The Grand South Atlantic Tour: South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha & Saint Helena

Wednesday 1st April – Ushuaia

• Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world, the largest in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. YPT can advise on the best way to get here and arrange pre-tour accommodation. If you arrive a few days early, we can also advice you on the best way to discover this incredible place. We strongly recommend arriving at least one day in advance.
• A mandatory luggage drop-off will be organized in the morning, between 8:30am and 11am.
• Between 4pm and 5pm, we will board the m/v Plancius from Tierra del Fuego
• For the rest of the day we will be sailing through the Beagle Channel, flanked by the southern reaches of the Andes Mountains. Those first hours at sea will be quite busy, as we settle in our cabins, learn about the safety rules on the ship, and attend the traditional welcome cocktail ceremony.
• Dinner and overnight on the Plancius

Thursday 2nd April – The Beagle Channel

• As we get out of the Beagle Channel and move forwards to South Georgia, we get our first hints of what it’s like to be out at sea in the far south Antarctic.
• We’ll have our mandatory briefings about how to behave when we land on South Georgia and the other places we will visit. Our cruise follows IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) regulations to help preserve those fragile landscapes.
• Lunch on the ship
• Our ship offers good options for wildlife watching, both outside on the deck or in the comfort of our lounge. Watch out over the seas for several species of marine mammals (whales, orcas, dolphins…). Our expedition crew will help you recognize the animals and tell you everything you need to know about them.
• Dinner and overnight on the Plancius

Friday 3rd April – the Antarctic Convergence

• We will pass through the Antarctic Convergence, the border into Antarctica proper. Here, the temperature cools considerably within the space of a few hours, and nutritious water rises to the surface of the sea due to colliding water columns. This phenomenon attracts a multitude of seabirds near the ship, including several species of albatross, shearwaters, petrels, prions, and skuas.
• Lunch on the ship
• The naturalists on the ship will offer a program of lectures about various topics: Antarctica, icebergs, marine life, birds, the history of the region, famous explorers… Those lectures are not mandatory: you can pick those that interest you most!
• Dinner and overnight on the Plancius

Saturday 4th April – en route to South Georgia

• Today we will be sailing further through the South Atlantic seas looking out for wildlife and taking in the scenery. At this point of the voyage, you will start to have your habits on the ship. You can simply relax in the lounge with a coffee, tea, or other drink and enjoy the spectacular views, read a book in the ship’s library, play board games with fellow passengers, or use public computers.
• Lunch on the ship
• We’ll soon be arriving in South Georgia. As well as the program of lectures, a photograph workshop will be organized. If you are brave enough to face the cold, you can also practice by photographing wildlife from the deck or bridge.
• Dinner and overnight on the Plancius

Sunday 5th April – South Georgia

• For the next few days, we will be in South Georgia, part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands. These islands were first discovered in the late 17th century, but James Cook was the first to land, survey and map the area, as well as claiming it for the British Empire on January 17^th
• Our goal during the trip is to be off the vessel as much as possible. While our planned schedule and activities are always subject to change due to local conditions (ice, weather, wildlife spotting opportunities), a typical day involve a zodiac cruise and a landing in the morning, and another cruise and landing in the afternoon.
• In South Georgia, we will visit some of the world’s top king penguin rookeries. This time of year, you have a good chance of seeing these animals nesting on eggs, with their chicks nearby. The rookeries are sometimes overflowing, with penguins traveling to and from the beach.
• Our plan today is to visit Salisbury Plain, St Andrews Bay and Gold Harbour. Salisbury Plain is the second largest king penguin colony in South Georgia and one of the largest in the world, with around 60,000 king penguin pairs comprising one very popular hangout. While this massive number of penguins will be the focus of many of your photographs, the place is also home to many Southern elephant seals and Antarctic fur seals.
• Dinner and overnight on the Plancius

Monday 6th April – South Georgia

• Today, we will try to visit Prion Island, a great site for spotting the iconic wandering albatross. Due to the island being the breeding site of this endangered bird, it has been designated as a Specially Protected Area by the South Georgia Government and a special permit is necessary to visit. We take care of that so you can be among the lucky few who can enjoy this place.
• Lunch on the ship
• We will check out the abandoned whaling station of Grytviken, where king penguins walk the streets and elephant seals lie around like they own the place – because they basically do! Formerly the largest settlement on the island, Grytviken closed in 1966 when dwindling whale stocks made it uneconomical. Here you can the South Georgia Museum as well as Shackleton’s grave. Sir Ernest Shackleton was one of the main figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, in the early 20^th He passed away in Grytviken in 1922.
• Dinner and overnight on the Plancius

