South Georgia & Falklands (2018)
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Overview
This expedition is sold out. However, spaces do become available from time to time. If you would like to be notified if a space does become available, please join the waitlist.
Join us for this all-inclusive, exclusive-charter expedition to the crown jewel of the sub-Antarctic
Designed for photographers by photographers, this expedition to the Falklands and South Georgia Island will be led by Frans Lanting, Tom Mangelsen, Art Wolfe, and Justin Black. We will take you to the places we love and will allow us to make the most of the southern ocean’s greatest wildlife spectacle, based on our collective experience.
Exclusive charter of Polar Pioneer – a 235-foot expedition ship with accommodation limited to forty-six guests in simple but comfortable cabins – facilitates our goals for this trip. We have chosen to do this voyage on this ship because it offers a degree of intimacy that makes for superior interactions and experience for everyone, both aboard and on shore. If you wish to travel with the best photographers to the best places and are willing to sacrifice a little luxury in favor of a world-class photographic adventure, there is no better trip, and this one may never be repeated.
Our expedition begins in Santiago, Chile, with an introductory reception dinner at one of the capital’s best restaurants. After a restful night at Hotel Atton–El Bosque, we fly the next morning to the Falkland Islands, where our ship awaits. Once at sea, the decks of the Polar Pioneer provide a great vantage point for sightings of Commerson’s dolphins, imperial cormorants, and more. On our first full day of the trip, we plan to kick off our photography with an excursion to one of the largest breeding colonies of black-browed albatrosses in the world, numbering around 200,000 pairs, on Steeple Jason Island. At nearby Saunders Island, colonies of rockhopper, king, and gentoo penguins await us as well. As always, weather, wind, and sea conditions will dictate our exact landing site.
We then move on to South Georgia. Along the way, we hope to see dolphins ride the ship’s bow wave, and whale sightings are common. This rugged island of towering mountains covered in immense glaciers hosts extraordinary gatherings of penguins and pelagic birds – including wandering, grey-headed, light-mantled sooty, black-browed, and royal albatrosses – as well as southern elephant seals and Antarctic fur seals. In spring, currents of krill sweep up from the Weddell Sea, providing food for one of the planet’s greatest wildlife concentrations. In addition to the vast colony of 200,000 king penguins at Salisbury Plain, we will visit a colony of yellow-crested macaroni penguins at Hercules Bay, the historic whaling base of Grytviken, and more, photographing sublime landscapes too along the way.
We’ve chosen to let go of Antarctica itself on this trip, in favor of focusing our time on the best concentrations of wildlife in the entire sub-Antarctic region. The timing of our trip during southern spring means South Georgia looks its best: the newly returned penguin colonies are clean, and fresh snow still blankets the mountains looming just inland of the coast.
Learn as we travel, with instruction throughout by Frans, Tom, and Art. This is a rare opportunity to spend time with these masters, both in the field and onboard. Visionary Wild founder Justin Black will serve as assistant instructor, and Christine Eckstrom and Sue Cedarholm will be on hand for technical support. We have recruited Denise Landau, a first-rate expert on South Georgia Island and governor of the American Polar Society, to act as the ship’s expedition leader. Additional expedition staff will provide natural history interpretation and guide services.
Polar Pioneer: Our exclusive charter vessel provides an excellent platform for this voyage, in part due to her strength, nimble maneuverability, and ability to navigate waters that can be impassable to larger ships. Those who appreciate small-group travel will enjoy the passenger limit of forty-six guests. Every other commercial expedition vessel operating in these waters carries over one hundred passengers, resulting in a far less intimate experience. With our relatively small group and large photo leader team, everyone will have excellent access to leaders and expedition staff, landing operations are more efficient, and we’ll be able to get to know one another much better.
