Falkland Islands: Birding with a Camera® (BwC)

The first thing to make clear about the Falkland Islands is that it offers, by far, the easiest wildlife photography in the world. While the Galapagos Islands receive many more plaudits for the approachability of the wildlife and the phenomenal photo opportunities available, the Falkland Islands are equally as good, if not better. The birds and animals on the Falklands are similarly fearless, and unlike the Galapagos, this archipelago is still largely off the beaten track, as most visitors just stop in for all too brief visits as part of an Antarctic cruise, missing both the essence of the islands and the best photo spots. Thus, we expect to be largely alone, amongst a sea of photo opportunities for much of the trip. We’ll have an extended stay on the islands, which is absolutely crucial if you want to truly capture many of the wildlife images available.  There’ll be plenty of time for long photo shoots with crowded penguin colonies (four species breed in good numbers on the islands), or to shoot albatrosses either clambering clumsily on the ground or gracefully cutting the air above a rookery. We’ll visit a number of cherry-picked locations in the archipelago where the very best photoshoots can be had, from tame songbirds hopping around at our feet to action shots of seabirds coming to shore, there will never be a dull moment on these remarkable and forgotten islands. There is never nothing to shoot. Since the flights to the Falklands go through Punta Arenas in southern Chile, we are also offering an optional Patagonia Extension that will target Pumas in the scenic Torres del Paine National Park and also visit Tierra del Fuego.