Falklands Wildlife Exclusive Photography Tour 2023

Falkland Islands Exclusive Wildlife Photography Trip – December 2023 (14 days)

The Falkland Islands located in the South Atlantic Ocean off South America are the perfect destination to experience the wonders of nature and wildlife; an unpolluted environment with fantastically clear blue skies, seamless horizons, vast open spaces and stunning white sand beaches. Wildlife is free to roam and many species have chosen the Islands as their home including gentoo and magellanic penguins, Southern sea lions, Elephant Seals Commerson’s and Peale’s dolphins, Albatross and over 200 species of birds.

Join this exclusive trip for a maximum of 5 guests for the most wildlife encounters as we explore 5 islands over a 2 week period. The highlights of this trip will be a visit to these islands and regions:

Volunteer Point (King penguins, gentoo penguins, magellanic penguins)

Sea Lion Island (Elephant seals, gentoo penguins, magellanic penguins, rockhopper penguins, sea lions, birds of prey, cormorants)

Saunders Island – The Neck & Rookery (Rockhopper penguins, nesting albatross, birds of prey, gentoo penguins)

Stanley (Murrell Farm/kidney Island) (Sooty sheerwaters at sunset, rockhopper penguins)

This trip is designed to maximise your time with the wildlife and experience a small group intimate experience. Join multi-award winning wildlife and nature photographer Scott Portelli who has expert knowledge in the region and will guide you on the ultimate wildlife experience to see sub-Antarctic species in one of the most inaccessible places on the planet.

Expedition Highlights

Boutique tour group – Maximum 5 people plus 1 host.
Unique up close and personal wildlife viewing including visits to penguin and seal colonies, bird watching opportunities and experiencing the natural beauty of the Islands.
Expert photographic advice from multi-award winning wildlife & nature photographer Scott Portelli.

Dates: 16th – 30th December 2023

Duration: 14 days

Start/Finish: Mount Pleasant (Falklands). Travelers can reach the Falklands from Santiago or Punta Arenas in Chile with LAN. Flights depart from Santiago and touch down in Punta Arenas before travelling on to Mount Pleasant Airport.

Inclusions

All meals, transfers to and from airports, all internal flights (3 x local flights within the Falklands), accommodation – shared (14 days), 4WD excursions, conservation fees, photography tuition.

Exclusions

International flights to Mount Pleasant (Falklands), departure tax, early & late check in/out at lodges/hotels, visas, items of personal nature, overnight accommodation in Santiago prior to tour, excess baggage costs on local flights.

Note: Excess baggage on internal flights if you choose to bring more than the domestic luggage allowance which is 20kgs (Excess luggage is charged per kilo per flight sector on the domestic flights.)

International Flights:

International Flights to the Falklands depart only on a Saturday with LATAM Chile. There will be a new flight starting soon from Sao Paulo Brazil to the Falklands mid-week but no schedules are confirmed at this stage.

The International luggage allowance would be 2 pieces at 23 kgs each (46 kg total) per person when you book with the group through our agent. However local flights have reduced allowances for each Island.

NOTE: there is a departure tax of £26 GBP when you depart the Falklands which will need to be paid at the Airport. the Tax can be paid in GBP, USD or via Credit Card (Not the system may not be reliable, so we suggest you have the cash amount for the departure)

Internet:

Is very limited and intermittent, you can purchase a wifi card for £10 which will last approximately 45 mins – 1 hour. but the internet speed is very slow, and access will be very minimal. expect delays and loss of signal if you decide to use the internet Hotspots around the islands.

ATMs/Cash Machines:

There are no ATMs on the islands, and there is very little you can purchase, so a minimal amount of cash will suffice for your trip. drinks and some souvenirs can be purchased in the various places we visit.

Costs:

14 day tour visiting the best of the Falkland Islands, including: Saunders Island, Sea Lion Island, Volunteer Point and Stanley £9,670 (all inclusive).

