Wildlife & wilderness of the Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica

Friday, 19 April 2024

Overnight flight to Buenos Aires

Depart the UK on an overnight flight to Buenos Aires. 

Saturday, 20 April 2024

Buenos Aires

On arrival you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel for a 3 night stay. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of Buenos Aires, named the “Paris of South America” for its turn of the century French architecture. We visit La Boca, with its brightly coloured houses, the cathedral, the Recoleta area and the Presidential Palace, with its famous balcony where successive leaders have made appearances. Optional evening dinner and tango show. 

Sunday, 21 April 2024

Buenos Aires

Day at leisure to explore Buenos Aires or choose from a number of optional tours & excursions: tango classes; traditional bars & cafes of San Telmo; Colon Theatre; Evita and Peronism tour; art in Buenos Aires; Argentine Dinner experience; Buenos Aires' Jewish heritage; hidden Buenos Aires; underground tunnels of Buenos Aires; the life and times of Diego Maradona; estancias of the Pampa; Delta del Tigre day trip; day trip across the Rio Plata to Uruguay. All optional excursions are bookable locally through your Veloso Tours guide.

Monday, 22 April 2024

Bariloche and the Lake District

Fly to Bariloche, in Argentina’s Lake District, staying for three nights. This alpine town is surrounded by beautiful mountain countryside, with excellent hotels and country lodges. The scenery ranges from lush, snow-covered mountain peaks and beautiful lakes, to the dry Pampa in the lowlands. It is a hub for outdoor activities, horse riding and walking the numerous trails; a wonderful place for picnics on the shore of picturesque lakes. Gabriela, our local guide, has a detailed knowledge of the area.

Tuesday, 23 April 2024

Exploring the Lake District

Depending on your interest, take an optional excursion led by our local guide. 

Wednesday, 24 April 2024

Exploring the Lake District

Relax at your hotel or take further optional excursions discovering the scenic beauty of the Lake District. 

Thursday, 25 April 2024

Ushuaia

Fly to Ushuaia and transfer to your hotel for one night on a bed and breakfast basis, in preparation for embarkation tomorrow.

Friday, 26 April 2024

Embark the M/V Sea Spirit

Spend the morning at leisure in Ushuaia. Embark the M/V Sea Spirit in the afternoon. Get settled in your spacious suite and explore the ship that will be your comfortable home during the extraordinary adventure to come. After getting underway, a full schedule of events kicks off with informative briefings and introductions from your expedition staff. After the first of many delicious dinners on board, step out onto the open decks to admire the scenery and gorgeous evening light as we pass through the Beagle Channel.

Saturday, 27 April 2024

South Atlantic Ocean

Though you’re now at sea, there’s rarely a lonesome moment here. Several species of bird follow the vessel southeast, such as albatrosses, storm petrels, shearwaters, and diving petrels.

Sunday, 28 April 2024

Finding the Falkland Islands

The remote and sparsely-populated Falkland Islands are a birders’ paradise. We anticipate spending two days in the remote outer islands where large colonies of penguins and albatross are easily accessible. The Falklands are also a great place to observe marine mammals. Fur seals and elephant seals can be found on sandy beaches while the waters around the archipelago are home to cetaceans such as Peale’s dolphins and Commerson’s dolphins. Our exact route and exploration opportunities are dependent on weather among these isolated and windswept islands.

Monday, 29 April 2024

Falklands culture - Stanley

Today we intend to visit Stanley, the charming capital of the Falkland Islands. Attractions within pleasant walking distance along the waterfront promenade include the Falkland Islands Museum, the governor’s house, a cathedral with impressive whalebone arch outside, a war memorial, quality gift shops, pubs, and views of shipwrecks in the harbour.

Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Sail to South Georgia Island

En route to South Georgia, you now cross the Antarctic Convergence. The temperature cools considerably within the space of a few hours, and nutritious water rises to the surface of the sea due to colliding water columns. This phenomenon attracts a multitude of seabirds near the ship, including several species of albatross, shearwaters, petrels, prions, and skuas.

Wednesday, 01 May 2024

Sail to South Georgia Island

Further exploration towards South Georgia Island.

Thursday, 02 May 2024

South Georgia Island

We arrive at South Georgia. Please keep in mind that weather conditions in this area can be challenging, largely dictating the program. 

Sites you might visit in the next four days include:

Prion Island – This location is closed during the early part of the wandering albatross breeding season (November – January). The previous summer’s wandering albatross chicks are almost ready to fledge, and adults are seeking out their old partners after a year and a half at sea.

Salisbury Plain, St. Andrews Bay, Gold Harbour – These sites not only house the three largest king penguin colonies in South Georgia, they are also three of the world’s largest breeding beaches for southern elephant seals. Only during this time of year do they peak in their breeding cycle. Watch the four-ton bulls keep a constant vigil (and occasionally fight) over territories where dozens of females have just given birth or are about to deliver. You can also see a substantial number of Antarctic fur seals here during the breeding season (December – January).

