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 OF PENGUINS AND ALBATROSSES:
AN EXPEDITION TO SOUTH GEORGIA
October 3-17, 2009
15 Days/14 Nights
Audrey Benedict and Fathom Expedition’s
Lecturers and Expedition Guides, including
David German, Tim and Pauline Carr, Robert
Reader,
and the Crew of the M/V Ushuaia
  Our voyage to the legendary Antarctic outpost of
South Georgia Island is the culmination of a longheld
dream of mine—an unquenchable desire to
return to the spectacularly beautiful island that is
home to the greatest concentration of Antarctic
and sub-Antarctic wildlife on the planet. Fathom
Expedition’s founder and expedition leader,
David German, a veteran of more than 50 land
and sea expeditions to the Antarctic, shares this
passion, referring to the voyage as “Pure South
Georgia.” If you need further enticement, sit
down with a copy of Antarctic Oasis: Under the
Spell of South Georgia, the fabulous book written
by trip leaders, Tim and Pauline Carr. Worldrenowned
for their seamanship, the pair sailed
their 28-foot wooden cutter Curlew to South
Georgia in 1992, falling under the island’s spell
and becoming its first year-round residents since
the whaling days.
 Undeniably remote, South Georgia lies more than
a thousand miles east of Cape Horn and nearly the
same distance northeast of the Antarctic continent.
The closest major landfall is the Falkland Islands,
more than 870 miles away—which is where we’ll
join our expedition ship, the 82-passenger M/V
Ushuaia. Famous in the annals of Antarctic exploration,
South Georgia was Shackleton’s ultimate
landfall and the setting for the dramatic finale
to the saga of the ill-fated Endurance expedition.
The 800-mile, 17-day voyage from Elephant
Island in an open longboat and the arduous crossing
of the island’s mountainous interior to reach
the whaling station at Stromness is remarkable not
only for the bravery of the explorers but for the
fact that the entire expedition survived the ordeal.
 South Georgia is most often described as a polar
version of the Alps—one that rises straight out of
the sea. Geologically speaking, the island forms
the crest of the Scotia Ridge, a line of mountains
some 2,700 miles long that links the ranges of the
Antarctic Peninsula with the Andes along a submarine,
eastward-arcing loop. Spectacular glaciers
and ice caps grace South Georgia’s 100-
mile-long extent. Situated well south of the Polar
Front—almost at right angles to the main westerly
drift—it is the “rock” in the current around which
the waters of the Weddell and Ross seas meet and
swirl, producing a nutrient-rich soup that supports
an amazing diversity of marine and terrestrial life.
My first glimpse of South Georgia was of stunning
glaciers amidst pinnacles of black rock—all
beneath an ice blue sky graced by soaring wandering
albatrosses. Wherever I looked, verdant
green  headlands gave way to rocky beaches literally
covered with thousands of king penguins,
their white breasts and golden bibs and ear
patches glinting in the sun. Southern elephant
seals, packed in noisy, grunting rows a dozen
deep, and gangs of feisty Antarctic fur seals vied
for the best patches of beach amidst the cacophonous
squabbling of the penguins. The diversity
and abundance of wildlife is unparalleled—including
at least three species of seals, thousands
of king, gentoo, chinstrap and macaroni penguins,
thousands of wandering, gray-headed, lightmantled
sooty and black-browed albatrosses, several
species of petrels, skuas, and prions, as well
as an endemic teal and the most southerly songbird
in the world, the South Georgia pipit. Our
voyage coincides with the peak of spring migration,
courtship, and nesting for most of the island’s
birds. Battling elephant seals will be staking
out their beach strongholds, and we should
have superb opportunities for observing and photographing
wildlife wherever we go. With the
luxury of time, we’ ll be able to hike to the remotest
parts of the island and explore beaches and
bays rarely visited. There will be opportunities to
hike parts of Shackleton’s route, in keeping with
the trip’s strong Shackleton theme, as well as time
to climb the ridges for an albatross’s cliff-top
view. Each day we’ll use our fleet of Zodiacs to
their fullest, landing on beaches, cruising glacier faces, and photographing icebergs and wildlife.
Throughout the journey, our lecturers will offer
presentations on Antarctic exploration and whaling
history, and the biology of penguins, albatrosses,
seals, whales, and other wildlife. The
comfort of our expedition ship, combined with
innumerable culinary delights and fine wines, are
sure to guarantee warmth and smiles at the end of
every day. Join us for this very special expedition!
Group Size: 10
Trip Rating: 3-4
Price: Land/cruise prices quoted below are per
person based on double occupancy and according
to the cabin category chosen. A deposit of 25% of
the trip cost, payable by check to Fathom Expeditions,
is required to reserve space.
 Price Includes: Pre- and post- trip personalized
support from the expedition team; a comprehensive
departure kit; one nights’ lodging at the Santiago
Airport Hilton pre-cruise;14 nights accommodations
and all meals aboard the M/V Ushuaia;
welcome and farewell dinner events; all group
activities and excursions; all services of the expedition
staff, including lectures, briefings, slide/
film shows; access to public viewing areas and
the ship’s bridge; all Antarctic and South Georgia
permits; all landing fees/permits; access to historic
sites and museums; all safety equipment and
major expedition equipment; all photographic
seminars; a comprehensive expedition log of the
voyage.
Not included: Roundtrip air transportation to
Santiago, Chile from your home airport; the
roundtrip charter flight (group rate) from Santiago
to the Falklands (arranged by Fathom Expeditions);
excess baggage charges; personal items
such as laundry, bar charges (wine or liquor),
travel insurance, passport and visa fees as needed,
or gratuities to crew and staff.
• Superior AA Cabin - $8,995 per person. Twin
outside cabins with windows on the upper deck,
private facilities, two lower berths.
•Twin A Cabin - $7,995 per person. Twin outside
cabins with large portholes on the upper
deck, private facilities, two berths (upper/lower).
Visit Fathom Expedition’s website (using the link below) for more information,
pictures of the ship, cabin details, interior
spaces and amenities, and staff biographies.
www.fathomexpeditions.com
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