FALKLANDS 360˚ EXPLORE UNTRAMMELED ISLANDS ON OUR 1ST-EVER CIRCUMNAVIGATION: LINGER LONGER AMID WILDLIFE & GLORIOUS LANDSCAPES ABOARD NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ORION | 2016 TM DEAR TRAVELER, It was in February 1976, after a long, long voyage from New Zealand to the Ross Sea to the Antarctic Peninsula that I first set eyes on the Falkland Islands. Nearly a month of ice and sea suddenly gave way to verdant greens and even wildflowers. We languished in the tussock grass amid the greatest concentrations of sea birds I had ever seen—black-browed albatross (there are over 150,000 breeding pairs here), plus penguins— rockhopper and Magellanic—sea lions, elephant seals, and more. And that’s not all: a hearty, hospitable people with British roots live here. And, at times, we were invited into homes for ‘afternoon tea.’ All of us were delighted by the benign beauty and relative calm of this place while, at the same time, it teemed with nature in myriad forms. It’s not surprising that many have referred to the Falklands archipelago as the ‘Galápagos of the South.’ We were only there for 3 days, and none of us wanted to leave. And I’ve wanted to offer a focused Falklands itinerary ever since, but hesitated because people kept saying that there won’t be demand—so close to Antarctica without going there. But now, 40 years later, I’m convinced this is pure ‘balderdash.’ The more you know about the Falklands, the more you will be convinced that it’s worth the singular focus. So, we’re delighted to offer our 1st-ever circumnavigation of these most remarkable islands. And that’s not all. You will also have an extraordinary opportunity to explore Argentina’s Staten Island, a newly established nature reserve, where National Geographic Explorer was the first foreign-flagged expedition ship admitted since 1923. Find more details inside. Please plan to join us for this pioneering Falklands circumnavigation, and be sure to pack your camera—I promise you an exhilarating adventure of discovery. All the best, P.S. The Falklands Conservation is excited we’re circumnavigating, and a member will join part of the voyage to give us an inside view of the islands’ wonders. And we, in return, will cover the “adoption” of a king penguin in your name. Sven CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS The October 19, 2016 Falklands 360º departure is a designated Photo Expedition—with top National Geographic photographers, our certified photo instructors, plus the newest gear to try out, courtesy of our friends at B&H Photo-Video. The Falklands present unprecedented opportunities to shoot wildlife, and this expedition is designed to maximize every photo op—with special landings, and extended time in locations to capitalize on light and conditions. See what our Director of Expedition Photography, Ralph Lee Hopkins has to say about it at expeditions.com/amazing_ops. IMMERSIVE, IN-DEPTH & TOTALLY SURPRISING “Black-browed albatross walk carefully over wide ledges of grey rock and spread the tips of their wings to catch the wind with great care, then open them wide and suddenly they are gone. They are perfect spirits of the air and the sea, again soaring above and beyond the cliffs where we stand watching them. Rockhopper penguins make their little jumps, one rock at a time, up steep gullies and stony slopes to reach their nesting sites where they squabble and call to each other, impatient to return to the ocean…striated caracaras are everywhere. Riding the wind with a different style, they hover over us and drop to investigate anything left on the ground for even a moment…” –daily expedition report, march 2015, david cothran, naturalist Our first-ever circumnavigation, unfolding in a compact time frame, provides the rare opportunity to discover a ‘new’ destination and a true ‘capital of wildness.’ Photographers, nature enthusiasts, birders and travelers alike will savor this time among the astonishing creatures and engaging islanders that thrive in this remoteness— plus the chance to visit Argentina's extraordinary Staten Island. Cover: Courtship display, black- browed albatross, New Island. This page: Guests photographing black-browed albatross colony, Steeple Jason. EXPAND YOUR TRAVEL HORIZONS JOIN US FOR OUR 1ST-EVER FALKLANDS CIRCUMNAVIGATION ABOARD NG ORION. We’ll find an astounding 150,000 breeding pairs of black- browed albatross, communicating with their partners in low moaning groans or gently allopreening—an experience of a lifetime. See rockhopper penguins amid the tussock grass, and blue-eyed shags on an island once overrun by sealers and whalers in the 1800s. We’ll spot one of the world’s rarest— and some say most aggressive—raptors, the striated caracara, known locally as the Johnny Rook. And observe 8,000-pound bull elephant seals