Extended Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica | Ocean Nova

After a friendly welcome at the airport, we’ll transfer you to one of our partnered premium hotel resorts nestled in the breathtaking Patagonian nature, where you can take some time to unwind or go explore the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia.

Our optional evening briefing is your opportunity to ask questions and meet some of your fellow explorers.

Spend your morning relaxing at the hotel, visiting a museum, or exploring the shops in Ushuaia before our mid-afternoon escort to the ship. Our Expedition Team and ship staff will welcome you on board and get you settled in, followed by a safety and orientation briefing and our Captain’s welcome dinner. We’re on our way to Antarctica!

As we sail south, important briefings on environmental regulations and expedition safety will be held, and you won’t want to miss our scientific and environmental experts as they begin their deeply knowledgeable and always entertaining talks about the wildlife, history, and geology of the areas we will soon explore.

We’ll explore some of the westernmost settled outposts in the Falklands/Malvinas, a remote South Atlantic archipelago renowned for its rugged terrain and cliff-lined coast. As we stretch our legs along the farmland and beaches, we’ll have the opportunity to visit albatross and penguin colonies. Look for rockhopper, king, and Magallanic penguin rookeries.

The archipelago’s largest town, Stanley, is a lively hub of activity nestled in a sheltered harbor. Here, the Falkland Islands Museum features fascinating exhibits devoted to maritime exploration, natural history, and the 1982 Falklands War. We’ll likely visit Gypsy Cove, part of the Cape Pembroke Peninsula National Nature Reserve. Magellanic penguins, also known as jackass penguins for the braying sound they make, breed here, nesting in underground burrows. Other native bird species include black-crowned night herons, long-tailed meadowlarks, two-banded plovers, and upland and kelp geese. Nearby Ordnance Point is the final resting place for several World War II guns.

Things continue ramping up with plenty of birdlife sightings as we make our way east across the Antarctic Convergence and officially enter Antarctic waters. See if you can identify the world’s largest bird, the wandering albatross. From soaring giants like the southern giant petrel to the tiny Wilson’s storm petrel, a range of impressive bird species will be riding the updrafts created by ocean swells and waves. Keep an eye out as well for whale blows and our very first iceberg sighting.

South Georgia is often referred to as the “Serengeti of the Southern Ocean,” and it’s easy to see why as you take in tens of thousands (not a typo!) of breeding penguins, seals, and seabirds. Breathtaking mountain scenery, majestically sculpted icebergs, glaciers in every direction, and a rich historical tapestry complement the incredible array of wildlife on view as we travel down South Georgia’s leeward coast. We’ll also visit the historic Grytviken whaling station, including the small cemetery where the great Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried.

Heading farther south, we’ll continue our informative presentations and wildlife spotting as the icebergs grow larger and more plentiful.

Here we’ll explore a variety of picturesque bays and famed landing sites, maneuvering through iceberg-rich channels as we travel alongside an array of wildlife. There will be opportunities to stop at several active scientific bases and historic landing sites as we observe a wide range of penguin species, seals, and whales along the rugged coastlines and in the surrounding waters.

We leave this magical place and make our way north, once again crossing the legendary Drake Passage. We’ll have one last hurrah as we celebrate the conclusion of our expedition with a special slideshow, passenger photo contest, and final celebratory meal together. Congratulations, explorers!

With huge smiles on weary but content faces, we disembark in the morning, allowing you to catch a flight to Buenos Aires or remain in Ushuaia to enjoy more sights and adventure.