Penguins of the Far South: Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica

Explore the rarely visited Falkland Islands and South Georgia before setting foot on the Seventh Continent

Stroll through the quaint English village of Stanley in the Falklands, wander the dunes, and birdwatch at rugged seabird cliffs. In South Georgia, discover beaches where king penguins breed and discover the rich historical legacy of the places you visit. Both islands are known for their wildlife with animals congregating by the thousands. Then, explore the Antarctic Peninsula and enter a world of ice and snow. Pursue your personal passions with a choice of rewarding activities and our extensive educational program.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

The Ocean Explorer takes a maximum of 138 passengers. The Exodus group forms part of the ship’s complement, enjoying the relaxed, intimate and informal atmosphere, which breaks into smaller groups to facilitate the frequent excursions. We offer these cruises in conjunction with our partner, Quark Expeditions, and Exodus participants will join an international group, not all of whom have booked through Exodus. Occasionally some of these may be younger than 18 years old, the Exodus’ stated minimum age for this trip.

Is this trip for you?

Travelling conditions: The voyages are designed to be as flexible as possible, taking advantage of circumstances and events as they occur, as well as passengers’ wishes and particular interests wherever possible. The on-board atmosphere is relaxed and friendly with expedition staff, including naturalists and Polar experts, on hand and the opportunity to mingle with people from all over the world. The ship is kept warm, clean and comfortable with a wet/mud room in which to hang gear and store boots ready for the next adventure.

On the Zodiac cruises, you sit still for most of the time with the potential for sea spray and a cold headwind – if you are not dressed appropriately, you will get cold! On the shore excursions, most landings are wet, which means the Zodiacs beach and you are helped to slide into the ankle-deep shore break before walking up onto dry land (wellington boots are issued to all passengers). There are, of course, no paths, so be prepared for slippery, rough terrain and sometimes fairly deep snow. Back on the ship after each adventure, you can have a sauna and/or a hot shower and then relax with a tea, coffee, hot chocolate or something stronger from the bar.

Adventure options:

• Sea kayaking: Glide across the surface of a bay in the presence of icebergs and glaciers. Our sea kayaking program is a great way to intimately explore your surroundings. A small group of kayakers will plan to go out multiple times per voyage as an alternative to shore landings or Zodiac cruises. The number of opportunities to kayak is weather dependent and will be conducted only during calm conditions. Prior kayaking experience is required, and you must be able to do a wet exit to participate. Beginners interested in kayaking should consider participating in the paddling excursion.
• Paddling excursion: If you’re interested in kayaking but would like to try something a bit less demanding than sea kayaking, you’re the perfect candidate to sign up for a one-time paddle on our stable sit-on-top kayaks − perfect for anyone with minimal or no kayaking experience. Rotating groups of passengers will be taken out on calm days, with our expert guides always present to provide instruction and help connect you with the Polar sea.

Polar itineraries: All Polar itineraries should be treated as a guide only – it is possible that, among other things, the capricious nature of wind, visibility and ice, intelligence from previous sailings, changes in local landing regulations or the expert opinion of the crew may lead to adjustments to the route published.

Booking conditions: As with all Polar holidays and voyages, the booking conditions for this trip differ from our standard conditions. The required deposit is 25% per person of your selected travel arrangements (minimum £1,000 per person or equivalent in booking currency) and the balance of the price of your travel arrangements must be paid at least 133 days before your departure date. The deposit is non-refundable, and at 133 days before departure date, our cancellation penalties are 100% of the holiday cost.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Antarctica

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus and rabies (bat lyssaviruses). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Argentina

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, typhoid, and yellow fever (strongly recommended if you intend to visit the Iguazu Falls due to a recent outbreak in the Misiones province). Please check all vaccination recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

Bilharzia is known to occur in some lakes or rivers in Argentina; follow advice from your guide or leader locally before venturing for a swim.

Dengue and zika, both mosquito‐borne viral diseases, are known risks in Argentina. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available; therefore, the best form of prevention is to take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Visa

Antarctica

It’s your responsibility to obtain any visas required for this trip. Visa requirements vary depending on your nationality and destination, so please check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through. As a guide, some local governments provide information on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html

Argentina

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Argentina. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/argentina
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/argentina
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/argentina/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Argentina.html

Please note, if you are crossing the border into Argentina from Chile on your trip, we will need to know your profession to provide when entering Argentina.

Falkland Islands

No visa required.

South Georgia

No visa required for British, US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and most EU passports.

Food & Drink

All meals while on the ship included.

Typical meals

The ship galley offers good quality service and cuisine throughout, with excellent chefs preparing international menus, including vegetarian dishes, accompanied by a wide variety of drinks from around the world on sale.

Breakfast: Buffet style – unlimited tea and coffee, a selection of fruit juices, hot options including bacon and eggs or omelettes, a selection of bread and toast and jam/honey/marmalade, fruit and cereal.

Lunch: Three-course set meal, or the occasional buffet or barbecue.

Dinner: Three courses with a starter of soup, salad or antipasto, a choice of three mains with at least one vegetarian and one seafood option and a dessert of sweet pudding or ice cream or fruit, tea and coffee.

Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for – please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so our local team can be well prepared.

Weather

Late spring and early summer: October- November

The start of the season and the most adventurous time to travel. You’ll encounter truly breathtaking, exquisitely sculpted icebergs emerging from their frozen hibernation. Many of these blue bergs house courting, nesting and brooding penguins. In the Falklands, flowers are coming into bloom.

High summer: December-February

Close to the solstice, you’ll experience almost perpetual daylight. These are the mildest months when the first Adelie and Gentoo penguin chicks hatch. It’s also the time to encounter seal pups on South Georgia. As the water warms, the whale sightings also improve.

Late summer: February-March

This is the time for incredible encounters with whales, especially minkes and humpbacks. The receding ice allows for further exploration and penguin colonies are very active with adults feeding their chicks.