Tuesday 7th April – South Georgia

• What’s better than a giant colony of penguins? Giant colonies of different penguins! Today we visit Cooper Bay, where we can see large populations of chinstrap penguins, gentoo penguins and macaroni penguins. They get their name from their yellow crest that resembles a hairdo made of macaroni. Antarctic terns, white-chinned petrels, blue-eyed shags and light-mantled sooty albatrosses can be spotted here too.
• Drygalski Fjord offers spectacular landscapes as the ships sails the narrow fjord, with around 2-kilometre-high mountain peaks at a very close distance.
• Lunch on the ship
• In the afternoon we will stop by Moltke Harbour, a mile-wide bay with a giant king penguin colony. This waypoint in many of our Antarctic voyages was discovered by James Cook in 1775. It’s our last stop on South Georgia: time to say goodbye to the Antarctic!
• Dinner and overnight on the Plancius

Wednesday 8^th March to Saturday 11th April: Sailing the South Atlantic

• These days we will be sailing into the far remote South Atlantic, taking in the isolation, the ocean views and spotting sea life. While four days on a ship at sea can seem intimidating, it offers a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure. After all, we are here in one of the most remote parts of the world. On top of the lecture program and the wildlife watching, you can enjoy the vessel’s well-stocked library and bar, share and listen to the stories of your fellow passengers, or do nothing at all – which is a very rare luxury nowadays!
• A pleasant tailwind often accompanies the vessel through the westerlies, and on both sides of the Antarctic Convergence, you might see large numbers of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seabirds.

Sunday 12th April – Gough Island

• After a few days without the sight of land, today we will approach Gough Island, hoping to circumnavigate the 33-mile circumference. Gough Island is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, some 1500 miles from South Georgia. This island is a UNESCO heritage site with a static population of 6 people, and one of the most important seabird colonies in the world.
• We plan to do a Zodiac cruise in Quest Bay, if the weather permits. Here you might see northern rockhopper penguins (their name come from the fact that that hop from one rock to the other, instead of sliding on the ice, but we like to see them as rock fans due to their yellow and black hairdo) and sub-Antarctic fur seals.
• Dinner and overnight on the Hondius

Monday 13^th April – Tristan da Cunha

• Today we will reach Tristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world. The main island has a population of 250 people, who carry British Overseas Territory citizenship.
• The island is named after the Portuguese explorer who first set sight on it, Tristao da Cunha, who named it after himself. The island has a fascinating history of settlement and being claimed by various empires or even individual people (such as Islandia or Bir Tawil). They were incorporated into the British Empire in 1816, partly to prevent any attempt to free the imprisoned Napoleon Bonaparte and partly to prevent its use by the USA, which Britain went to war with in 1812. Shackleton also stopped here in 1922.
• The remote islands of Tristan da Cunha are famed for their plentiful bird populations, which include rockhopper penguins, several species of albatross, petrels, skuas, terns, and many others. Our goal during this stage of our voyage is to visit the small settlement on the west side of the main island, but we might also land at Seal Bay on the south side of Tristan da Cunha or at Sandy Point on the east side.
• In these stunning locations, you could encounter such exotic wildlife as yellow-nosed albatrosses and sub-Antarctic fur seals, all while exploring a rarely visited spot.
• NOTE: we have two days reserved for time on Tristan da Cunha, but over the years of operating trips here, adverse weather has led to the cancellation of 35% of landings here. If it is impossible to land, we will find good alternatives.
• During our day in Tristan da Cunha, you’ll have the possibility to explore the island on your own or to book optional activities such as fishing, golfing, hiking to the 1961 volcano, visiting the fish factory, etc.
• Lunch, dinner and overnight on the Hondius

Tuesday 14^th April – Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale Island

• Depending on how the weather is and how much we have done in Tristan da Cunha, we will also be looking to visit the uninhabited Nightingale Island. This active volcanic island offers great views of beautiful seabirds ranging from yellow-nosed albatrosses to brown noddies. If you are lucky, Nightingale has been said to contain a fortune of Spanish doubloons left by the pirate John Thomas. No recovery of this treasure (if it is there) has been confirmed… yet?
• Lunch, dinner and overnight on the Hondius

Wednesday 15^th April – Tristan da Cunha, Inaccessible Island

• Depending on how the weather is and how much we have done in Tristan da Cunha, we will also be looking to visit Inaccessible Island. The name says it all really: it is only possible to land on this island a few days of the year, to the extent that the first detailed map of the place was drawn in 1982, more than 300 years after its discovery. We will be getting great views of the island from the ship and, even if we can’t land, we may be able to approach the cliffs with our zodiacs.
• Lunch, dinner and overnight on the Hondius

Thursday 16^th April – Tristan da Cunha

• Today will be reserved to make sure we’ve had as much chance as possible to see Tristan da Cunha and its outlying islands of Nightingale Island and Inaccessible Island. Marine mammals are quite often spotted around the islands. In particular, the Sub-Antarctic fur seal is a species to look out for as it is not easily seen anywhere else.
• Lunch, dinner and overnight on the Hondius

Friday 17^th April to Tuesday 21st April – Subtropical seas of the Atlantic

• These days we will be making our way north towards Saint Helena. Now we are heading further from the Antarctic waters of the South Atlantic and towards subtropical waters. We may see seabirds and even dolphins tailing the ship.
• Lunches, dinners and overnights on the Hondius