Built in Finland as a polar and oceanographic research ship (Ice Rating 1A), Polar Pioneer has been transformed into a highly effective expedition vessel offering an excellent balance of capability, functionality, and comfort. She offers simple-yet-comfortable, clean, well-maintained cabins that offer plenty of room for you and your gear, as well as pleasant public spaces for presentations by trip leaders, informal gatherings, and group meals. Superb expedition support includes a large fleet of zodiacs (seven plus a spare), highly experienced expedition staff, and the top-notch crew, who welcome guests on the ship’s spacious bridge. Outside areas on the ship provide excellent platforms at various levels for photographing marine fauna, icebergs, and the seascape.
We have coordinated with Polar Pioneer’s new kitchen staff, headed by two talented chefs, to develop a menu offering meals that are tasty, wholesome, and satisfying, with emphasis on fresh ingredients and healthy options. We are assembling an excellent wine list for the trip as well!
Itinerary
This is representative of what we plan to undertake on this trip, though it is subject to change to enable us to take advantage of special opportunities, or respond to weather and other unforeseeable circumstances. Due to the variability of weather and other seasonal conditions, we cannot guarantee any particular landings or locations. We can guarantee that we will do our best to make the most of the opportunities available to us, and deliver a first-rate experience.
Day 1 – Nov 16 – Participants will be met at Santiago Airport (SCL) and to be transferred to Hotel Atton – El Bosque, a modern accommodation in Santiago’s safe and charming Providencia district. There you will meet group leaders Frans Lanting, Tom Mangelsen, Art Wolfe, and Justin Black, as well as the rest of the team, for an introductory orientation program in the late afternoon, followed by a festive group dinner at one of Santiago’s finest restaurants. Overnight at Hotel Atton (D)
Day 2 – Nov 17 – Early in the morning, our group will transfer via comfortable chauffeured charter buses to the airport in Santiago (SCL) for the flight to Mount Pleasant Airport (MPN) in the Falklands, followed by short ground transfer to Port Stanley to embark on Polar Pioneer. We will be welcomed aboard by the ship’s expedition staff, the Captain, and crew, and settle into quarters before setting out for the remote and wild northwest corner of the Falklands. Aboard Polar Pioneer (B,L,D)
Day 3 – Nov 18 – Falkland Islands: We wake up in the vicinity of Steeple Jason and Saunders Islands in the remote northwest of the Falklands, to make our first landings to photograph gentoo and rockhopper penguins, as well as the world’s largest colony of black-browed albatrosses. Aboard Polar Pioneer (B,L,D)
Days 4-6 – Nov 19-21 – At sea: In transit to South Georgia Island. This is our opportunity to prepare for the exciting opportunities that await us at South Georgia, and get to know one another better. Frans, Tom, and Art will deliver presentations intended to inspire and help you take your photography to new levels. We will also conduct photographic critiques of existing participant work. Aboard Polar Pioneer (B,L,D)
Days 7-12 – Nov 22-27 – South Georgia Island Aboard Polar Pioneer (B,L,D)
- Nov 22 – Landing at Elsehul, a small bay noted for its grey-headed and light-mantled sooty albatrosses, plus a visit to Right Whale Bay.
- Nov 23 – Bay of Isles and Salisbury Plain for king penguins, and Prion Island for wandering albatrosses. If it’s clear, we’ll have a full moon.
- Nov 24 – Landing at Hercules Bay for macaroni penguins, plus Stromness or Fortuna Bay.
- Nov 25 – Historic Grytviken and Godthul.
- Nov 26 – St. Andrews Bay plus Gold Harbour king penguin colonies.
- Nov 27 – Cooper Bay plus Drygalski Fjord.
Days 13-15 – Nov 28-30 – At sea returning to Port Stanley. Our transit back to the Falklands will be used well. In addition to providing valuable time to talk photography and review the images we’ve made during our week at South Georgia, Frans, Tom, Art, and the expedition staff will offer inspiring, informative, and entertaining presentations and offer critique of participant work. Aboard Polar Pioneer (B,L,D)
Day 16 – Dec 1 – Return to Santiago – Disembark at Stanley in the morning, and transfer to Mount Pleasant Airport for our afternoon flight back to Santiago, arriving around 10pm. Group transfer via comfortable chauffeured buses to Hotel Atton for the night. (B,L,D)
Day 17 – Dec 2 (Departure Day, Santiago) – After breakfast, transfer to airport at your convenience, and catch your flight home. (B)
Instructors
Frans Lanting
- FRANS LANTING has been hailed as one of the great nature photographers of our time. His influential work appears in books, magazines, and exhibitions around the world. Born in ...
