Antarctica is surely the ultimate destination! The scenic settings are as magnificent as any on earth, and the scale of nearly everything is grand to say the least. Complimenting these astounding vistas are vast colonies of majestic penguins, brash skuas, giant petrels, weird sheathbills, somnolent seals and feeding whales that all add life to the region’s stark and amazing beauty. Our birding cruise traverses some of the most interesting areas in the Southern Ocean; notably the Falkland and South Georgia Islands, both of which are renowned as among the richest of all Subantarctic islands. South Georgia’s rugged beauty is worthy of Antarctica itself, while the Falkland Islands are better known as the battlegrounds for the 1982 Anglo-Argentine War. Several days are spent at sea, cruising from one island group to the next until we find ourselves at the very tip of the icy continent itself. These crossings provide thrilling pelagic birding, with huge numbers of albatrosses, petrels, prions, skuas and other seabirds making a daily appearance. Cetaceans are also regular, ranging from the largest whales to the striking Hourglass and Commerson’s Dolphins. This journey to Antarctica is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and cannot come more highly recommended!
A Rockjumper leader will not accompany the expedition unless a minimum of 12 participants are signed up through Rockjumper. In the case that a Rockjumper leader is not on board, the professional expedition staff will take care of all participants signed up through Rockjumper.
Prices are subject to foreign exchange fluctuations.
King, Emperor, Gentoo, Adelie, Chinstrap, Southern Rockhopper, Macaroni & Magellanic Penguins; Flying, Fuegian & Falkland Steamer Ducks; Upland, Kelp & Ruddy-headed Goose; Yellow-billed Pintail; Wandering, Southern Royal, Northern Royal, Light-mantled, Black-browed & Grey-headed Albatrosses; Wilson's, Grey-backed & Black-bellied Storm Petrels; Southern & Northern Giant Petrels; Southern Fulmar; Antarctic, Cape, Snow, Blue, White-headed, White-chinned, Kerguelen & Great-winged Petrels; Antarctic, Slender-billed & Fairy Prions; Sooty & Great Shearwaters; Magellanic, South Georgia & Common Diving Petrels; Rock, Imperial, South Georgia & Antarctic Shags; Snowy Sheathbill; Magellanic & Blackish Oystercatchers; Two-banded & Rufous-chested Plovers; Dolphin Gull; Chilean, South Polar & Brown Skuas; Striated Caracara; Blackish Cinclodes; Dark-faced Ground Tyrant; Grass & Cobb's Wren; Austral Thrush; Correndera & South Georgia Pipits; Black-chinned Siskin; Long-tailed Meadowlark; White-bridled & Black-throated Finches.
South American & Antarctic Fur Seals; South American Sea Lion; Leopard, Weddell, Crabeater & Southern Elephant Seals; Burmeister's Porpoise; Southern Bottlenose, Long-finned Pilot, Killer, Antarctic Minke, Sei, Fin & Humpback Whales; Peale's, Hourglass & Commerson's Dolphins.
coastal and pelagic waters, sub-Antarctic islands & Antarctic Peninsula, pack ice
temperate to subzero, sunny and calm to gale force conditions can be expected
dependent on ship capacity
easy pace, mostly undemanding walks
comfortable expedition cruise ship
easy
80+
spectacular sub-Antarctic scenery, the most remote continent, icebergs and pack ice, nesting albatrosses, vast penguin colonies
incredible
A very successful and amazing trip! Many thanks to Daniel and Adam for all of the hours they spent on deck identifying birds (many of them requiring a photo to be sure)! The Ocean Victory is a stable and extremely comfortable vessel - great staff and good food. I truly appreciate that Rockjumper arranged the special trip for the N. Rockhopper Penguin. It was truly a trip of a lifetime!
I had a wonderful time, I give the highest rating to the staff and crew. Our Rockjumper guide, Holly Faithfull was terrific. She made the cruise, which was excellent, even better!
We had the most incredible trip, with perfect attention to every possible detail, and to have the added trip to the Penguin Colony on the Falklands was a cherry on the top. The guides were both attentive, and engaging at all levels with every member of the group, as well as helpful to non Rockjumper guests, which made a great impression on them too. Thank you for an overwhelmingly awesome tour.
An expedition of a lifetime well worth every penny! As a member of the Survivors of 2019 Club it was a very special tour. From the outstanding service by the expedition staff and crew on the extremely comfortable Quark Ocean Diamond to the always fabulous Rockjumper guides including Glen and Keith Valentine and Mark Beevers, it was the trip of a lifetime. The totally unexpected closeup sightings of Emperor Penguins and the tens of thousands of the six other penguin species was so much fun. Fur Seals and Elephant Seals sunbathed on the beaches as the many species of seabirds flew overhead. The trip to the Black-browed Albatross nesting sight was like something you only expect to see on tv. I felt the Quark crew and the Rockjumper guides went out of their way to make sure everyone had the perfect and safe trip.
Adam and Daniel made this trip extra enjoyable. The quality and diligence of their attention to all of the Rockjumper clients was simply phenomenal. I cannot use enough superlatives to describe the entire Rockjumper Team. The Ocean Victory seemed to be a perfect fit, with excellent staff and a sometimes-wearying dedication to safety.
14 Nov 2023 - 03 Dec 2023 (20 days)
USD18,995 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Expedition Leader
Tour Leader: Harriet Faithfull
Tour price (Per person): USD18,995 * EUR17,987 * GBP15,638 * AUD29,759 * ZAR362,594
04 Nov 2024 - 23 Nov 2024 (20 days)
USD18,995 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Expedition Leader
Tour price (Per person): USD18,995 * EUR17,987 * GBP15,638 * AUD29,759 * ZAR362,594
04 Nov 2025 - 23 Nov 2025 (20 days)
USD20,000 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Expedition Leader
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Tour price (Per person): USD20,000 * EUR18,939 * GBP16,465 * AUD31,334 * ZAR381,778
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