Wednesday 22nd April – Saint Helena

• Land ahoy! Finally, we are in sight of Saint Helena. This island is also a part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The island was discovered by the Portuguese (again) over 500 years ago, but it was mainly an uninhabited stopover point on the journey from Europe to Asia around the southern tip of Africa, until the Suez Canal put paid to that.
• After so many days at sea, we will find the population of St Helena of over 4000 people like a novel metropolis! We will embark into Jamestown like seafarers of old, ready for the sights and smells of dry land. The island is a subtropical paradise where the mountainous terrain and micro-climates create an astounding diversity of landscapes on a very small territory.
• In the capital of Jamestown, several buildings are listed because of its historic importance while Main Street has been described as ‘one of the best examples of unspoiled Georgian architecture anywhere in the world.
• Saint Helena is mainly famous for being the final site of exile and imprisonment of Napoleon Bonaparte. After defeat by the British at Waterloo in 1815, he was exiled to the island until his death in 1821. We will visit Longwood House, where he died.
• Dinner and overnight on the Hondius

Thursday 23rd April – Saint Helena

• Today we have a whole day to explore Saint Helena and enjoy the area’s local culture, pleasant climate, and endemic bird life. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can walk the 699-step Jacob’s Ladder up to Ladder Hill Fort after visiting the Museum of Saint Helena. You can also snorkel the shallows offshore, seeing multitudes of tropical and subtropical fish.
• Explore the grounds of the governor’s house, home to free-ranging tortoises, one of which is named Jonathan and is supposedly 190 years old.
• St Helenian cuisine is great big delicious homemade comfort food, with a diverse heritage of many nationalities. Dishes which are a must try include Plo (a one pot, curried rice-based dish made with fish, vegetables or meat), the famous St Helena Fishcake, and Coconut Fingers – a local delicacy of iced Madeira sponge cake coated in coconut. Delicious!
• During our stay, a free “hightlights of St Helena” tour will be organized, covering Jamestown, Longwood House, the Tomb of Napoleon and a quick stop at Plantation House. Other optional activities will be available for booking: hiking, snorkeling, historical walks, boat trips, etc.
• Dinner and overnight on the Hondius

Friday 24^th April – Saint Helena

• In the morning we will have some more time to relax in Saint Helena and spend the last of our Saint Helena pound, the currency of the Atlantic islands of Saint Helena and Ascension.
• Lunch on the ship
• For those going to Cape Verde, departure for the last part of our trip
• Dinner and overnight on the Hondius

Saturday 25th April and Sunday 26th April – Mid-Atlantic Ridge

• During those two days, we will be sailing along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a huge underwater mountain range that goes along the bottom of the Atlantic, from the Arctic Ocean toward the southern tip of Africa. As usual we’ll be lying back spotting birdlife and looking out for whales as we make our way north.
• At night, we will enjoy some stargazing on the aft deck, where we will show you the many highlights of the equatorial sky. Weather permitting, these celestial wonders can be seen with binoculars or even with the naked eye.

Monday 27th April to Friday 1st May – Mid-Atlantic Seas

• For the last few days of our voyage, we will be crossing the equator, far from our Antarctic starting point. We anticipate the sighting of Arctic terns and long-tailed skuas during their northward spring migration. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for favourable weather conditions, enabling us to engage in additional stargazing on the deck and watching the polar star gradually appear on the northern horizon.

Saturday 2nd May and Sunday 3rd May – Sao Filipe (Fogo Island)

• As we sail past Ilhéus do Rombo, a small, rugged archipelago off the coast of Brava, keep an eye out for a variety of seabirds that inhabit these remote islets. These rocky outcrops serve as important breeding grounds for several Western Palearctic species, making this a prime location for birdwatching. Possible sightings include Cape Verde shearwaters, brown boobies, and red-billed tropicbirds soaring above the waves or nesting along the cliffs.
• Continuing towards Fogo Island, we approach São Filipe, the island’s charming coastal town. From the deck, enjoy breathtaking views of the island’s dramatic volcanic landscape, dominated by the imposing Pico do Fogo, the highest peak in Cape Verde.
• Those two days provide an excellent opportunity to observe diverse bird species and enjoy the scenic views of the island from the water.

Monday 4th May – Santiago Island, Cape Verde

• We finally reach our final destination, the town of Praia in Cape Verde, disembarking from our vessel at 18:00.
• Cape Verde (officially the Republic of Cabo Verde), is an archipelago and island country in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands. The capital city is Praia, located on the island of Santiago. Cape Verde is a popular tourist destination, known for its beautiful beaches, crystal-clear waters, and friendly people. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, including swimming, sunbathing, diving, fishing, and hiking. Cape Verde is also home to a number of cultural attractions, such as the Cidade Velha (Old Town) of Santiago, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• After disembarkation we will celebrate with a final dinner and drinks to end the tour
• End of tour. YPT can help organise accommodation and tours of Cape Verde for those of you in no rush to get back home!