Tom Mangelsen
- A Nebraska native, Thomas D. Mangelsen is recognized as one of the world’s premier nature photographers. Mangelsen’s love of nature, his life in the outdoors and business ...
Art Wolfe
- It is in the wild places, where the edge of the earth meets the corners of the sky, the human spirit is fed. The son of commercial artists, Art ...
Justin Black
- JUSTIN BLACK is a photographer, writer, editor, expedition leader, photo workshops instructor, a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers (ILCW), a former executive director of the International ...
Gallery
Pricing
Captain's Suite
Mini Suite
Twin Private
Twin Shared
PRICING BY CABIN CLASS
Prices provided below are for the all-inclusive package, based on cabin class and either single or double occupancy. Cabin class and occupancy type may be selected via our online registration form. A 25% deposit is required upon registration, with an additional 25% due as of August 30, 2017, and the remaining 50% balance due August 1st, 2018
Note: Traveling alone? Feel free to book at the lower double-occupancy rates, so long as you are content to be paired with another guest of the same gender.
Twenty-three cabins are available to guests on our expedition vessel, to host a maximum of 46 guests (up to two per cabin). All are “outside” cabins with windows or portholes for views and additional light. The Captain’s Suite, two Mini-Suites, and twelve Twin Private cabins on Decks 4 & 5 all have private en-suite showers and toilets. The remaining eight Twin Shared cabins on Deck 3 have in-room washbasins, but share a several nearby restrooms and showers (Twin Shared are offered at a value rate). All cabins are cleaned daily.
Captain’s Suite (Sold Out– 1 cabin ): $22,000 per person double-occupancy; $41,000 single-occupancy
Double bed in separate room, plus foldout couch that can be used as a single bed, forward and port windows, lounge and table area, fridge, TV, video player, and private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin.
SIZE: Living Room/Bedroom – 14.75 x 16.4 ft = 241 sq ft.; Bathroom – 3.9 x 5.25 ft = 20.5 sq ft.
Mini Suite (Sold Out – 2 cabins): $20,500 per person double-occupancy; $38,000 single-occupancy
Double bed in a separate room, foldout couch that can be used as a single bed, TV, video player, windows, desk, table area, fridge, and private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin.
SIZE: Living Room/Bedroom/Bathroom – 14.85ft x 12.15ft = 180.4 sq ft; Bathroom – 3.9 x 5.25 ft. = 20.5 sq ft.
Twin Private (Sold out – 12 cabins): $18,500 per person double-occupancy; $33,500 single-occupancy
Two lower bunks, a desk, windows and private bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin. (Note: #402 and #403 have one upper bunk, one lower bunk, and a couch).
SIZE: Bedroom/Bathroom – about 115 sq ft.; Bathroom – about 20.5 sq. ft. (varies slightly from cabin to cabin)
Twin Shared (Sold Out – 8 cabins): $14,500 per person double-occupancy; $26,500 single-occupancy
Two lower bunks, a desk, small washbasin, ample storage and hanging space, a couch and a porthole. Showers and toilets are very close by and are shared with other Main Deck cabins.
SIZE: Total Cabin: 13 x 8 ft = 104 sq ft.
Highlights
- A unique opportunity to travel with the world’s preeminent nature photographers in the sub-Antarctic region’s greatest wildlife spectacle.
- We give South Georgia Island the time and attention it deserves, as a world-class destination for wildlife and landscape photography.
- 200,000 king penguins in a vast colony at Salisbury Plain.
- Several other penguin species, both on shore and at sea.
- Five species of albatross (wandering, royal, light-mantled sooty, black-browed, and grey) – stunning both in flight and on the ground.
