Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands

This departure presents an unparalleled opportunity to discover the multi-faceted treasures of the world’s southernmost realm. The superb Le Diamant combines interior elegance with an expedition-worthy ice-hardened hull for an ultimately comfortable cruising experience. Zegrahm Expeditions well deserves its reputation as the most experienced operator in Antarctica: together, our leaders have visited the continent more than 250 times. Based on our experience we have incorporated all of the best elements of an expedition to Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands, including stops in rarely traveled areas.

The adventure begins in Ushuaia where you'll set sail to the starkly beautiful Falkland Islands, with their extensive populations of western rockhopper, gentoo, and Magellanic penguins, as well as the regal black-browed albatross. We then cruise to the natural wonderland of South Georgia, made famous by Sir Ernest Shackleton. During our three days here we will observe the largest concentration of wildlife anywhere in the world. As you walk beaches covered with elephant and fur seals, your timing is just right to view newly born pups. The rocky shores and pristine coves harbor thousands of king penguins, the second-largest and perhaps the most beautiful of all penguin species—a photographer’s dream. South Georgia is also home to gentoo, chinstrap, and macaroni penguins, and four types of albatross, including the majestic wandering albatross—the world’s largest seabird, with a wingspan of up to 13 feet.

During five days of expeditionary landings on the Antarctic Peninsula and its adjoining islands we’ll explore remote areas not possible on shorter visits. Here towering icebergs of all shapes and sizes; Weddell, leopard, and crabeater seals; Adelie and chinstrap penguins; and a bewitching landscape that defies imagination create impressions that will last a lifetime.

Weather and ice conditions will determine our path and landings, just as they governed the voyages of Antarctic explorers in the past. We’ll take full advantage of our fleet of Zodiacs to reach remote shores and also for cruising among stunning formations of grounded icebergs. The long daylight hours of the early austral summer mean we can effect several landings a day. And, as always with Zegrahm, you’ll travel in the company of veteran leaders and renowned lecturers, including our International Polar Year expert, Kevin Clement, who provides insight and updates on this exciting, multi-national effort toward understanding the Polar Regions.

For Antarctica history buffs, birders, photographers, and lovers of wilderness areas, this voyage should be one of life’s mandatory travel experiences.

Itinerary:

DAY 1 — USA
Depart from home on your independent flight to Buenos Aires.

DAY 2 — Buenos Aires, Argentina
Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, transfer to our centrally-located hotel. Spend the rest of the day relaxing or sightseeing in this lively cosmopolitan city. Enjoy lunch on your own in one of the many wonderful neighborhood restaurants. Dinner and overnight at the Sheraton Buenos Aires.

DAY 3 — Buenos Aires / Ushuaia / Board Le Diamant
Early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia where we have lunch and a tour before boarding Le Diamant. Set sail for the Falkland Islands in the late afternoon.

DAY 4 — At Sea

DAY 5 — Sea Lion Island / Bleaker Island, Falkland Islands
Today we make stops on two islands off the south coast of East Falkland Island. With our naturalists, walk along the coast of Sea Lion Island to a gentoo penguin colony and a large freshwater pond with an excellent variety of Falklands waterfowl. Bleaker Island provides one of the highlights of our Falklands visit—here we see western rockhopper penguins and king cormorant colonies, in addition to viewing gentoo and Magellanic penguins, plus communities of elephant seals and sea lions.

DAY 6-7 — Cruising the South Scotia Sea
Our lecturers recap our experiences in the Falklands and prepare us for our visit to South Georgia. On deck, join our naturalists in search of seabirds and marine mammals that flourish in these nutrient-rich waters.

DAY 8-10 — South Georgia
Flexibility in this area is a must. All of our expedition leaders have been to South Georgia numerous times and, if the weather is in our favor, we may want to make a landing before breakfast or even after dinner. We call at some of the many islands, bays, and coves where we can see outstanding birdlife and elephant and fur seals close at hand. The following is a list of places we plan to visit on South Georgia. Some of them are pending final government approval.

• Elsehul Bay This beautiful bay on the north end is home to thousands of fur seals as well as macaroni penguins, the most numerous of all penguin species. Listen for the high-pitched trumpeting of the king penguins amid the magnificent sounds of marine mammals that echo throughout this bay.
• Salisbury Plain Two glaciers flank Salisbury Plain, on South Georgia's north coast. Here, more than 200,000 king penguins congregate and breed, and we are greeted by one of the more remarkable sights—and sounds—on earth.
• Stromness Bay Site of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his party's arrival after their harrowing crossing of the island's glaciers on foot, Stromness offers views of cliffs and a glacier from which the adventurer and his companions descended.
• Grytviken We go ashore and explore here, discovering the old ruins of this once-active whaling station. The cemetery holds a special fascination, as it is here that Shackleton is buried, on this island he loved. Walking along the coast, we spy seabirds, penguins, and marine mammals.
• Gold Harbour At the foot of the Bertrab Glacier, Gold Harbour is often referred to as the jewel in the island's crown." In addition to a large king penguin colony, we are likely to see elephant and fur seals, gentoo penguins, giant petrels, and perhaps even some light-mantled albatross.

