Classic South Georgia

Classic South Georgia

Day 1: Ushuaia
In the afternoon, you will board the MS Ushuaia. This will be followed by a welcome drink and an introduction to the crew and expedition team, giving you the opportunity to get to know your fellow passengers. The ship will then set sail for the Western Falkland Islands (Malvinas), known for their rugged beauty and abundance of seabirds and waterfowl.

Day 3: Western Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
If weather conditions are favorable, the lecturers and naturalists will accompany you on your first excursion. On the west coast, you can visit the following islands:

West Point Island
West Point Islandlies off the northwesternmost point of mainland West Falkland (Malvinas). The attractive settlement is located on the edge of a small harbor on the east side of the island, sheltered by Black Moor Hill and Michael's Mount. The valley between these two peaks stretches across the center of the island to the dramatic Devil's Nose, one of the island's main attractions. From here, you can enjoy a magnificent view of Cliff Mountain, the highest point on the island at 381 meters, and the highest cliffs in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Here you will encounter a huge colony of rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatrosses, which gather in close proximity.

Carcass Island
Carcass Island is located in the northwest of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). A mature tussock plantation covers much of the lower ground below Jason Hill in the east. The availability of abundant cover and the absence of cats, rats, and mice throughout the island have resulted in a spectacularly large population of small birds, which are among the most charming features of Carcass Island. Gentoo and Magellanic penguins also nest here. Peale's and Commerson's dolphins often come close to the coast to take a look at visitors. In the settlement with its beautiful gardens, you are invited to enjoy tea and biscuits with the locals.

Overnight, you will sail eastward around the northern islands of the archipelago to reach the capital city of Port Stanley the next morning.

Days 5 & 6: At sea
An extensive lecture program is offered on the days at sea. Experienced naturalists share their knowledge about the wildlife and unique ecosystems you will encounter on your journey. South Georgia is considered one of the most beautiful and inspiring places in the world, with more wildlife than virtually any other place on the planet.

Days 8-12: South Georgia
Your exact itinerary will depend on local land and sea conditions. The following destinations may be included:

Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain, sometimes referred to as the "Serengeti of the South," is a unique nature reserve. Several large glaciers form a dramatic backdrop for the tens of thousands of king penguins that nest in the tussock grass of this remarkable ecosystem. The wide beach offers excellent opportunities for walking while you visit the colony, where you will be literally surrounded by a multitude of curious, gentle penguins. Elephant seals and fur seals are also abundant, as are southern giant petrels and occasionally gentoo penguins. Prepare for a breathtaking experience when the elephant seals give birth on the beaches.

Prion Island
Prion Islandis a beautiful island covered with tussock grass. With a little luck, you may have the opportunity to see a breeding colony of wandering albatrosses. On the way to the summit, you will climb a wooden walkway that takes you close to their nests and offers great viewing platforms.

Grytviken
Grytviken is located in King Edward Cove, a sheltered harbor between Hope Point and Hobart Rock on the western shore of Cumberland East Bay. The rusting ruins of the Grytviken whaling station are located on a plateau at the head of the bay, surrounded by steep hills and mountains. The station, now the site of the South Georgia Museum, remains an interesting place for many visitors, as does Sir Ernest Shackleton's grave in the nearby whalers' cemetery and his memorial cross at Hope Point.

The landscape in this area is exceptionally beautiful, even by South Georgian standards: the glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the Allardyce Range—Mount Sugartop, Mount Paget, Mount Roots, Nordenskjöld Peak, Mount Kling, and Mount Brooker—form a magnificent backdrop to the bay, and the view from King Edward Point in particular must be one of the most beautiful in the world.

Godthul
Godthul is located 9 km east of Cumberland East Bay on the east coast of the Barff Peninsula and is a 3 km long bay between Cape George and Long Point. The Tussac Plateau is home to many gentoo penguins and lightly armored sooty albatrosses, which are reflected by the natural amphitheater of the cliff surrounding the harbor. Between 1908 and 1929, a floating factory ship was stationed here every summer, served by two whaling ships. A small shore depot supporting whaling was established near the river in the southeast corner of the harbor. The rusting barrels, wooden sheds, and boats are fascinating relics of the whaling era, as is the impressive collection of whale and elephant seal bones scattered on the beach.

St. Andrews Bay
The wave-swept coastline at St. Andrews Bayruns north-south in a 3 km long, uninterrupted strip of fine, dark sand populated by penguins and seals and bordered by the Cook, Buxton, and Heaney glaciers. The bay is home to the largest colony of king penguins in South Georgia. At the beginning of the season, the beach is also covered with fur seals and elephant seals. Such a large gathering of wildlife attracts a following of hungry scavengers. Shearwaters flit in and around the penguin colony. Cape petrels nest in small numbers on the cliffs north of St. Andrews Bay. Leopard seals also patrol the rocks at this end of the beach, hunting penguins. A few white-chinned petrels and lightly armored sooty albatrosses nest on the tussock slopes. Brown skuas and Antarctic terns breed on the floodplain and scree slopes at the northern end of the beach, defending their nesting sites with their characteristic noise and force.

Cooper Bay
Cooper Bayis located at the southeastern tip of South Georgia. There is an abundance of wildlife in this spectacular setting. Gentoo, rockhopper, and perhaps one or two macaroni penguins populate the tussock slopes, and there are many seals on the beaches. Fascinating volcanic rocks tower over small fjords and invite you to take an exciting Zodiac ride to observe the wildlife from the water.

Drygalski Fjord
Drygalski Fjordis also located in the far southeast of the island. The glaciers in this dramatic fjord have receded significantly in recent decades, but they are still one of the most striking features of this coastline, especially the Risting and Jenkins glaciers.

Day 15: Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands
With a little luck, you will visit the mysterious Elephant Island. Fans of Sir Ernest Shackleton need no introduction to this historic, windswept island. In 1916, Shackleton was forced to leave 22 of his men on these shores while he and five others undertook an incredible rescue attempt. What followed is one of the greatest rescue stories of all time. Every passenger will return with a greater knowledge of this gripping adventure story in a truly remarkable part of the world.

Days 17–19: Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands
Your expedition team will prepare you for the experiences on the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.

Gerlach Street
This region, with its wide straits, mountainous islands, sheltered bays, and narrow channels, offers moments of solitude. An abundance of high peaks that have never been climbed by humans and huge glaciers that flow inexorably toward the sea are the typical features here.

Hydrurga Rocks
You could visit Hydrurga Rocks, a small group of islets located east of Two Hummock Island in the Palmer Archipelago, at the northern entrance to the Gerlache Strait. Gentoo penguins, blue-eyed jays, and kelp gulls are at home here.

Cuverville Island
Cuverville Islandis located in the picturesque Errera Channel, in the center of the Gerlache Strait. A well-defined elevated beach provides a nesting site for many gentoo penguins. On your way north, you will explore the South Shetland Islands.

Deception Island
You will sail through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island, the largest of three new volcanic centers in the South Shetland Islands. Once inside, the rising slope of the black, slag-covered volcanic rim can be climbed to a rather spectacular viewpoint.

Half Moon Island
This crescent-shaped island at the entrance to Moon Bay between Greenwich and Livingston Islands is home to chinstrap penguins in a breathtaking setting.

Day 22: Ushuaia
You will arrive at the port of Ushuaia early in the morning and disembark from the MS Ushuaia after breakfast.