- Many other pelagic bird species: petrels, fulmars, prions, and shearwaters.
- Large numbers of southern elephant and sub-Antarctic fur seals
- Vistas including icebergs, glacier-covered mountains, deep blue fjords, and a full moon (weather permitting).
- Follow in Shackleton’s footsteps, learning the history of exploration, exploitation, and recovery of the area.
- The Polar Pioneer, a brilliant expedition ship for serious photographers, perfectly suited to small-group exploration in the southern ocean. With many years’ experience in polar waters and only 46 guests on board, Polar Pioneer has the flexibility to make the most of our visits to the Falklands and South Georgia, if the weather, sea conditions, and wind dictate a change in the itinerary.
- First-rate photo support team: Justin Black of Visionary Wild, Chris Eckstrom of Frans Lanting Photography, and Sue Cedarholm of Images of Nature.
- Top Expedition Staff: Leader, Denise Landau, plus hand-picked expedition staff.
- Easy travel: No visa required for passport holders from most of the developed world.
Accommodations
- In Santiago, Chile, nights of November 16 and December 1: Hotel Atton – El Bosque
- Falkland Islands and South Georgia, nights of November 17-30: Polar Pioneer, a 235-foot expedition ship accommodating up to 46 guests on this trip in simple yet comfortable cabins.
Travel
Expectations
- 15-day/14-night Falklands–South Georgia cruise aboard Polar Pioneer.
- Round trip flights from Santiago, Chile, to Mount Pleasant Airport at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands.
- All ground transfers from airport pickup in Santiago on Nov 16th to final group transfer by charter coach to Santiago Airport from Hotel Atton-El Bosque on Dec 2nd.
- Photographic guidance by Frans Lanting, Art Wolfe, Tom Mangelsen, and Justin Black, and the support of a world-class team of assistant instructors and naturalist guides.
- A first-rate expedition team, including Denise Landau as Expedition Leader, as well as an Assistant Expedition Leader, Naturalist, Historian, Ship’s Doctor, Hotel Manager, Bartender, Head Chef, and Sous Chef.
- Scheduled group landings and excursions by zodiac.
- All accommodations, including Hotel Atton–El Bosque in Santiago on the nights of Nov 16th and Dec 1st, and cabin aboard Polar Pioneer for the nights of Nov 17-30.
- All meals from dinner on the night of Nov 16 to breakfast on Dec 2, and all non-alcoholic beverages plus fine wine and/or local beer with dinners.
- All group permits and landing fees.
Not Included:
- R/T airfare to our point of origin in Santiago, Chile.
- Cost of passports, any necessary entry visas or reciprocity fees, vaccinations, or other personal travel expenses
- Travel insurance and traveler’s medical insurance including evacuation insurance (mandatory)
- Alcoholic beverages other than wine and beer offered at dinners
- Telephone or internet charges
- Any private excursions or services not included in the itinerary
- Gratuities for guides, expedition staff, and ship’s crew, at your discretion
- Personal purchases, souvenirs, and anything else not listed as included
Outcomes
In Support of Conservation on South Georgia Island
As our November 2016 South Georgia – Falklands expedition drew to a close, we hosted a charity auction at sea in support of vital conservation work by South Georgia Heritage Trust. Recently, this has included a large-scale initiative to eradicate invasive rats, which appears to have been successful in eliminating every single rat from the island, radically improving conditions for many bird species that nest there.
Items auctioned included limited edition prints and books by Frans Lanting, Art Wolfe, Tom Mangelsen, and Justin Black, silk scarves by Sue Ewald Cedarholm, a night with our expedition historian, Ben Maddison (just kidding – though it was the running joke of the evening), various South Georgia souvenirs, and two copies of a detailed South Georgia map, signed by the photo leaders, expedition staff, and key members of the ship’s crew. The maps alone sold for $2,000 each, and we raised over $28,000 for conservation on South Georgia Island. We’ll see if we can match or exceed that feat in 2018.
South Georgia & Falklands (2018)
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