Marine

A typical four day whale watching trip would include the following:-

Arrival and check in to your hotel in Tysfjord. Tysfjord, situated several hundred kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, is rightly famous as one of the finest places in the world to see Orcas. From late October to mid-January, large numbers of these marvellous creatures can be seen here, attracted by the arrival of huge schools of Herring.

Having arrived in Tysfjord, you spend the next two days on the water with the Orcas. You will have the opportunity to enjoy two styles of whale-watching. One on a conventional passenger vessel from which you will get great views and be able to take good photographs. The other on board a fast zodiac, a very intimate and exciting way to view one of the world's most magnificent predators. As well as Orcas, Tysfjord is also home to a healthy population of White-tailed Sea Eagles which can often be seen in large numbers.

As the light fades, you return to the hotel. After nightfall, if the weather is clear, you may be lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis, one of nature's finest night-sky spectacles.

If this example is not exactly what you are looking for please Request a Personal Quotation or contact us and we can discuss ways of tailor-making the perfect holiday for you.

Flying to Buenos Aires you would spend one night here before taking your connection to Ushuaia.  You could, of course extend your stay here to take in this fabulous and vibrant city. If time allows a short flight away is Iguassu Falls and is a sight not to be missed. 

Embarkation on to your vessel is in late afternoon (Please note that on some voyages a night is spent in Ushuaia prior to boarding the vessel. Accommodation here is on a bed and breakfast basis.

Voyages differ in duration with 9, 11 and 13-night voyages also being available.

In order to reach Antarctica, first of all you must cross the Drake Passage. This area is known for rough seas and high winds, so be prepared! The journey takes approximately two days, and once crossed, you will have the chance to sail amongst spectacular glaciers, while observing numerous seabirds, whales, dolphins and seals.

You may also have the opportunity to discover sites of historic exploration and even on some voyages to kayak and camp or scuba dive. Small zodiac landing craft will transfer you between ship and land when climatic conditions permit, to enable such land-based excusions to occur.

On board you will have ample opportunity to read, listen to lectures and to compare wildlife notes with fellow guests. Antarctica is a unique, cold and apparently inhospitable land with no trees and no indigenous population, forming an insurmountable barrier to all life except seabirds and sea mammals.

The Polar Plateau at the South Pole reaches a height of 2,835 metres of which 2,700 metres is solid ice. This ice sheet moves towards the periphery, flowing into the sea through immense glacial valleys. The glaciers float out to sea to form gigantic ice shelves, and then break into icebergs.

The drama and majestic beauty of this incredible region is enhanced by the extraordinary flora and fauna which abounds here in the summer months. Specially adapted algae, mosses, liverworts and lichens occur on the exposed rock faces. Some 200 million birds of 44 species amass here, with albatrosses, shearwaters, terns, skuas, petrels and penguins being the most consipicuous in the Antarctic zones. Of the seventeen penguin species, only two are truly Antarctic, although another five are largely confined to the Subantarctic islands further north. Emperor, Chinstrap, and Adelie Penguins breed south of the Antarctic Convergence (a natural boundary of ocean currents influencing all life in the region); King, Gentoo, Macaroni, Royal, and Rockhopper Penguins breed in the cool waters either side of the convergence; Humboldt, Magellanic, and Galapagos Penguins breed to the north.

Antarctica is of course also renowned for its exceptional concentrations of ocean dwelling mammals - Humpback, Minke, Southern Right, Blue, Fin, Sei, Orca, Pilot, and Sperm Whales, along with Commerson's Dusky, and Bottle-nosed Dolphins, are all regularly seen in these waters. You may also see Elephant, Weddell, Leopard, Ross, Crab-eater, and Fur Seals which probably number in the region of 75 million individuals in the Antarctic zone.

Your Return to Ushuaia is by re-crossing the Drake Passage.

On arrival in Ushuaia, you would disembark and make your way to the airport in time for your return flight to Buenos Aires and onward flight back to the UK. Arrive home the following day. (Please note that some voyages also visit the Weddell Sea or the Antarctic Circle.)

If this example is not exactly what you are looking for please Request a Personal Quotation or contact us and we can discuss ways of tailor-making the perfect holiday for you.

A typical itinerary for visiting the Falkland Islands may include the following:-

Flights from RAF Brize Norton overnight o Mount Pleasant where you arrive early afternoon and spend the night at the Hotel Malvinas in Stanley.

Carcass Island

Fly to Carcass Island, on a Falkland Island Government Air Service (FIGAS) flight in a 9-seater aircraft (your mode of transport between all islands). Accommodation here will be at a small settlement, run by the owners who have lived on the island for nearly 30 years. Within walking distance of the settlement you will find Magellanic Penguins and Striated Caracaras, to the north Elephant Seals, and to the south a colony of Gentoo Penguins.

Pebbel Island

Fly to Pebble Island, which is 38 kilometres long and is one of the largest islands in the West Falkland's group. It has white sand beaches, ponds and wetlands, tussock plantations, moorlands and rocky cliffs which offer shelter and protection to sealions and thousands of penguins, and is in fact the only place in the Falkland Islands where all six species of penguin known to visit the islands have been seen: Magellanic, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Macaroni, King, and Erect-crested. Pebble Island Hotel, where you will be based, used to be the Farm Manager's house, but now caters for visitors offering six twin rooms, each with en-suite facilities. It is situated in the middle of the farm settlement and although now ideally adapted to the needs of guests, it retains the warm and friendly atmosphere of a large farm house.

Saunders Island

 Saunders Island, which was the site of the first British settlement in 1765, is the second largest of the Falkland Islands and is home to a staggering amount of wildlife. Here you may see a colony of 11,000 breeding pairs of Black-Browed Albatross, Magellanic, Gentoo, Rockhopper and Macaroni Penguins as well as a growing colony of King Penguins. You spend the night at Saunders Island Lodge, within a small settlement which is home to only seven residents, most of whom have lived here all their lives!

 

Sea Lion Island

Sea Lion Island, another port of call, is the most southerly inhabited island in the Falklands group. It is only eight kilometres long and just over a kilometre and a half at its widest point. You will be given a guided tour of the best wildlife sites when you arrive and the remainder of your stay is free for exploration and photography. Beautiful plantations of tussock grass cover much of the island and provide a perfect habitat for Elephant Seals and sealions. Many different species of birds reside here including five species of penguin and five species of raptor. Pods of Orcas can be seen offshore as can Leopard Seals. You could spend three nights at Sea Lion Lodge, which is the only purpose-built tourist lodge in the Falkland's archipelago. It consists of six twin rooms and one double room, each with en-suite facilities. It offers modern accommodation with a degree of amenity one might not expect in one of the world's most remote locations.

On returning to Stanley you could spend a further two nights and take a full day trip to Volunteer Point on your last day to see the huge colony of King Penguins. You may prefer to visit Cape Dolphin (approximately three hours drive away), an area of great scenic beauty and home to more than 100 sealions from December onwards. There are also many Gentoo and Magellanic Penguins here, and it is also a good area from which to view Black-browed Albatross.

If this example is not exactly what you are looking for please Request a Personal Quotation or contact us and we can discuss ways of tailor-making the perfect holiday for you.