Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris: Antarctic Regions

Antarctica, South Georgia & Falkland (Malvinas) Islands
The Most In-depth Wildlife Expeditions

Come watch wildlife with us! Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris' distinctive worldwide tours travel to destinations unique for abundant and photogenic mammals, birds and nature. We emphasize maximum field time and action-packed wildlife photography during the best season at each destination. Hand-picked leaders and local guides combine amiable personalities with extensive knowledge of each region. All our tours provide a non-smoking policy in small groups. As a small company, we provide a personal touch and attention to every detail - just as we have done for over thirty years. We are dedicated to delivering the best possible wildlife encounters to you. Join us for an amazing experience!

Reserve early! Our trips can fill fast. To reserve your space, follow the instructions in each itinerary. Please contact us if you have any questions. If a trip is full, ask us about our wait list and other options.

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Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands

Photographing Chinstrap Penguins in Antarctica
Friendly Chinstrap Penguin

Our Antarctica, South Georgia, and Falkland Island expeditions offer 26-days aboard our ship, one of the most in-depth itineraries that you will find! This expedition includes three days in the Falkland Islands, eight days on remote and pristine South Georgia and the South Orkney Islands, and seven days along the Antarctic Peninsula and its adjacent islands.

View our Antarctica photo and video galleries.

December 29, 2011 to January 26, 2012
Expedition Leaders: Doug, Gail and Ted Cheeseman, plus a large staff
Participants: 95
Days: 29
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Use this information to compare our expedition to others. We are sure we will come out on top!

South Georgia and Falkland Islands

King Penguins on South Georgia Island

This expedition itinerary is specifically designed to take advantage of the vibrant early season on South Georgia when snow blankets the mountains and early summer brings special wildlife treats seldom experienced. We will explore vast colonies of King Penguins, Elephant Seals in their peak of breeding activity, and colonies of Wandering, Grey-headed, Light-mantled Sooty and Black-browed Albatross. This expedition allows us more days to explore unique South Georgia, the crown jewel of the Antarctic. The landscape filled with expanses of glaciers pouring into the sea provides rare beauty and photogenic impressiveness that words cannot convey. We will voyage aboard the M/V Ushuaia beginning in Stanley, Falkland Islands, departing southeastward for fabulous South Georgia. Here we will enjoy 10 to 11 days in the midst of the most beautiful and wildlife-rich island on the planet! Finally, we return to the Falkland Islands to explore its more temperate penguin and albatross breeding colonies before ending in Ushuaia, Argentina. Our priority on this special expedition is to give you the maximum of time possible in the field at a special time on South Georgia, to explore at your own pace, with ample leadership expertise for your enrichment and assistance when you want it. Come explore the great Antarctic with us!

October 18 to November 11, 2012
Expedition Leaders: Ted Cheeseman, plus a large staff
Participants: 74
Days: 25
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Emperor Penguins of Snowhill Island, Antarctica

Emporer Penguins of Snow Hill Island, Antarctica ©Bruce Miller

Join Ted Cheeseman on a unique and spectacular voyage to visit the Emperor Penguin colony near Snow Hill Island. Deep into the heart of the Weddell Sea, experience one of the most elusive wildlife scenes on the planet: Emperor Penguins with their beautiful young. To "march with the penguins" is a rare experience that very few people are so fortunate to share. The polar-class icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov, equipped with helicopters to access to the Snow Hill rookery, will travel to Antarctica for the last time in the 2010-2011 season. The availability of helicopters for ice reconnaissance and transfers to otherwise inaccessible wildlife viewing areas is what sets this apart from other Antarctic voyages. Because this is the last season the voyage will be possible, it will mark the first time Cheesemans will take a small group of clients to join a larger expedition. This destination is just too special to let an opportunity like this pass by! Join us as we sail through stunning seascapes in the iceberg-strewn Antarctic Sound into the Weddell Sea and behold the incredible Emperors for yourself!

October 24 to November 8, 2010
Expedition Leader: Ted Cheeseman
Days: 16
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Trip now full! Please contact us for options

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Why Do Our Expeditions Stand Out from the Others?

Photographing Adelie Penguins in Antarctica
More Time Ashore

Abundant Time Ashore - We spare no effort to be able to offer you as much time in the field as physically possible. Of course, how much time you spend ashore is up to you, but the choice is yours, not ours. We strive to offer at least eight hours of shore time for each landing day and often far exceed that amount. Our most eager travelmates can spend an average of 125 hours in the field during our expeditions. Don't go to Antarctica and find yourself stuck on a ship when you want to be exploring this magical place!