in dramatic battles for territory on island beaches. Many of the islanders have become friends of our expedition team, and we’ll meet them in the islands’ capital, Top: Magellanic penguins of Carcass Island. Bottom: Stanley, and outer settlements, for an insider perspective on Southern elephant seals battle for territory and mates. their lives in this remote locale. AND EXPERIENCE SELDOM-SEEN WILDNESS AND ALSO EXPERIENCE WHAT FEW CITIZEN EXPLORERS EVER HAVE: ARGENTINA’S STATEN ISLAND. On November 6, 2015 National Geographic Explorer was the first foreign-flagged expedition ship in history to sail into the protected waters of Staten Island, Argentina, an area historically off-limits to tourism since 1923. We are proud to be honored with access to this astounding sanctuary, and you will be the second wave of Lindblad explorers to visit here—on our Falklands expedition. To preview what’s in store for you, please see photographer Eric Guth’s This page, clockwise from top left: Guests wonderful posts—you'll find the link below. And to further excite you, hiking; British red telephone box and colorful we’ll send you Jules Verne’s “Lighthouse at the End of The World” traditional house, Stanley; traditional tea is a staple of Falklands life in town and on the with our compliments—it’s a ‘Robinsonade/marine’ thriller that was camps; Falkland wool is a major part of the written about Staten Island. local economy; the endemic Johnny Rook, aka striated caracara; wild flower coastline of Steeple Jason. SEE 1ST STATEN ISLAND PHOTOS AT EXPEDITIONS.COM/SI_FIRST FALKLANDS 360° 13 DAYS/10 NIGHTS—PRICES FROM: $10,850 to $20,990 DAYS 1 AND 2: U.S./SANTIAGO, CHILE Fly overnight to Santiago. Settle in before an Steeple Carcass Jason Island Saunders Island overview of Santiago’s Plaza de Armas, main Southern square, and Presidential Palace. Overnight at the Atlantic Ocean Stanley Ritz Carlton Santiago Hotel. (Day 2: L) ARGENTINA Fox Barren Island DAY 3: FLY TO USHUAIA, ARGENTINA/ � Bay Isla New de los Island George Island EMBARK Estados Fly by private charter flight to Ushuaia, the (Staten Island) FALKLAND ISLANDS southernmost city in the world. Join a catamaran Ushuaia cruise of the scenic Beagle Channel before embarking our ship. (B,L,D) To/From Santiago Ship Route DAY 4: ISLA DE LOS ESTADOS (STATEN ISLAND), ARGENTINA Explore Staten Island by special permission, one of the newest nature reserves in the Southern shearing along with a local tea service; hike to DAY 11: AT SEA Hemisphere. Discover colonies of seabirds and Mount William, the historic site of a large battle As we sail to Ushuaia, there’s time to edit photos marine mammals along its mountainous, forested during the Falklands War; or take a short walk with your National Geographic photographer, landscapes and rugged fjords. (B,L,D) from the pier to the Stanley Growers Hydroponics journal, or just relax. (B,L,D) Gardens that produces all the fresh produce for the DAY 5: STEEPLE JASON/FALKLAND small community of 2,500. (B,L,D) DAYS 12 AND 13: DISEMBARK USHUAIA/ ISLANDS FLY TO SANTIAGO/HOME Steeple Jason is one of the most remote, DAY 8: GEORGE AND BARREN ISLANDS Disembark in Ushuaia after breakfast. Fly to windswept, and arguably most important wildlife Explore the rarely visited George and Barren Santiago for connecting overnight flights home. conservation sites in the Falklands. See the Islands, where we first landed in 2001. Zodiac (Day 12: B,L) largest colony of black-browed albatross in the cruise and hike to encounter sea lions, elephant world—over 150,000 breeding pairs, and the seals, and Magellanic penguins. The afternoon world’s rarest species of raptor—the striated EXPEDITION DETAILS takes us to the local settlement and a typical DATES: 2016: October 19, 28 caracara, locally known as the Johnny Rook. (B,L,D) English tea. (B,L,D) DAY 6: CARCASS/SAUNDERS DAY 9: FOX BAY In the morning hike Carcass Island to view king Visit a local ranch for a superb barbecue. Mix with penguins, myriad bird life, and sweeping views locals and ranch hands to learn about their ways of of the harbor. Enjoy a lavish tea with our longtime life. (B,L,D) friends the McGill family, owners of the island. During the afternoon on Saunders Island visit a DAY 10: NEW ISLAND NATURE RESERVE white sandy beach, see gentoo and Magellanic Former property owners and our expedition team penguins, and look for Commerson’s dolphins members Tony and Kim Chater will share this nature surfing the waves. (B,L,D) reserve that seeks to return the island to its previ- ous glory before whalers and sealers introduced DAY 7: STANLEY predators. Sheep graze on a limited fenced-in area, Options abound in the Falkland’s largest and experiments to re-establish tussock habitat in and most populated city. Take a guided tour another area can be observed.