Fortuna Bay – A beautiful outwash plain from Fortuna Glacier is home to a large number of king penguins and seals. Here you may also have the chance to follow the final leg of Shackleton’s route to the abandoned whaling village of Stromness. This path cuts across the mountain pass beyond Shackleton’s Waterfall, and as the terrain is partly swampy, be prepared to cross a few small streams.

Grytviken – In this abandoned whaling station, king penguins walk the streets and elephant seals lie around like they own the place – because they basically do. Here you might be able to see the South Georgia Museum as well as Shackleton’s grave.

Friday, 03 May 2024

South Georgia Island

Exploring South Georgia.

Saturday, 04 May 2024

South Georgia Island

Exploring South Georgia Island.

Sunday, 05 May 2024

South Georgia Island

Last day exploring South Georgia Island.

Monday, 06 May 2024

Towards South Shetlands & Antarctic Peninsula

There may be sea ice on this route, and at the edge of the ice some south polar skuas and snow petrels could join the other seabirds trailing the vessel south.

Tuesday, 07 May 2024

Sailing to Antarctica

We continue on our voyage to the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Wednesday, 08 May 2024

Awe-inspiring Antarctica

If the ice conditions permit, you now sail into the Weddell Sea. Here colossal tabular icebergs herald your arrival to the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Paulet Island, with its large population of Adélie penguins, is a possible stop. You might also visit Brown Bluff, located in the ice-clogged Antarctic Sound, where you could get the chance to set foot on the Antarctic Continent itself. 

If conditions aren’t favorable to enter the Weddell Sea from the east, the ship will set course for Elephant Island and head into the Bransfield Strait, between the South Shetland Island's and the Antarctic Peninsula. 

The volcanic islands of the South Shetlands are windswept and often cloaked in mist, but they nonetheless offer many subtle pleasures. A wide variety of flora (mosses, lichens, flowering grasses) and fauna (gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels) live here. Chinstrap penguins and Weddell seals often haul out onto the beach near Cámara Base, an Argentine scientific research station on Half Moon Island.

On Deception Island, the ship plunges through Neptune’s Bellows and into the flooded caldera. Here you can find hot springs, an abandoned whaling station, and thousands of cape petrels. A number of kelp gulls, brown skuas, south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns can be spotted too. Wilson’s storm petrels and black-bellied storm petrels also nest in the ruins of the whaling station in Whalers Bay. As an alternative, you can take part in activities near Telefon Bay, further inside the caldera.

This extended voyage gives you the chance to sail even farther down the icy coast of the western Antarctic Peninsula. There are several opportunities for great landings where you might set foot on the Antarctic Continent, surrounded by an epic landscape of alpine peaks and mammoth glaciers calving at sea level. Gentoo penguins, leopard seals, Weddell seals, humpback whales, and minke whales are often seen here.

Thursday, 09 May 2024

South Shetland Islands & the Antarctic Peninsula

There are also various research stations here, some even with a gift shop and post office.The wilderness of Antarctica is subject to unpredictable weather and ever-changing ice conditions, which will dictate the ship's  route and exploration opportunities. This is a real expedition. Every opportunity will be taken to experience excellent wildlife viewing, amazing scenery and excursions via Zodiac.

Friday, 10 May 2024

South Shetland Islands & the Antarctic Peninsula

Immerse yourself in the icy wilderness of this remote and spectacular environment. Enjoy small zodiac boat excursions, get close to the region's abundant wildlife on land and sea and admire towering snow-covered mountains and magnificent icebergs of every shape and size. Large penguin colonies bring the area to life, foraging in the waters and congregating on land.

Saturday, 11 May 2024

Last day in Antarctica

Your last day to enjoy with White Continent.

Sunday, 12 May 2024

Drake Passage

Your return voyage is far from lonely. While crossing the Drake, you’re again greeted by the vast array of seabirds remembered from the passage south. But they seem a little more familiar to you now, and you to them.

Monday, 13 May 2024

Towards Ushuaia

Sailing towards Ushuaia, reflecting on your amazing journey.

Tuesday, 14 May 2024

Captain's Farewell Dinner

Enjoy the captain's farewell dinner tonight on the last night of your incredible journey.

Wednesday, 15 May 2024

Disembark and fly to Buenos Aires

After breakfast disembark in Ushuaia and transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires, staying for two nights.

Thursday, 16 May 2024

Buenos Aires

A free day to enjoy Buenos Aires: perhaps explore the artistic, bohemian district of Palermo with cafes, galleries and shops; take the ferry across the river to the old colonial settlement of Colonia in Uruguay; or enjoy cafes and shopping.

Friday, 17 May 2024

Overnight flight to UK

Transfer to the airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.

Saturday, 18 May 2024

Arrive in the UK