Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart Home

Depart from home on your independent flight to Buenos Aires.

Day 2: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, transfer to your hotel, located outside of town. 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 Pilar.

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

Enjoy a day at sea as you make your way to the Falkland Islands. Lecturers introduce you to the natural and historical highlights ahead.

Day 5: Sea Lion Island / Bleaker Island, Falkland Islands

Today you make stops on two islands off the south coast of East Falkland Island. With your 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 your Falklands visit—here you see western rockhopper penguins and king cormorant colonies, in addition to viewing gentoo and Magellanic penguins, plus communities of elephant seals and sea lions.

Days 6-7: Cruising the South Scotia Sea

Your lecturers recap your experiences in the Falklands and prepare you for your visit to South Georgia. On deck, join your naturalists in search of seabirds and marine mammals that flourish in these nutrient-rich waters.

Days 8-10: South Georgia

Flexibility in this area is a must. All of your expedition leaders have been to South Georgia numerous times and, if the weather is in your favor, you may make a landing before breakfast or even after dinner. You call at some of the many islands, bays, and coves where you can see outstanding birdlife and elephant and fur seals close at hand. The following is a list of places you may 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 you 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 – You 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, you 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, you are likely to see elephant and fur seals, gentoo penguins, giant petrels, and perhaps even some light-mantled albatross.

Day 11: South Scotia Sea

Your lecture series continues as Le Diamant ventures south. Naturalists recap our memorable visit to South Georgia and introduce you to the history, geology, and wildlife of the Antarctic Peninsula and its surrounding islands.

Day 12: South Orkney Islands

These mountainous islands were once known as "The Inaccessible Islands." In winter a solid sheet of fast ice actually joins this island group to the Antarctic Peninsula, some 450 miles away. A scene of unparalleled beauty awaits you, with penguins everywhere, including Adelie, chinstrap, gentoo, and even the occasional macaroni penguin.

Day 13: Elephant Island

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

Days 14-18: Antarctic Peninsula

You 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 you may visit a research station and witness the scientific activities conducted by the multinational community of scientists working there. The expeditionary nature of your voyage precludes guaranteeing specific stops; in the past this your guides have visited the locations below. This list serves as 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 you approach Deception through Neptune’s Bellows, a channel just wide enough for your ship to navigate, southern fulmars and pintado petrels soar overhead. Your anchorage is inside a volcano whose collapsed cone was filled by rushing seawater. Neko Harbour and Paradise Bay – You will 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 the Zodiacs you weave your 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, you 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. Steep mountain peaks jut out of the sea on both sides, and the waters surrounding your 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.

Days 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, you have opportunities to see and photograph wandering and black-browed albatross in company with sooty shearwaters and white-chinned petrels. You keep a lookout for the whales often seen in these waters.

Day 21: Ushuaia, Argentina / Buenos Aires

You disembark in Ushuaia and transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires, connecting with your independent overnight flight to return home.

Day 22: Return Home

In the early morning, take your connecting flights home.

Trip Details

Ship	Le Diamant
Highlights	This luxury expedition ship has been charted by Zegrahm Expeditions. Expect the best naturalist guides and a fantastic trip at a great time of year.
Trip Notes	Included:Accommodations in 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.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.
Payment Policy	A deposit of 25% per person is required to confirm your reservation. Final payment is due 120 days prior to departure. Payment Methods: Deposit: credit cards are accepted (VISA, MC, AmEx, Discover). Final payment: check or wire.WE ARE UNABLE TO ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS FOR FINAL PAYMENT.

When can I go?

Start Date	Finish Date	Places Available
2009-01-02	2009-01-23	+

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