DAY 11-12 — South Scotia Sea
Our lecture series continues as Le Diamant ventures south. Naturalists recap our memorable visit to South Georgia and introduce us to the history, geology, and wildlife of the Antarctic Peninsula and its surrounding islands.

DAY 13 — Elephant Island
This morning we arrive at Elephant Island, made famous by the Shackleton expedition. Awesome glaciers, speckled with pink algae, create a dramatic backdrop. Weather permitting, we enjoy a Zodiac cruise around the island and have an opportunity to view a thriving chinstrap penguin colony.

DAY 14-18 — Antarctic Peninsula
We cruise the waters of the Antarctic Peninsula and its adjacent islands, our daily schedule of landings dependent upon weather and ice conditions. There is the possibility that we may visit a research station and witness the scientific activities conducted by the multinational community of scientists working there. The expeditionary nature of our voyage precludes guaranteeing specific stops; in the past we have visited the locations below. This list is a guideline only of the places you may experience.

• Brown Bluff The volcanic promontory of Brown Bluff rises 2,450 feet above an ash beach littered with huge and bizarrely shaped boulders. Some 20,000 pairs of Adelie, and hundreds of gentoo penguins, make their home here, often building their nests against the rocks. Skuas and pintado petrels nest near the top of the cliff and kelp gulls fill the air with perpetual sound and motion.
• Deception Island As we approach Deception through Neptune s Bellows, a channel just wide enough for our ship to navigate, southern fulmars and pintado petrels soar overhead. Our anchorage is inside a volcano whose collapsed cone was filled by rushing seawater.
• Neko Harbour and Paradise Bay We hope to set foot on the Antarctic continent at Neko Harbour. Occasionally, Weddell seals haul out on the beach, and a gentoo penguin colony overlooks a spectacular glacier that is sometimes quite active calving icebergs. In our Zodiacs we weave our way among these fantastic shapes sculpted by wind and water. Later, Le Diamant navigates the scenic waters of Paradise Bay, where Chile and Argentina both maintain bases.
• Lemaire Channel and Pleneau Island Cruising the beautiful Lemaire Channel, we keep watch for the humpback and minke whales frequently spotted here. This narrow channel is one of the most visually impressive areas of the Antarctic Peninsula and is often referred to as the Kodak Gap, Canon Channel, Fuji Funnel, or Nikon Niche because of the wonderful photo opportunities it offers. Steep mountain peaks jut out of the sea on both sides, and the waters surrounding our vessel are often choked with icebergs and frequented by crabeater seals. A stunning labyrinth of grounded icebergs lies in the shallow waters west of Pleneau Island, presenting a superb Zodiac cruising experience. Crabeater and leopard seals haul out on the ice, and elephant seals and gentoo penguins occupy the island itself.
• Petermann Island Discovered by a German expedition in 1873-74 and named after geographer August Petermann, the island is home to the world's southernmost colony of gentoo penguins. Snow-capped and small at just a mile long by half a mile wide, it offers close-up, picture-perfect scenes of penguins both gentoo and Adelie as well as skuas and blue-eyed shags that nest nearby.

DAY 19-20 — Drake Passage
Named for the 16 th-century English seaman, Drake Passage is a deep waterway spanning 600 miles from the southern tip of South America to the South Shetland Islands. Strolling the decks, we have opportunities to see and photograph wandering and black-browed albatross in company with sooty shearwaters and white-chinned petrels. We keep a lookout for the whales often seen in these waters.

DAY 21 — Ushuaia, Argentina / Buenos Aires
We disembark in Ushuaia and transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires, connecting with your independent overnight flight to the USA.

DAY 22 — USA
Early-morning arrival in the USA and connect to flights homeward.

What's Included:

• Accommodations in our hotels and on board Le Diamant as outlined in the itinerary
• All onboard meals
• All group meals on land
• Group transfers
• Services of the expedition staff, including lectures, briefings, slide/film shows
• All group activities and excursions
• Landing and port fees
• All gratuities
• Wine with meals on board Le Diamant.

What's Not Included:

• All air transportation
• Excess baggage charges
• Airport arrival and departure taxes
• Transfers for independent arrivals and departures
• Passport and/or visa fees
• Travel insurance
• Items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar charges, alcoholic beverages, e-mail/fax/telephone charges.

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