerto Madryn early this morning, and we disembark after a final breakfast on board the Ocean Endeavour.

PLEASE NOTE: You are advised not to book a flight out of Puerto Madryn before midday on disembarkation day, in case of delays caused by unfavourable weather conditions.