Ultimate
FALKLAND ISLANDS Photo Expedition

Part Two - Ship-Based Expedition

There is no better way to access the remote islands of the Falklands archipelago than by small boat. For some islands, there is no other way. We will visit a string of very special islands in the west and north, to prioritize spending time with the most spectacular of the many bird colonies of the Falklands: Expect to see and photograph five species of penguin, the world’s largest colonies of black-browed albatross, scores of wildfowl, shorebird and passerine species, perhaps the world’s most charismatic raptor, three species of seal and two species of dolphin, dramatic scenery of cliffs and sweeping hillsides, and much more. The days will be long, the wildlife encounters mind-blowing and the photography intense.

 There is only one vessel in the whole world which offers an in-depth tour of the most remote parts of the Falklands archipelago. And that boat only offers this opportunity for one brief period of time every year. We can therefore truly say that our Falklands tour is absolutely unique and something similar cannot be found anywhere else. We have the Hans Hansson for the one and only FALKLAND ISLANDS PHOTOGRAPHY BONANZA 7-night tour in 2025. This is a period when the birds are all present in the colonies or on their nests, when many of the flowers are in bloom, and when the elephant seals are mating on the beaches, while the youngsters are still being weened. It is after the coldest winter weather and the windier summer months and before the longest of the summer days. We should have fine, long days with colorful sunrises and sunsets, and the opportunity to be out during the entire length of daylight hours. In November, we cannot expect very many chicks yet, but we should still see a lot of pair-bonding behavior among the birds.

 We have 7 days in which to explore, and based on previous experience, we shall prioritize getting onto a couple of otherwise entirely inaccessible islands far to the north-west. In the island group called The Jasons, we hope to make several landings, and we may spend as long as 2-3 days in this remarkable, wild, remote, uninhabited, almost inaccessible part of the world. There is NO OTHER WAY to visit the Jasons than by boat. Depending on the weather patterns, this may be our first priority, or we may arrive to these islands after visiting several others.

 Some of the other islands which we intend to visit include the fabulous trio of Saunders, New and Carcass. Each of these wildlife hot-spots are easily worth a full day. Here, you may take your time to linger near large concentrations of gentoo, rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, blue-eyed shags and black-browed albatrosses, or for that matter South American sea lions and southern elephant seals, or you may saunter among scores of species of waders, ducks, geese, raptors, and passerines. You will most likely be able to see and photograph the fully endemic Falkland Islands flightless steamer-duck and Cobb’s wren, as well as the near-endemic striated caracara and blackish cinclodes (locally known as Johnny Rook and Tussock-bird respectively).

 I will enthusiastically be available as a photo instructor, providing insights, tips and one-on-one help with equipment, settings, etc. Morten Jorgensen will be there as the expedition leader, planning the day-to-day activities in co-operation with the crew, with Mark, and with yourselves, based on the experience he has accumulated during his many visits to the Falklands and his many years as a guide in the small-ship expedition cruise industry.