Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica Explorers and Kings

This five-mile (8 km) island northwest of West Falkland is owned by Rob and Lorraine McGill. Named for the Royal Navy ship HMS Carcass, which arrived in 1766, it is a picturesque place, where songbirds nest amongst the luxuriant growth that covers the gently rolling landscape.

Saunders Island is the fourth largest island in the Falklands and has been designated an Important Bird Area due to the high density of nesting seabirds. Nesting species on the island include rockhopper, gentoo and king penguins as well as black-browed albatross and king cormorants, among many others. Keep on the lookout for Commerson’s dolphins by the shore, and for whale blows out at sea.

Stanley’s deep-water harbor has been the economic mainstay of the community since the port’s completion in 1845. Carrying fortune seekers from the west coast of the Americas, ships battered by rough waters near Cape Horn often called in at Stanley as well. Take a stroll through this quaint English town, visiting the cathedral, museum, or one of its many pubs.

The Napier family has owned West Point Island since the 1860s. On the island’s west coast, thousands of black-browed albatross nest in colonies on cliffs along the water’s edge. Rockhopper penguins share the cliffs, while Commerson’s dolphins can often be seen in the surrounding waters.

This is a photogenic and dramatic fjord, with sharp and jagged peaks rising out of the sea. Glaciation never reached the peaks, giving Drygalski its unique landscape.

The backdrop to this harbor is the hanging Bertrab Glacier. Thousands of king and gentoo penguins call Gold Harbour home, as do rowdy elephant and fur seals.

Only a handful of people live, albeit temporarily, on South Georgia, a British overseas territory. Two of them are curators of the South Georgia Museum, located in the former villa of the whaling station manager. The local church, built for the whaling community, is the only building in Grytviken still used for its original purpose. Buried in the church cemetery is one of Antarctica’s most famous explorers, Sir Ernest Shackleton, at whose grave you can pay your respects.

One of the largest king penguin colonies on South Georgia is located on Salisbury Plain. The Grace and Lucas Glaciers flank the plain, creating a perfect backdrop for photos.

Over 150,000 breeding pairs of king penguins nest at St. Andrew’s Bay—the largest and fastest growing king penguin rookery on South Georgia, and a wildlife spectacle to behold.

This abandoned whaling station was in full operation on the day in 1916 that Sir Ernest Shackleton and his companions staggered into it after a 36-hour trek across the island in an attempt to find help for their shipmates stranded on Elephant Island. There is a small cemetery here which can be seen from a distance, with the graves of 14 whalers.

A dormant volcano, Brown Bluff towers 2,225 feet (678 meters) over the rookeries of Adélie and gentoo penguins, which number in the thousands. These penguins will create a symphony of background noise while you explore the bluff.

If one of your expedition goals is to witness incredible icebergs and sea ice, Cierva Cove is the place for you. A massive glacial face regularly calves into the bay, and the floating ice can be quite spectacular. Seals can be spotted on ice floes, and later in the season, humpback whales occasionally feed in the icy waters.

Damoy Point is the site of a historical ice runway used by the British Antarctic Survey for their flights further south since 1975. The well-maintained hut was used as a staging-post to store supplies and for accommodation while awaiting ideal flying conditions. The point is also home to a penguin rookery and allows for spectacular views of the mountains of Anvers Island.

Home to gentoo penguins, this small dome-shaped island provides you with a stunning view of the Errera Channel.

Located in Wilhelmina Bay, this island’s protected coves were once used by whalers. A Zodiac cruise exploring the island passes the rusting remains of a wrecked whaling ship, and provides opportunities to search for humpback whales.

Three members of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition (1901-04) spent the winter in a hut on the shores of the bay. The hut is located close to the jetty of Esperanza Station, an Argentine research station and one of only two civilian bases in Antarctica outfitted with a school and chapel.

This group of low, glaciated islands in Dallmann Bay is where you may see hauled-out male fur seals as they recuperate from their battles for supremacy at the end of their breeding season.

