Antarctic wildlife adventure

The Falkland Islands are a destination in their own right, not just a stop en route to South Georgia and Antarctica. This British Overseas Territory sits about 480 kilometers (300 miles) east of Ushuaia, Argentina, in the South Atlantic. The capital, Stanley, has a distinctly British feel, with pubs, red telephone boxes, and the whalebone arch at Stanley Cathedral, the world's southernmost Anglican cathedral. Beyond town, windswept coastlines and grasslands host one of the world's great seabird spectacles. Five penguin species breed here: Magellanic penguins nesting in coastal burrows, rockhopper penguins on clifftop colonies, gentoo penguins (the world's fastest-swimming penguin at up to 36 km/h / 22 mph), king penguins at the northernmost colony at Volunteer Point, and macaroni penguins with their golden head plumes. About 80% of the world's black-browed albatrosses breed on the islands, seen during Zodiac landings at West Point Island and Carcass Island. Birders can also spot the striated caracara, known locally as the "Johnny Rook" for its intelligence and curiosity.

South Georgia sits at 54°S, around 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) southeast of the Falklands. With no airport and no permanent population, it's reachable only by expedition ship. This British Overseas Territory forms part of the South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area, one of the world's largest marine reserves at 1.24 million square kilometers.

Approaching the shoreline beneath glaciated mountains, you'll find king penguins, southern elephant seals, and Antarctic fur seals crowding the beaches. Salisbury Plain holds one of the world's largest king penguin colonies, with more than 60,000 breeding pairs; St. Andrew's Bay and Fortuna Bay are other key landing sites, explored by Zodiac. South Georgia holds around half the world's southern elephant seal population, with bulls, females, and pups visible during the breeding season. Antarctic fur seals, hunted nearly to extinction by the early 1900s, have recovered to an estimated 2-4 million animals here. Krill-rich waters draw whales, and wandering albatrosses nest in the tussock grass of Prion Island.

South Georgia carries a direct link to Ernest Shackleton's 1914-17 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. After his ship Endurance was crushed by sea ice in the Weddell Sea in 1915, Shackleton and five men sailed the lifeboat James Caird 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) from Elephant Island to reach South Georgia, then crossed its glaciated mountains on foot to Stromness whaling station to organize a rescue. Today you can visit the South Georgia Museum and the historic Grytviken whaling station, operated by Norwegian whalers from 1904 to 1965, and toast Shackleton's grave in Grytviken cemetery, a tradition among visitors. The wreck of Endurance was found at a depth of 3,008 meters (10,000 feet) in March 2022.

The Antarctic Peninsula is the final stop of the expedition, shaped by ancient glaciers and ice. Sail the Gerlache Strait, ringed by towering glaciers and snow-capped peaks, cruise the Danco Coast and Paradise Bay, and navigate the narrow Lemaire Channel, one of Antarctica's most scenic passages. At Neko Harbour and Brown Bluff, you can set foot on the Antarctic continent itself, not an island, but the actual landmass.

Visit Deception Island, an active volcanic caldera where you can bathe in geothermal hot springs, and Port Lockroy, a former British research station with the world's southernmost post office, where you can send a postcard home. Spot gentoo penguins at Cuverville Island and chinstrap penguins at Half Moon Island, Weddell and leopard seals on ice floes, and humpback and minke whales feeding in the Gerlache Strait and Wilhelmina Bay.

Day 1 to 5: Embarkation and Falkland Islands

Depart Ushuaia through the Beagle Channel into the South Atlantic. In the Falklands, see gentoo penguins on sandy beaches and Magellanic penguins nesting in burrows, explore Stanley and its whalebone arch at Stanley Cathedral, and visit the northernmost king penguin colony at Volunteer Point. At West Point Island, spot black-browed albatrosses and rockhopper penguins on the cliffs.

Day 6 to 12: South Georgia Island

Cross the Scotia Sea past Shag Rocks, where black-browed albatrosses and cape petrels circle overhead. At Grytviken, visit the whaling station and South Georgia Museum, and toast Ernest Shackleton's grave. See the king penguin colonies of Salisbury Plain and St. Andrew's Bay, and spot elephant seals and fur seals at Fortuna Bay and Gold Harbour. On Prion Island, watch wandering albatrosses nest in the tussock grass; weather permitting, you may glimpse Elephant Island en route to Antarctica.

Day 13 to 18: Antarctic Peninsula

Pass the South Shetland Islands en route to Antarctica. At Deception Island, enjoy geothermal hot springs among black-sand beaches, and visit Port Lockroy's historic post office. Cruise the Gerlache Strait, home to feeding humpback whales and leopard seals on the ice, and navigate the Lemaire Channel before setting foot on the continent itself at Brown Bluff, with its huge Adélie penguin colony, or Neko Harbour, home to gentoo penguins.

Day 19 to 21: Drake Passage and Disembarkation

Cross the Drake Passage back to port, with a Captain's Farewell Cocktail and end-of-voyage slideshow before disembarking in Ushuaia.