Jam-Packed Itinerary - We have the most in-depth itineraries that you will find! We have been continuously perfecting our itinerary to the Antarctica Peninsula, South Georgia Island, and the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) since 1994.

Photographing Chinstrap Penguins in Antarctica
More Zodiac Cruising

More Landings and Zodiac Cruising - We make more landings than other voyages. Please compare the number of landings we plan to other tours - we are sure you will find that we come out on top! We can offer more landings without rushing from one site to the next because our trip is longer. Our long experience helps us to hand pick the most fantastic sites in the Antarctic regions. Our voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia Island and the Falkland Islands plan 25 or more landings! Plus we spend significant time zodiac cruising to get you close to the spectacular scenery and wildlife in the waters of this unique area.

Full members
of IAATO

Small Group - IAATO rules state that only 100 people are allowed to go ashore at one time (except on Prion Island, where only 50 are allowed). Having fewer than 100 participants on board allows everyone to be ashore at the same time, eliminating timed shifts and maximizing field time. Our groups are small enough so we can land ashore at the same time without creating a crowd, yet large enough to allow us to bring a diverse array of knowledgeable leaders.

Diverse Leaders and Staff - Excellence, expertise, and genuine interest in your enjoyment define our leaders and staff. While on shore, we offer you photography seminars, wildlife drawing classes (on our Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falklands expedition), plus geology, bird, and nature walks to enhance your visit. Also, while on board the ship at sea, we offer ecology, geology, photography, and history lectures to inform you about this unique area. Staff members are on watch from the ship's bridge and deck to spot and identify marine mammals and seabirds. Our full slate of experienced leaders bring you a richer experience.

Drawing Class in Antarctica
Drawing Class

We maximize the number of zodiac drivers on our staff so we can quickly ferry our participants ashore, without waiting in a long queue. More drivers also allows participants greater flexibility in deciding when they would like to go ashore and return.

Our numerous and experienced staff also helps you to safely land in challenging sea conditions. For this reason, we rarely miss landings, especially at such fantastic but difficult sites as Steeple Jason in the Falklands (Malvinas) and Bailey Head on Deception Island in the Antarctic Peninsula. These are undeniably two of the most fantastic sites in the world for breeding albatross and penguins.

the Polar Star ship in Antarctica
The Polar Star

Best Ships - We charter the entire ship to make sure that our group is cohesive and passionate about their wildlife experience. We talk to each and every participant about the natural history focus of our expedition to assure the best experience for all. We also provide a non-smoking policy for the comfort of everyone.

We also charter the best possible ships, such as the Polar Star and Ushuaia, for these types of wildlife expeditions. These ships are strong and fast, perfect for the Southern Ocean, yet small enough to provide an intimate experience. The Polar Star is an Icebreaker class ship with reinforced hull so you can feel safe as you explore the icy waters around the Antarctic Peninsula.

Leopard Seal

Great Value and Quality - Our tour is the best value of any Antarctic voyage. This is primarily because we are a small, efficient company so you are not paying for a lot of advertising and travel agent commissions. Be sure to compare the number of days, landings, and leaders, plus the hours spent ashore against other tours before you sign-up. Most of our participants have traveled with us before or have been recommended to us by their friends - this is the best evidence of our quality that you can get.

Our leaders and participants are a most enthusiastic, excited, and fun bunch of people. Many of our travelmates are repeat participants, so you will likely see a familiar face or two on our tours. Many new and lasting friendships have been started on a Cheesemans' expedition. Read our Antarctica Blog with experiences from the field and more!

Gentoo Penguins

Passionate Conservation - We are concerned about protecting the polar environments and have supported many conservation efforts over the years. We promote protection of the Wandering Albatross and other albatross species. We are full members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), and Ted Cheeseman is a member of their Executive Committee. IAATO is a membership organization that advocates, promotes, and practices safe and environmentally responsible travel to the Antarctic.

Accessible Expedition Leaders - If you want the best in wildlife experiences, please contact us. More than likely you will talk directly to one of the expedition leaders (Doug, Gail, or Ted Cheeseman). We are happy to answer all your questions, no matter how small! We can also provide names and contacts of former travelers, for you to get an unbiased opinion.

Comprehensive Expedition Log - We publish and distribute a trip log to each traveler after the conclusion of each trip, complete with photos taken by participants on that voyage. It is a wonderful way to share your experience with others and to reminisce about your once-in-a-lifetime experience for many years to come. Read the complete log from our last Antarctic Peninsula expedition (PDF format).