South Georgia and Falkland (Malvinas) Islands
Expedition to an Antarctic Oasis
October 18 to November 11, 2012

| Expedition Summary | Why Pick Us? |

Walk among 100,000 Penguins...

Explore this truly unique island during its vibrant springtime to witness breeding Elephant Seals, vast colonies of King Penguins on a snowy landscape, and nesting Grey-headed, Wandering, Light-mantled Sooty, and Black-browed albatross. Travel aboard the Ushuaia to South Georgia for eleven days on one of the most beautiful and wildlife-rich islands on the planet! Return to the Falklands to explore more temperate penguin and albatross breeding colonies. Tim and Pauline Carr, longtime South Georgia explorers plus authors of Antarctic Oasis, and our staff of professional photographers, including Rod Planck and Tom Murphy, will share their expertise and help you take some of the best photographs of your life. This is an experience whose majesty words cannot convey!

Join Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris in celebrating over 30 years of wildlife safaris! Our worldwide eco-tours travel to our favorite destinations unique for abundant and photogenic mammals, birds and nature. All our trips have knowledgeable and enthusiastic leadership, small groups, custom high-quality itineraries, and maximum time in the field. Our safaris are for non-smokers who love nature!

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Learn more about this expedition!

• Expedition summary
• Why pick us?
• Full day-by-day itinerary, including landing site descriptions
• Our Antarctica blog
• Photo and video galleries
• Participant testimonials
• 2009 voyage log
• Our ship, the Ushuaia
• Historical aspects of this expedition.
• Contact us, we love to talk about our expeditions!

Expedition Summary

Our travelmates tell us that South Georgia and Falkland Islands are their favorite places on earth! So we used our 15-years of experience leading expeditions to the polar regions to come up with an itinerary that concentrates on these magical islands. We are one of only a few tour operators to offer this unique expedition with ten to eleven days visiting pristine South Georgia and three days on wonderful Falkland Islands.

Black-browed Albatross,
Falkland Islands

Dates: October 18 to November 11, 2012.

Leaders and staff:Ted Cheeseman is our Expedition Leader, along with ten additional staff. Our staff includes Tim and Pauline Carr who spent fourteen years on South Georgia working for the South Georgia Museum and exploring the entire island. The staff also includes professional photographers, ornithologists, and experienced naturalists who will give onboard lectures and lead onshore walks to enrich your experience.

Ship: The Ushuaia, an ice-strengthened polar vessel, is well appointed and provides ample deck space and an open bridge policy.

Size: 74 participants. We keep our expeditions to fewer than 100 passengers so that everyone can land at the same time, without taking timed shifts ashore.

Days: 25 days total, with 10 to 11 days in South Georgia and 3 days in the Falkland Islands.

Cost: $9,650 to 16,650 per person, double occupancy, depending on cabin choice. Not including airfare.

Conditions: A non-smoking expedition for people who are very interested in wildlife and the opportunity to spend the maximum time in the field.

Timeline:

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Why Pick Us?

Part of King Penguin Colony at
Salisbury Plains, South Georgia

Below are a few aspects of our South Georgia expedition that make it truly unique.

• More Landings: 10 to 11 days in South Georgia, so we will make more landings than shorter trips and also have more opportunities to land at key sites that are highly weather dependant, such as St. Andrew's Bay. Starting in Stanley shortens our time at sea, allowing for these extra landing days in South Georgia.
• Abundant Time Ashore: Early landings offer great light for photography, and, unless we change sites at lunch, we have the option of bag lunches on shore so you can be in the field all day. Having many Zodiac drivers lessens your wait time and allows flexibility to return when you wish.
• Unique Timing for Wildlife and Scenery: We have selected these dates very carefully to correspond with the truly amazing peak of the elephant seal breeding season yet before the start of fur seal breeding season, giving us great action and visits to sites otherwise made inaccessible by fur seals. The landscape is stunning this time of year with snow still covering the ground in most places.
• Ideal Group Size: 74 participants gives a more intimate experience and allows everyone to land at the same time, yet is large enough to have many leaders, ensuring more expertise and variety.
• Best Ship: The Ushuaia is perfect for this expedition because of its size and draft - small enough to get in close to shore for more protected landings, more stable anchorages, and shorter Zodiac rides.

  
  Curious Gentoo Penguin

• Flexibility of Full Charter: We charter the entire ship for a cohesive group and maximum flexibility with operations. The Captain and Expedition Leader work closely together to determine the best landing sites based on the conditions so we can maximize our time in South Georgia.
• Expert Leadership: Our leaders have extensive experience in the Southern Ocean and are passionate about sharing the best of it with you. Great leaders really make a difference!
• Photography Workshops: Our professional photographers will conduct a series of photography workshops and seminars onboard and in the field, making this expedition an unparalleled opportunity to improve your photographic techniques and capture the best images of your life.
• Accessible Expedition Leader: Feel free to call our office and speak directly to Ted Cheeseman, Expedition Leader.

  
  Exploring South Georgia

• Great Value: We have an excellent leader to participant ratio (1:7) and our expeditions consistently cost less per day than other tours.
• Passionate About Conservation: We are concerned about protecting the polar environments and support many conservation efforts. We are full members of IAATO, an organization that advocates, promotes, and practices safe and environmentally responsible travel to the Antarctic.

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All material © Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris.
All photos © Doug or Ted Cheeseman, unless otherwise credited.
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