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Birding Holidays Falklands Islands: Pebble Island + Bleaker Island + King Penguins, near Stanley

Birding in Falklands: Pebble Island + Bleaker Island + Stanley

Birding Holidays Falklands Islands Pebble Bleaker King Penguins Stanley

7 NIGHTS FROM:

$3,841

Per person sharing

Scheduled flights quoted separately

7ARB7S

• Birding Holidays Falklands Islands

• Pebble Island

• Gentoo Penguins

• Rockhopper Penguins

• Magellanic Penguins

• Bleaker Island

• Southern Sea Lions

• Stanley

• Volunteer Point

• King Penguins

Our birding holidays to the Falklands Islands can be tailor made to your needs. On Pebble Island you will find thousands of gentoo, rockhopper & magellanic penguins, as well as the crested Macaroni penguin & a colony of southern sea lions. Bleaker Island has a huge rockhopper penguin colony, as well as numerous other bird species You can also visit the king penguins colony at Volunteer Point near Port Stanley.

Detailed itinerary ▶

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Day 1

You will be met at Mount Pleasant Airport in the Falkland Islands and transferred 45-minutes by shared bus to the small capital of Stanley.

Situated on the Patagonian Shelf in the southern Atlantic Ocean, this archipelago consists of 778 islands and islets, with the two largest being West Falkland and East Falkland. At about 4,700 square miles (12,000 square km), the Falkland Islands (or the 'Malvinas' as they are known by Argentina) are only a little larger than Gibraltar.

They provide a haven for many different species of seabird and you’ll share these remote beaches with elephant seals, penguins, southern sea lions and a huge array of marine birds, including the blackish cinclodes and striated caracara. Also keep your eyes open for herons, upland geese and turkey vultures.

Check in to your accommodation and enjoy the rugged beauty of this far-flung British Overseas Territory close to Antarctica, where flora and fauna survive at the extremes of nature.

Note: Accommodation is very limited in the Falklands, especially during their summer months, so islands will be substituted according to availability.

Day 2

This morning transfer to Port Stanley airport for your light aircraft flight to Pebble Island, named after the semi-precious stones that are found here.

One of the larger outlying islands in the northwest, Pebble Island offers diverse habitats ranging from large ponds to vast sandy beaches and rocky cliffs. It offers shelter to a wide variety of marine birds and mammals, including thousands of gentoo, rockhopper and Magellanic penguins that breed here each summer, along with southern sea lions.

Note: As you will be flying in a light aircraft you should pack in soft sports bags, as rigid suitcases are difficult to get into the aircraft. The luggage allowance is 20 kg (which includes your hand luggage) and is strictly enforced for safety reasons.

Day 3

Pebble Island is nearly 20 miles (30 km) long, making it the third largest offshore island - so you need to be driven around it to see the main sights. It has the longest sandy beach in the Falklands.

Your guided tour today can be tailored to your interests and offers ample opportunity to view the abundant wildlife and spectacular scenery further afield. You can see four of the five species of penguins found in the Falklands on this island, including the crested Macaroni penguin and many thousands of gentoo, rockhopper and Magellanic penguins that breed here in October and November.

The ponds on the east of the island, many within walking distance of your accommodation, are home to Chiloe wigeon, silvery grebes, black-necked swans and a multitude of other waterfowl and wading birds.

Pebble Island also has something for the historian, as it played an important role in the Falklands War. You can see several war monuments and wreckages on this island.

Day 4

This morning transfer to Pebble Island airstrip for your light aircraft flight to Bleaker Island.

The highlight of this island is its Rockhopper penguin colony of some 750 pairs, situated only a short walk from your cottage. On arrival enjoy an orientation tour of the island.

Day 5

This morning enjoy a guided tour of Bleaker Island, with its wonderful birds and marine life.

This island offers a large amount of wildlife in a very compact area, with the sites of most interest conveniently located close to the settlement. The highlight of the island is the Rockhopper penguin colony of some 750 pairs, situated only a short walk from your accommodation. Further south a Gentoo penguin colony and scattering of Magellanic penguins can be found.

Long Gulch is fringed with tussac grass which attracts many smaller birds such as Grass and Cobb’s wrens. Around 9,000 pairs of King cormorants form the main seabird colonies found along the cliff tops. These tussac areas also offer regular sightings of Black-chinned siskins, Dark-faced ground-tyrants, Falkland pipits and thrushes, Black-throated finches and Long-tailed meadowlarks.

Peales & Commersons dolphins can be found along the shoreline, as well as large numbers of Southern sea lions.

Day 6

This morning transfer to Bleaker Island airstrip for your light aircraft flight to Stanley.

On arrival you can explore on foot this small port with its red phone boxes, fish & chip shops and harbour.

Day 7

Today enjoy a full day private tour, driving 2-hours each way in a 4x4 vehicle to Volunteer Point, which has the northernmost colonies of king penguins in the world, as well as gentoo and Magellanic penguins. A variety of waders, geese and gulls are also found here. With its 1.2 mile (2 km) white sandy beach and turquoise waters, this area has a Caribbean feel - but its penguins will remind you that you are in the Falklands.

There is a host of other wildlife to be seen here, as the beach is bordered by high grassy banks that lead down to rolling greens and lagoons. Enjoy the spectacular scenery as you traverse the north of East Falkland island and superb photographic opportunities, as you watch the penguins entering and leaving the ocean.

Afterwards explore on foot the port of Stanley, with its red phone boxes, fish & chip shops and harbour.

Note: The last part of the drive is over a very bumpy road. A packed lunch is included today.

Day 8

Take a shared 45-minute bus transfer to Mount Pleasant Airport for your flight home.

Note: You will need to pay an embarkation fee of £40 pp when you fly out of Stanley.

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