South Georgia
on the M/V Plancius

15 days - 14 nights

Day 1 - Ushuaia

Your journey begins where the world ends. Ushuaia, Argentina, considered the southernmost city on the planet, is located at the southern tip of South America. Starting in the afternoon, you'll embark from this small resort town in Tierra del Fuego, nicknamed "The End of the World," and sail through the mountain-lined Beagle Channel for the rest of the night.

Day 2 to 3 - Sailing alongside albatrosses and petrels.

On the way to South Georgia, you'll cross the Antarctic Convergence. The temperature drops considerably in a matter of hours, and nourishing water rises to the sea surface due to the collision of water columns. This phenomenon attracts a multitude of seabirds. At sea, on the west side, several species of albatrosses and petrels follow the boat, such as the diving petrel, also storm petrels, shearwaters, etc.

Day 4 - Shag Rocks

Depending on weather conditions, we may pass Shag Rocks. This small group of six islands is located in the South Georgia mountain range, in shallower waters. The nutrient-rich waters of this area provide a wealth of food for birds and whales. The islands are named after the South Georgia shags, known for their bright blue eyes and yellow beak patch.

Known as the Aurora Islands, they are two groups of islands: the western group or Shag Rocks and the eastern group or Black Rocks. These are sedimentary rocks, as they have emerged from the mountain range formed by the Scotia Ridge, which is none other than the rock formation that continues on the seabed to the Andes Mountains.

Day 5 to 10 - South Georgia Island

We will arrive at South Georgia Island, where we must visit Elsehul Bay, with its active breeding of beach seals, and then continue to Right Whale Bay, Salisbury Plain, Gold Harbour and Cooper Bay. This will give you the great opportunity to see a wide range of landscapes and wildlife, such as elephant seals, gentoo penguins, king and macaroni penguins, grey-headed albatrosses, sooty albatrosses, snowy sheathbills and even the introduction of a non-native animal such as It's the reindeer in the Drygalski Fjord.

One of the places we plan to visit is Prion Island, chosen by wandering albatrosses to nest and raise their chicks. In Fortuna Bay, we'll try to retrace the steps taken by the legendary British explorer Ernest Shackleton and continue the journey to Stromness Bay. At this point and in Grytviken, the ruins of the abandoned whaling village still stand, now inhabited by king penguins and seals that roam the streets and buildings. The Grytviken Whaling History Museum and the adjacent Shackleton Tomb are other treasures from the past we'll visit.

Weather conditions will determine the areas we can visit in South Georgia and where we can do activities. Destinations to visit include:

• Prion Island This site is closed during the early breeding season for wandering albatrosses. By January, breeding adults have reunited with their partners and are either incubating eggs or caring for their chicks. Enjoy observing the gentle nature of these animals, which have the largest wingspan of any bird in the world.
• Salisbury Plain, St. Andrew's Bay, Gold Harbour These areas are not only home to the three largest king penguin colonies on South Georgia, but also to three of the largest Antarctic fur seal breeding beaches in the world. Literally millions of Antarctic fur seals breed off South Georgia during December and January. Only during the shoulder season do they reach the peak of their breeding cycle. Watch the great seals constantly monitor (and occasionally fight) over territories where dozens of females have just given birth or are about to give birth. Watch your step and stay cool when walking along the beaches during this time.
• Fortuna Bay This bay is 5,000 meters long and 1,600 meters wide, located between Cape Best and Point Robertson, very close to Mount Atherton on the north coast of San Pedro Island. Its name is in honor of the Argentine whaling ship, El Fortuna, which was one of the architects of the Grytviken whaling station on South Georgia Island in 1905. Nearby is Ocean Harbour (Puerto Nueva Fortuna). Its beaches are teeming with penguins and seals. We can follow the final route taken by Ernest Shackleton to the Stromness whaling station.
• Leith Harbour, Stromness, Husvik These sites remind us of the scale of the whaling industry in the early 20th century. Elephant seals and fur seals breed and molt here. Gentoo penguins also occupy the landing sites. Antarctic prions and diving petrels can be seen, especially in the Husvik area. Leith Harbour was the largest whaling station in Stromness Bay, located on the northeast coast of St. Peter's Island and operating from 1909 to 1964. Many whaling stations operated around Stromness Bay; in addition to Leith Harbour, Husvik and Stromness operated there. Husvik was one of three stations in the bay. The three whaling stations: Husvik, Stromness, and Leith, were connected along the beach. When all three were in operation, employees at Stromness and Husvik would go to Leith Harbour to watch a movie.
• Grytviken At this abandoned whaling station, king penguins roam the streets and elephant seals roam the grounds as if they owned the place—because they do. Here, you can visit the South Georgia Museum and Shackleton's grave.
• Cobblers Cove (Pleasant Cove), Godthul At Cobblers Cove, we go to Rookery Point to see macaroni penguins. Light-mantled sooty albatrosses nest along the shore, and giant petrels can also be seen. Godthul (Norwegian for "good cove") was named by Norwegian whalers and sealers, and remains such as bones can still be found along the coast. The beaches are home to gentoo penguins. Cobblers Cove is an inlet found upon entering Godthul. Godthul Bay, or Good Creek Bay, is located on the northwest coast of San Pedro Island and served as a harbor for Norwegian-flagged whaling companies.
• Royal Bay (Moltke Harbor, Will Pint & Brisbane Point) Moltke Harbor in Royal Bay was named by the German International Polar Year Expedition in 1882, and some of the remains of their habitations are still visible. The landscape of Royal Bay is comprised of beautiful dark sandy beaches, followed by the green hues of the scrubland and finally dominated by the snow- and ice-covered Ross Glacier. Royal Bay is probably the windiest spot. Approximately 30,000 pairs of king penguins live here.
• Cooper Bay It offers the largest population of chinstrap and gentoo penguins, and macaroni penguins are also present. You can also observe Antarctic terns, white-chinned petrels, blue-eyed shags, and light-mantled sooty albatrosses.
• Drygalski Fjord It offers spectacular scenery and landscapes. This bay is located south of St. Peter's Island. You enter the fjord through the Larsen Strait, where Nattriss Rock is located.
• Annenkov Island Passing through the Pickersgill Islands, we reach the rarely visited Annenkov Island, first discovered by James Cook in 1775 and later renamed by Fabian von Bellingshausen's Russian expedition in 1819. A rocky terrain with a variety of ridges, peaks, and hills, fossils have also been found.
• King Haakon Bay British explorer Ernest Shackleton reached King Haakon Bay during his 800-nautical-mile voyage on the open ship "James Caird" from Elephant Island. From here, he crossed to Stromness to request help rescuing his party on Elephant Island after they had left the Weddell Sea, where their ship was crushed by ice. Elephant seals dominate the beaches. Birdwatchers enjoy South Georgia with Antarctic prions or blue petrels.

Day 11 to 14 - Return south to the Drake Passage

Sea ice may be present along this route, and at the ice edge, some southern skuas and snow petrels may join other seabirds such as albatrosses and petrels, which pull the ship southward. Eventually, upon reaching the Drake Passage, a wide variety of seabirds await us.

Day 15 - Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego Island

We arrive and disembark in the morning in Ushuaia, commonly considered the southernmost city in the world. It's located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, nicknamed the "End of the World." But despite this stopping point, the wealth of memories you've accumulated on your Antarctic expedition will travel with you wherever your next adventure takes you.