A deposit of £750 (non refundable) is required upon booking.

This is an exclusive private tour with 5 people maximum.

Please review our Terms & Conditions and Cancellation policy.

If you want to find out more contact me.

Most of the excursions are by 4WD or the walk is less than 1 kilometer from where we stay, so we can comfortably get around and see all the amazing wildlife up close and personal with minimal travel.

Your Host

Scott Portelli is a Sydney based photographer who has traveled the world extensively photographing in some of the most remote destinations, including The Arctic, Antarctica, Falklands, Galapagos, Azores, Africa, the South Pacific and Australia.

Scott is an international multi-award winning wildlife, nature, aerial and underwater photographer. A member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) he is regarded as a leading professional in his field.

He was awarded at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the year in London in 2016 and 2022 and announced national winner of the Sony World Photography awards 2016 and winner at the Travel Photographer of the Year 2015, 2018 & 2020. More recently he was awarded overall winner at the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2021 and category winner in 2017 and 2019.

With his extensive experience in the Falklands, South Georgia, the Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic regions, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge to every expedition and ensures that each trip optimizes photographers chances to capture the best that the wildlife in the region has to offer.

Itinerary (Sample)

Day 1 – Volunteer Point

Volunteer Point is one of the most popular and important tourist destinations in the Falklands. There is an abundance of bird activity in the area and is home to the largest king penguin colony in the Islands, as well as gentoo and magellanic penguins, waterfowl and other birds. Volunteer Beach itself is a beautiful white sandy beach, approximately 2km long, and is where many of the penguins can be seen entering and leaving the ocean. we will camp here for 4 nights and be guests of the warden during our stay.

Day 2 – Volunteer Point

Day 3 – Volunteer Point

Day 4 – Volunteer Point

Day 5 – Sea Lion Island

Sea Lion Island is home to elephant seals, gentoo penguins, magellanic penguins, rock hoppers, sea lions, birds of prey and cormorants. Beautiful tussock plantations cover one fifth of the island and provide a perfect habitat and protection for much of the island’s varied fauna. Opportunities for photography and wildlife watching are limitless and start literally steps away from the purpose-built Lodge. Besides the tussock, there are sand beaches, cliffs, freshwater ponds and heathland, all with their own wildlife. Pods of killer whales may be seen between November and January circling the island in pursuit of the elephant seals and sea lions that breed there. Leopard seals and larger whales are also seen from time to time. A memorial to the HMS Sheffield, sunk in nearby waters, is also situated on the island.

You visit here includes a guided introductory tour of the island.

Day 6 – Sea Lion Island

Day 7 – Sea Lion Island

Day 8 – Saunders Island

Saunders Islands was the site of the first British settlement in the Falkland archipelago. The island is now one large farm of about 30,000 acres and is well known for its sizeable colony of Black browed albatross in addition to being home to elephant seals, king penguin and rock hoppers. The North of the Island is made up of two large peaks and it is the thin strip of land between these peaks known as ‘the Neck’ which is home to large colonies of magellanic and gentoo penguins. There are at least 50 bird species recorded here, resulting in Saunders being designated by Birdlife International as an ‘Important Bird Area’.

Your trip will involve trips to both the Neck, and to Rookery Mountain – with incredible wind-carved boulders and stunning views.

Day 9– Saunders Island

Day 10– Saunders Island

Day 11– Saunders Island

Day 12– Saunders Island

Day 13 – Stanley

Stanley is the tiny capital of the Falklands, village-sized but with a lot to explore along the sheltered harbour. You can do a tour of the city and visit to the museum to discover more about the social and maritime history of the islands, along with natural history. We head for Kidney Island to see the sooty sheerwaters as they fly back to the colonies at sunset.

Day 14 – Stanley

There will be a private transfer from Stanley to Mount Pleasant Airport where you will catch your international flight.

Wildlife Calendar

The following dates are approximates and could vary +/- 3 weeks