Antarctica’s awe-inspiring beauty has to be experienced to be believed, the scenes are impossible to describe in mere words, photographs and film, it really like going to another planet! WildWings has been taking people there since 1991 and therefore you will get the benefit of our vast experience to ensure your trip of a lifetime.  We are the one of the few UK travel companies who are members of IAATO and have had major input into member vessel’s current operating methods in respect of wildlife both ashore and in the seas.  

 

The sense of pristineness and purity is unique and will hopefully last forever; ice covered mountains and snowfields surrounded by incredible icebergs and teeming wildlife will leave you with lasting memories. Watch thousands of seabirds including the magnificent albatross and visit vast penguin colonies, along with seals on the beach. Encounter some of the great whales at close quarters, and finally return home truly inspired and personally enriched. WildWings only offers voyages on the best ships for wildlife viewing, which may not necessarily be all the vessels in our operator’s fleets.

 

WildWings tours include

*  Comprehensive pre-trip information.

*  Services of our expert leader/s throughout the trip.

*  Additional included excursions (see itineraries).

*  Daily seawatching sessions on deck and evening log call (at sea).

*  Day by day WildWings bird & mammal checklist for use on tour.

*  Use of WildWings onboard library.

*  Group use of WildWings marine radios (to maximise sightseeings).

*  Use of GPS on some tours to record exact species locations.

 

Our ship-based Bird and Wildlife tours to Antarctica are second to none and it gives us great pleasure to show our clients some of the most fantastic places and wildlife spectacles on the planet. Antarctica is ideal whatever your level of interest. You do not need to be an expert; the wildlife comes to you and it is possible to take superb photographs even with a ‘point and shoot’ camera. Being ship-based, you can pace your tour participation to suit; you can join in for as much or as little as you wish. Non-birding partners invariably enjoy these trips too!

 

Antarctica, The Falklands and South Georgia     Jan 2009 and November 2009

The Atlantic Odyssey March 2009 and 2010

The Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand and Australia  November 2009 and 2010

 

If our tours don’t suit your dates or requirements, we are agents for most of the other vessels that visit the region, and can tailor-make your Antarctic trip, please see pages 62-69? Please note whilst each and every voyage has a planned itinerary, no exact guarantees can be given due to weather, government landing restrictions, sea and ice-conditions at the time. In practice though, the majority of voyages make most of their planned landings with the onboard expedition team having back-up sites for most locations. Hence the description, ‘Expedition Cruises’.

 

 

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Wildlife Guide

 

The best season for wildlife is mid-November through into mid-February.

 

The Antarctic Peninsula and Islands

A finger of the continent and it’s surrounding islands including the South Shetlands. Home to large colonies of Adelie, Gentoo, Chinstrap and a few Macaroni Penguins. Watch pure white Snow Petrels around icebergs, Giant Petrels, skuas and sheathbills patrolling the penguin colonies. Weddell, Crabeater and the predatory Leopard Seals abound in the waters, whilst Antarctic Terns fish in the bays.  See Humpback Whales and Orcas, very dramatic snow and ice-covered scenery, wonder at thousands of icebergs of different shapes, sizes and colours plus visit scientific bases and historical expedition sites depending on your vessel’s itinerary. All our voyages plan to set foot on the continent itself at least once. The Antarctic Circle is slighty to the south and we offer a selection of voyages which plan to cross the line too.

 

The Drake Passage

The infamous stretch of sea between Argentina and The Peninsula, which is often much calmer than you may have heard. Two days of sailing each way through seas full of albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, skuas, diving petrels, whales and dolphins means out on deck is where the bird and wildlife watchers should be! You will cross the Antarctic Convergence each way, the ‘line’ where the cold southern polar ocean meets the warmer waters of the South Atlantic.

 

The Falkland Islands

Beautiful wild landscapes (not unlike the northern islands of Scotland) with teeming seabird colonies, which include Rockhopper and Magellanic Penguins, Black-browed Albatross plus island endemic birds.  A good chance to see the regionally endemic Commerson’s and Peale’s Dolphins in the waters whilst Orcas are also regular inshore.

 

South Georgia

The stunning cliffs of these dramatic islands rise straight out of the sea, capped by mountains peaks and ice-fields. The burial place of Shackleton, arguably the English Antarctic explorer. Vast rookeries of King Penguins, breeding Wandering and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross. Island endemics plus Southern Elephant and Fur Seal beaches. The larger whales such as Blue and Southern Right Whales can also be seen with luck, especially later in the season.

 

The Ross and Weddell Seas plus ‘The Far Side’

The realm of the largest penguin, the magnificent Emperor, joined by vast colonies of Adelies Penguins (the smallest) whilst Antarctic Petrels wheel above the waves. Orcas and Antarctic Minke Whales are often seen well in these areas, framed by icefields and stunning snowcapped mountains. South Pole historical expedition sites.

 

Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand & Australia

Seabirds galore with many land species including endemics such as the strange Kiwi. The best itineraries include Macquarie Island with it’s vast Royal and King Penguin colonies.

 

South Indian Ocean Islands

For seabird and island fans, such fabled names as Kerguelan, Crozet, St Paul, Heard and of course Amsterdam, with it’s endemic albatross. (Opportunities to visit this area are extremely rare, please contact us to register your interest in any next planned voyages, which may not be for a few years yet!)

 

South Atlantic Islands

The Tristan da Cunha archipelago holds huge numbers of breeding seabirds including Spectacled and Atlantic Petrels, Sooty and Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, the now ‘split’ Northern Rockhopper Penguin  plus island endemics.  St Helena boasts its endemic wader, the Wirebird. Ascension Island offers more breeding tropical seabirds including the endemic frigatebird plus nesting Atlantic Green Turtles in spring.