Antarctica, South Georgia & Falkland Islands
The Most In-depth Wildlife Expeditions
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Why Pick Us? |
Antarctic Peninsula |
Antarctica, South Georgia & Falklands: Tectonics, Climate & Life |
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South Georgia & Falklands |
Antarctica, South Georgia & Falklands |
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.
View our Antarctica photo and video galleries.
Independent reviews on Epinions.com
Why Pick Us?
Plenty of time for photography
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. Don't go to Antarctica and find yourself stuck on a ship when you want to be exploring this magical place!
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.
Zodiac cruising
Jam-Packed Itinerary with
More Landings and Zodiac Cruising
Since 1994 we have led over 20 expeditions to the Antarctic regions and now use this experience to continuously perfect and update our itinerary to make it the most in-depth you will find.
We make more landings than other voyages. Please compare the number of landings we plan to other tours - we are sure that we will come out on top! We can offer more landings without rushing from one site to the next because our trip is longer. Years of experience give us the knowledge to hand pick the most fantastic sites. In fact, 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.
Ted Cheeseman
Expert 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. Staff members are on watch from the ship's bridge and deck to spot and identify marine mammals and seabirds. Our full slate of diverse leaders brings you a richer experience.
Our numerous and experienced staff will help you 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 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.
We have accessible expedition leaders - most likely when you contact us you can talk directly to the expedition leader who is glad to answer all your questions, no matter how small! We can also provide names and contacts of former travelers upon request.
Exploring South Georgia
Small Cohesive 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.
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.
Ushuaia
Best Ships
We charter the best possible ships, such as the Ortelius 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 Ortelius has the highest ice-class notation (UL1 equivalent to 1A) so you can feel safe as you explore the icy waters around the Antarctic Peninsula.
Chartering the entire ship puts our expedition leader in charge resulting in more time ashore and zodiac cruising than other expeditions. Our experienced expedition leaders and ship crew know these waters well and can put together agreeable alternate plans when sea and weather conditions change.
St. Andrew's Bay, South Georgia
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. Read independent reviews on Epinions.com.
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. The high number of repeat travelers is a testament to our high quality and value.
Beach cleaning
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.
We initiated an annual beach cleanup of Dyke Bay on Carcass Island in the Falklands where we removed over a hundred bags full of trash the first year. Thanks to our many generous staff and travelmates who volunteered to give up valuable time to benefit this spectacular place. Read more about our cleanup.
Antarctic Peninsula
| Destination (click for itinerary) |
Days |
Dates |
Group
Size |
Leader |
| Antarctic Peninsula In-depth White Continent |
19 |
December 30, 2012 -
January 17, 2013 |
97 |
Hugh Rose
plus 12 staff |
Lemaire Channel
Join us on a voyage of discovery to an awe-inspiring world devoted to nature, wildlife, science, and peace. Our expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula allows time for a vast breadth of landings beyond the realm normally traveled, unhurried and intimate with wildlife and landscapes, sites others are forced to omit or merely rush through. Board the safe and comfortable Ortelius for an unparalleled ten to eleven landing days along the Antarctic Peninsula. Enjoy extensive exploration of the remote and iceberg-filled Weddell Sea, the many wildlife-rich areas in the northern Peninsula and South Shetland Islands, and wonderful sites further south along the western Peninsula. Maximum time on shore will be available for photography, wildlife observation, and traversing the landscapes of the great Antarctic. Our priority is assuring the most in-depth wildlife experience in the Antarctic, an experience made possible by our comprehensive itinerary and committed expedition staff of Antarctic veterans.
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Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands
Scotia Arc Tectonics, Climate and Life
Scenic overlook on South Georgia
This in-depth expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland (Malvinas) Islands not only focuses on the fascinating geology of this region but also has something for everyone - wildlife, photography, history, and pure enjoyment of this pristine landscape.
For the geologist, whether amateur or professional, this voyage is a particularly unique opportunity. Renowned climate scientists Rob Dunbar and Richard Alley and structural geologists Ian Dalziel and Rudolph Trouw will share vast Antarctic knowledge through lectures, informal talks and fieldtrips. Talks will cater to folks with a casual interest in geology to folks with a scientific understanding of the science. To expand your experience, our staff also includes an artist, professional photographers, historians, naturalists and wildlife experts. With only 96 passengers on the comfortable and safe 117-meter ice ship Akademik Ioffe, we will have a ratio of one naturalist/scientist for every six passengers. We will spend a total of 21 days exploring the Southern Ocean with maximum time on shore for study and photography of the fascinating landscapes, geological formations, and wildlife.
This trip is sponsored by The Jackson School of Geosciences of The University of Texas at Austin and the 125th anniversary of the Geological Society of America, in cooperation with Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris.
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South Georgia and Falkland Islands
| Destination (click for itinerary) |
Days |
Dates |
Group
Size |
Leader |
| South Georgia and Falkland Islands FULL |
25 |
October 18, 2012 -
November 11, 2012 |
74 |
Ted Cheeseman
plus 10 staff |
Curious Gentoo Penguin
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 Ushuaia beginning in Stanley, Falkland (Malvinas) 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!
Read about the historical aspects of this expedition.
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Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands
Friendly Chinstrap Penguin
Join us on a voyage of discovery to an awe-inspiring world devoted to nature, wildlife, science, and peace. This safari will have you completely captivated, from the stunning vistas of Tierra del Fuego to the busy penguin rookeries of the Falklands (Malvinas), from the dramatic landscapes of South Georgia to the ice-covered terrain of the Antarctic. Board the comfortable and safe 92-meter ice ship, the Ortelius, for an expedition offering an unparalleled 17 landing days in the Southern Ocean. This expedition offers 26-days aboard our ship including 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.
This expedition will be very similar to our last expedition to Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Falkland Islands in December 2011. Please read the 2011-12 expedition itineray for reference.
Contact us about a possible expedition December 2013 to January 2014!
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All material © Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris.
All photos © Doug or Ted Cheeseman, unless otherwise credited.
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