Shackleton Route in Luxury

Embark in the afternoon and set sail down the Beagle Channel

Watch for marine mammals and birds from deck or enjoy lectures and onboard facilities.

Steeple Jason is undoubtedly one of the most dramatic islands in the archipelago. The island is of significant importance to conservationists, as it is the home to the world’s largest black-browed albatross colony. Large numbers of striated caracara, Falkland skuas, southern rockhopper penguins, Magellanic penguins, gentoo penguins, slender-billed prions and southern giant petrels also breed here. sea lions, Peale’s dolphins, Commerson’s dolphin and fur seals can be seen along the shore.

Located slightly northwest of West Falkland, West Point Island's main attraction is the Devil’s Nose, a cliffside colony of black-browed albatrosses nesting side-by-side with rockhopper Penguins. Magellanic penguins, striated caracaras, military thrushes and Magellanic cormorants can also be found on the island.

Stanley is a small, colourful city with very British characteristics. Visit the excellent museum and the cathedral and maybe have a drink in one of the local pubs.

Watch for marine mammals and birds from deck or enjoy lectures and onboard facilities.

South Georgia is a breathtaking destination of towering snow-covered mountains, mighty glaciers, and low-lying grasslands that attract an astounding concentration of wildlife. It is possible to find southern fur seals, southern elephant seals and a variety of albatross species including black-browed, light-mantled sooty, grey-headed and the spectacular wandering albatross, plus thousands of king and macaroni penguins. South Georgia is also linked to the early Antarctic explorers. Captain James Cook first stepped ashore in 1775, but perhaps more famous is Ernest Shackleton’s arrival in 1916 following the loss of his ship Endurance in the Weddell Sea.

More relaxing days at sea. Watch for marine mammals and birds from deck or enjoy lectures and onboard facilities.

The South Sandwich Islands are extremely remote and untouched, being 470 miles southeast of South Georgia. They are a 240-mile chain of 11 islands that form part of the "Scotia Arc", and even today they experience active volcanism. Captain James Cook, on his search for a rumoured southern continent, discovered the islands in 1775. Most of the islands are rugged and mountainous rising steeply from the sea with snow-covered peaks. The islands have been recognised by Birdlife International as an Important Bird Area and we hope to see lots of species as we visit.

Enjoy informative lectures and the ship's facilities or just watch out on deck for birds and marine wildlife

The South Orkney Islands are a group of four main islands in the Scotia Sea about 375 miles northeast of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. They were discovered in 1821 by two sealers, the American Nathaniel Brown Palmer and the British George Powell, who named them Powell's Group. The islands were renamed in 1823 by James Weddell, after the Orkney Islands in Scotland.

Elephant Island is home to awesome glaciers and several chinstrap penguin rookeries, as well as 2,000-year-old moss colonies. Weddell seals and macaroni penguins can also be spotted. In 1916, when Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance was crushed in pack ice in the Weddell Sea, the crew was stranded here for more than 4 months finding shelter under two upturned lifeboats on the spit of land Shackleton’s men named ‘Point Wild’. The bust of the Chilean captain Luis Pardo has been erected here to commemorate the successful rescue in the tug Yelcho.

In the Antarctic Sound, we hope to visit Hope Bay or Paulet Island. At Paulet, Hope Bay and Brown Bluff Adelie and gentoo penguins breed, as do kelp gulls and Cape petrels, snow petrels and skuas. The Sound’s main attractions are the spectacular tabular icebergs that come from the Larsen Ice Shelf further south. We plan at least two zodiac excursions each day with landings or cruises around the ice spotting penguins, birds and marine mammals.  There may also be opportunities to land and visit one of the international research stations in the area.

Last opportunities for bird watching and looking out for whales as we cross the Drake Passage.

Arrive in the morning and disembark