Falklands & South Georgia Photography Special

Today our expedition will embark in Santiago, Chile with a flight to the Falkland Islands' very British capital, Stanley. We'll enjoy a short tour of Stanley before embarking Polar Pioneer in the late afternoon.

Additional Information: We recommend you arrive into Santiago at least one day prior to your flight to the Falkland Islands to avoid issues with flight or luggage delays. You are required to make your own way to Santiago airport on Day 1 for your flight to the Falkland Islands. It is possible to connect with the flight in Punta Arenas, however please advise if you wish to do this at the time of booking (no refund for unused services).

Weather permitting, today we’ll plan to land on the rarely-visited Steeple Jason Island in the West Falklands, home to the world's largest colony of black-browed albatross. Due to Steeple Jason’s remote location and rugged coastline, it can often be very difficult to land here, however our team will do their best to make a landing. If conditions are too hard, we have other exciting islands to choose from, such as Saunders and Carcass; both offer amazing scenery and bird-watching and photographic opportunities.

On the way to South Georgia, we are in the company of seabirds and also on the lookout for marine mammals, especially whales which migrate south at this time of the year. Your team will prepare you for South Georgia landings with environmental and safety briefings and a series of informative wildlife and history talks.

As a true wildlife sanctuary, South Georgia boasts some of the world's most magnificent wildlife species - and we have ample time to discover them all. Walk amidst king penguin rookeries half a million strong and observe the majestic wandering albatross. Playful fur seals and basking elephant seals provide entertainment as we explore the pristine, kelp-strewn beaches. We Zodiac cruise magnificent Elsehul Bay and visit Grytviken, once a Norwegian whaling station, now the administrative capital of South Georgia and home to Shackleton's final resting place. Our naturalist and historian will provide in-depth interpretation, whilst our photography guide will assist you in capturing perfect photographs. Other locations we hope to explore include Salisbury Plain, Prion Island, Fortuna Bay, Gold Harbour, Cooper Bay and others - all dependent on weather and sea conditions of course.

We spend our last days organising out thousands of images and looking out for final glimpses of seabirds and whales.

This morning we'll steam into Stanley harbour on the Falkland Islands, where you'll have the choice to extend your stay, or continue on with your afternoon flight to Santiago, Chile (or Punta Arenas).

Additional Information: Please note that flights departing Stanley to Santiago only depart once a week, on a Saturday. Please advise if you wish to end your stay in the Falkland Islands. If you wish to see more of the Falkland Islands you may change your flight to arrive one week early (subject to availability and may incur a surcharge). It is possible to alight the flight in Punta Arenas, however refunds are not available for unused flight sectors.