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antarctic
falkland islands, south georgia & antarctica
Starting point for an almost three-week-long expedition cruise to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica in November and December 2023 was Ushuaia, a small town located on the far southern tip of South America. Aboard the Plancius, previously an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy, I had the opportunity to explore one of the last untamed areas on Earth, a land of rugged, beautiful landscapes and amazingly diverse wildlife (I was lucky enough to observe seven different species of penguins and a large pod of orcas or killer whales). As a bonus, I have finally set foot on all seven continents of the earth.
Landing site at Coffin’s Harbour, New Island, Falkland Islands
King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) and their chicks at Fortuna Bay, South Georgia
Half Moon Bay, Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
antarctic Galleries
Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctica, 2023
Check out the highlights of a three-week-long expedition cruise aboard the Plancius to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. Despite the restrictions that were in place due to the circulating bird flu, I could still observe a large number of animals, including seven different species of penguins.
The island of South Georgia is an animal lover's dream come true. It's particulary famous for its large King penguin colonies. Salisbury Plain, Fortuna Bay and St. Andrews Bay were among the visited sites. In Grytviken, an abandoned whaling station, we paid tribute to Sir Ernest Shackelton and visited his grave.
During our time in Antarctica, we visited Brown Bluff, located in the Antarctic Sound, where we had the opportunity to set foot on the Antarctic Continent itself. Luckily, the weather was great and for many hours we were able to watch a large population of Gentoo and Adelie penguins. The breathtaking scenery continued the next day at Half Moon Bay, another landing site.
The Falkland Islands archipelago, the site of a 1982 war between the UK and Argentina, is made up of more than 700 islands. We visited the capital city Stanley but spent most of our time on New Island, which is an important Bird Area with species including Gentoo, and Rockhopper penguins, Black-browed albatross, King Cormorants and Striated Caracaras..
tour info
The Plancius cruise to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctica in November and December 2023 was organized by Diamir, Germany. Tour operator was Oceanwide Expeditions.
highlight
Observing the King penguins and their cute chicks in Fortuna Bay, South Georgia, from a close distance.