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Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia

Discover a Stunning Abundance of Wildlife En Route to the White Continent

Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula. Not until 1840 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands. An expedition to Antarctica is truly a trip of discovery!

The windswept and beguilingly beautiful Falkland Islands are famous for their prodigious bird life. You may see black-browed albatross, flightless steamer ducks, blue-eyed shags, and a variety of penguin species, including Magellanic, gentoo, and king.

In the breeding season, Magellanic penguins gather in large nesting colonies on the coasts of the Falkland Islands. Nests are built under bushes or in burrows. Two eggs are laid. The species is classified as "near threatened," primarily due to the penguins' vulnerability to oil spills, which kill twenty thousand adults and twenty-two thousand juveniles every year.

A gentoo penguin nest is usually made from a roughly circular pile of stones and can be quite large, seven inches high and nine inches in diameter. The stones are jealously guarded, and their ownership can be the subject of noisy disputes between individuals. They are also prized by the females, even to the point that a male penguin can obtain the favors of a female by offering her a nice stone.

King penguins have adapted well to their extreme living conditions. To keep warm, these penguins have four layers of feathering. The outer layer of feathers is oily and waterproof, not unlike the feathering of a duck. The inner three layers are down feathers, providing effective insulation. A chick is born without the oily outer layer and therefore cannot fish until maturity.

Peale’s and Commerson’s dolphins often bow ride and may even frolic alongside your Zodiac as you explore the coastal waters of the Falklands. You'll also have the opportunity to stroll through the capital of Stanley. Snap photos of tin-roofed houses, rose gardens, and other emblems of the town’s British colonial history — and stop for a pint.

As you sail toward South Georgia, you’ll find that the views are excellent from the ship’s comfortable lounge and outside deck areas. Onboard European chefs will prepare excellent international cuisine, using high-quality provisions from around the world. (C) Phil Algar

A historian will present the fascinating history of exploration in the South Atlantic, including the epic saga of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s shipwreck and heroic trek across South Georgia to secure the rescue of his crew. The magnitude of this feat will only be fully grasped when you catch your first glimpse of South Georgia, a spine of stunningly rugged mountain peaks rising precipitously from the sea.

By Zodiac, you’ll journey to South Georgia's secluded coastlines, desolate beaches, and deeply carved fjords while curious Antarctic fur seals playfully approach your boat for a closer look.

There may be two to four million Antarctic fur seals breeding in South Georgia. The concentration of these seals here is the densest aggregation of marine mammals on earth. Some people believe these populations have grown to such levels because the intensive whaling of the twentieth century left a surplus of krill.

Known as "otariid" or "eared" seals, Antarctic fur seals have a visible earflap. In facial appearance and manner, they resemble large dogs. Males can reach 450 pounds and can be up to four times larger than females. Adult males are silvery-gray with a thick mane and long hair. Females are gray or brown with creamy throats and chests.

It is believed that Antarctic fur seals act alone when foraging and migrating. Males breed polygynously; a strong male may have more than a dozen female partners in a single season. Females gestate for just over a year, giving birth in November or December. Pups are weaned at about one month old. Juveniles spend several years in the water before returning to begin their breeding cycle.

In addition to its seals, South Georgia is home to reindeer. It has no indigenous, terrestrial mammals. During both the sealing and whaling industrial eras, attempts were made to introduce animals for human benefit. Reindeer, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, geese, cats, dogs, foxes and even a monkey were brought to South Georgia. Only the reindeer remain.

The macaroni penguin is the most numerous of all penguins, with an estimated world population of over nine million breeding pairs. It is the most abundant species of penguin on South Georgia. Despite this, its numbers have been reduced by 30 percent over three generations due to commercial fishing, ocean warming, and oil pollution. The name "macaroni" is said to be a reference to the old song "Yankee Doodle Dandy" because of the bird's conspicuous "feather in its cap."

The king penguin colonies on South Geogia seem to stretch to the horizon.

At the former whaling outpost of Grytviken, you’ll see long-abandoned buildings (now home to many lazing Southern elephant seals) and may pay your respects at the grave of Shackleton, who died here in 1922.

Continuing southward, naturalists will share their insights on the wonders that surround you. As you cruise through the South Shetland Islands, weather permitting, you may go ashore on Elephant Island. It was here that the crew of Shackleton’s "Endurance" took refuge while he and five men sailed nearly eight hundred miles across the unforgiving South Atlantic in one of the most improbable journeys in recorded history.

Increasing numbers of ethereally blue icebergs will signal your approach to the Antarctica Peninsula. As snowcapped peaks, cascading glaciers, and tabular icebergs draw into view, your reverential silence may give way to an audible gasp. Almost constant daylight during this time of year will provide ample opportunity to explore this amazing place under the guidance of a seasoned Expedition Team.

The icy blue waters shelter Weddell, crabeater, and leopard seals; and minke, humpback, and killer whales. On shore landings, you’ll walk among colonies of gentoo, chinstrap, and Adèlie penguins as they go about the frantic business of their daily lives. Look skyward for blue-eyed shags, kelp gulls, snowy sheathbills, and Antarctic terns and petrels.

Antarctic petrels have brown-and-white wings with white, trailing edges. Their tails are white with a brown-black tip. Antarctic petrels are mainly confined to the vicinity of the pack ice, icebergs, ice floes, and the Antarctic continent. Flocks are characteristically seen sitting on the ridges of icebergs.

Chinstrap penguins derive their name from the narrow, black band under their heads, which makes it appear as if they are wearing black helmets and makes them one of the most easily identified types of penguin.

Chinstrap penguins eat krill and small fish by pursuit-diving close to their breeding colonies. Like most penguins, chinstraps use their flippers to swim at speeds of up to twenty miles per hour. On land, they often "toboggan" on their stomachs, propelling themselves by their feet and flippers. Chinstraps can climb up steep slopes using all four limbs and are able to jump large distances to reach footholds.

As you sail through the Lemaire Channel, a narrow geological fault between the snow-covered mountains of Booth Island and the peninsula, a seemingly endless procession of exquisitely carved icebergs drift by. Carefully, you'll make your way in the shadows of towering rock walls and magnificent glaciers. You'll dock in Ushuaia.

The "White Continent" is still a true frontier, waiting for its heroic explorers.

Natural Habitat Adventures
Box 3065
Boulder, CO, USA 80307
(303) 449-3711
(800) 543-8917

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