A freezer special for winter

Naturetrek is offering up to £750 p/p discount on its dedicated 22-day wildlife holiday incorporating an 18-night voyage around the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula, aboard the Grigory Mikheev, a comfortable ice-strengthened expedition vessel. Only a few cabins remain on this exclusive charter, departing London by air on 1st January 2009.

After an initial flight from London and overnight in Buenos Aires, Naturetrek’s guests board the Grigory Mikheev in Ushuaia and head out through the Beagle Channel into the turbulent waters of the Drake Passage, en route to the Falkland Islands. There are two full days to enjoy the scenery and wildlife of the Falklands, including visiting Rockhopper Penguin and King Penguin rookeries, plus colonies of Black-browed Albatrosses nesting on windswept, tussock-covered slopes.

Back at sea, a further two days of pelagic bird and whale-watching follows, before reaching the isolated island of South Georgia, home to some of the world’s great wildlife spectacles. Having now crossed the ‘Antarctic Convergence’ — the edge of the Polar Sea — travellers find themselves in the true Antarctic realm. The next four days are spent amongst the mountains, glaciers and abundant wildlife of this remote outpost, including the vast King Penguin colony at Salisbury Plain and the Wandering Albatross colony on Prion Island.

Huge Elephant Seals crowd the beaches and create a somewhat grumpy obstacle course for the thousands of Macaroni and Gentoo Penguins as they make their way to their raucous colonies. Light-mantled Sooty Albatross and a variety of other seabirds also breed here, plus there will be the opportunity to take a quick break from the wildlife to visit the grave of Ernest Shackleton, one of history’s great Polar explorers.

Next on the itinerary, the South Orkneys and South Shetland Islands, home to yet more penguin and seabird colonies. These are, however, but an appetiser for the Antarctic Peninsula itself, a truly awe-inspiring landscape that dwarfs the ship and its passengers. Flock after flock of Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie Penguins porpoise rapidly through the water on their way to and from numerous breeding colonies.

Blue-eyed Shag, South Polar Skua, Snowy Sheathbill and the ghostly white Antarctic Petrel are also to be seen here, whilst beneath the waves the summer bloom of plankton and krill attract such ocean giants as Humpback and Antarctic Minke Whales. There are three days in which to absorb the majesty and grandeur of the Antarctic Peninsula before rather reluctantly returning to Ushuaia, for onward flights home.

The holiday now costs from £7,245 p/p (standard cabin – a saving of £250 p/p) rising to £8,295 p/p (superior cabin with private facilities – a saving of £750 p/p) including scheduled flights, transfers, 1-night’s pre-tour accommodation in Buenos Aires, full board accommodation on the Grigory Mikheev and a full programme of expertly guided wildlife activities and excursions.

For more information and bookings, log on to Naturetrek.co.uk.