Located on the south side of Trinity Island and surrounded by stunning ice cliffs and several reefs, Mikkelsen Harbor is a 1.86-mile (3 km)-wide bay, discovered by a Swedish Antarctic expedition in 1901-04. Enjoy a Zodiac cruise of the beautiful waters, or if conditions allow, land at D’Hainaut Island, home to an Argentine refuge and whaling remains in the form of a wooden boat and whale skeletons. Weddell seals are often seen in the area and a gentoo penguin rookery is situated on the island.

Paradise Harbor is a wide bay and natural harbor on the West Antarctic Peninsula. Mountains, glaciers and ice cliffs offer spectacular views. Icebergs regularly calve from the glaciers, providing a place for seals, penguins and seabirds to rest and play. An Argentine research base, Almirante Brown Station—named after Admiral Guillermo Brown, father of the Argentine Navy—is also located in Paradise Harbor, and was operated from 1951 until a large section of it burned down in 1984. It has since been partially rebuilt and is used as a summer research base.

Located in the northwestern Weddell Sea, Paulet Island is home to a large Adélie penguin rookery. With a volcanic cone that rises 1,158 feet (353 meters), the island reminds you that this was once a very active landscape. In addition to penguins, you may be interested in visiting the remains of a historic hut built by members of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901-04. A cross marks the grave site of Ole Wennersgaard, a member of the crew.

Humpback whales abound in “Whale-mina Bay,” as it’s nicknamed, and the scenery is spectacular. Sheer cliffs and glaciers surround the calm waters of the protected bay, named after Wilhelmina, queen of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. If you’re lucky, you may see the humpbacks bubble-net feeding: they exhale while swimming in a wide circle below the surface, trapping krill in a “net” of bubbles, and then swim straight up from below, mouths open, to engulf their prey. A truly astounding sight!

This group of small islands, some still unnamed, is situated in the northern entrance of the English Strait. You can often spot a great mix of wildlife in the area, with gentoo and chinstrap penguins having established rookeries on the islands. Southern elephant and fur seals frequently haul out here, too.

Deception Island is a flooded circular caldera formed by the collapse of an active volcano. To reach this protected harbor, it is necessary to sail through a narrow passage called Neptune’s Bellows. Inside are several bays used at various times for whaling and scientific research. Along with waddling penguins and lounging seals, you’ll see the rusting remains of whaling operations on the beach in some locations. The landscape of Deception Island often presents opportunities for longer walks to striking vistas. The stark contrast between snow and dark volcanic sand and the steam along the shoreline from geothermic activity when the tide is right, gives this location an atmospheric feel.

This crescent-shaped island was known to sealers as early as 1821. While they tried to keep this productive location secret, we’re happy to bring you ashore on this impressive island. Many Antarctic birds breed here, including chinstrap penguins, shags, Wilson’s storm petrels, kelp gulls, snowy sheathbills, Antarctic terns and skuas.

On the southern coast of Livingston Island at Hannah Point, you may see chinstrap and gentoo penguin rookeries, along with the occasional breeding macaroni penguin. Due to the rather congested area available to the nesting penguins, we are able to visit here only after January 10.

Antarctica has two flowering plants, both of which you can find on Penguin Island: Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica) and Antarctic pearlwort (Colobanthus quitensis). Chinstrap penguins, fur seals and southern elephant seals can also be spotted here.

A beautiful spot for Zodiac cruising, this point was known to sealers as early as 1820. Chinstrap penguins, kelp gulls and pintado petrels breed here, and whales may be seen in the surrounding waters.

Chinstrap and Adélie penguin rookeries are found on this point, situated on the south coast of King George Island. The beaches here are often crowded with southern elephant, fur and Weddell seals hauled out on the rocks.

Gentoo penguins have established a rookery at this harbor, situated on the southwest side of Greenwich Island. Here, you can see an abandoned Argentine refuge hut and a large glacier that stretches along the east and north sides of the bay. An abandoned sealing try pot is all that remains of the activity that brought men thousands of miles in tall ships to seek their fortune. Enjoy a rare chance for a longer walk along the expansive beach, dotted with historical artifacts and wildlife.