Wildlife of the Falkland Islands,
Photos courtesy of Dr. Wayne Lynch
Falkland Islands
and Southern Andes:
Their Wildlife and
Scenic Splendour
OCTOBER 26 – NOVEMBER 16, 2017
Bathed by cold fertile waters, the Falklands are a
mecca for nature lovers.
The Falkland Islands are a cluster of wave-sculpted isles 350 kilometers east of Tierra del
Fuego at the southern tip of South America. A recent tourism brochure justifiably boasts
that the Falkland Islands is a destination “where nature is still in charge.” One of the most
remarkable features of the islands is the inspiring array of wildlife — gargantuan elephant
seals, quarrelsome sea lions, unruly penguin colonies, sleek Commerson’s dolphins, and
pods of predatory killer whales, to name just a few. The greatest delight in visiting the
Falklands is that the wildlife is extremely tame and easy to observe. Where else can you
walk to within a few meters of raucous penguins, elegant albatrosses and super-sized seal
pups without them moving away. In fact, some of the animals, including the penguins, will
even investigate you as a harmless curiosity.
We have included four days in Chile’s Parque National Torres del Paine in the southern
Andes with its breathtaking mountain scenery, herds of wild guanacos, and predatory
pumas and you have a nature traveller’s ultimate destination.
Orientation
The orientation course will be held on Wednesday, October 11 and 18, 7 – 9:30 pm, at the University of
Calgary campus. Topics for discussion will include: the geography and natural history of the Falkland Islands,
and the ecology and biology of the whales, seals, sea lions and seabirds of the Southern Ocean, especially
that of the avian stars of the region, the five species of penguins that breed in the islands. The itinerary, travel
arrangements, health matters and insurance coverage will be discussed in detail.
16
Itinerary
Three meals daily are included throughout the trip. Not
included are the meals during the overnights in Santiago.
OCT 26 – 27 Depart from Calgary for the
overnight flight to Santiago, Chile, and then settle
into our conveniently located airport hotel.
OCT 28 After breakfast we make the short walk
to the airport to board our morning flight to
Stanley, the main town in the Falkland Islands
where we are met and transferred to our hotel.
For the balance of the day we explore this quaint
“British” colony of 3,000 citizens. The houses are
vibrantly painted and full of character with their
colourful tin roofs and gardens bursting with
flowers. There’ll be time to stroll the waterfront
with its interesting birdlife, visit its quaint shops
filled with woolens, crafts and paintings, and sip a
cappuccino while clouds drift over the harbour.
OCT 29 – 30 Fly in a small eight-passenger aircraft
to Pebble Island in the northwest corner of the
archipelago where we spend two days exploring
the island’s scenic beaches and headlands. The
island features a wide range of waterfowl and
wading birds including handsome kelp geese
and white-tufted grebes. The highlights include
several large colonies of Gentoo, Magellanic
and southern rockhopper penguins.
OCT 31 – NOV 2 Fly farther west for our threeday stay on Carcass Island. Here the shoreline is
right at our doorstep and we’ll share our days
with a wide array of interesting birdlife as well as
Commerson’s dolphins and southern sea lions.
The chief attraction of the island is the large
black-browed albatross colony where we can sit
at close range and watch the birds soar overhead,
court, and mate. Of course, if you bore easily,
there are countless penguins to enjoy as well.
NOV 3 – 5 Fly across the archipelago to the extreme
southeastern corner of the archipelago to Sea
Lion Island, the wildlife jewel of the Falklands.
The hotel accommodates just 20 guests so we
are often alone in our nature outings. Here we
watch gargantuan elephant seals bellow and
fight, gentoo penguins surf along the shoreline,
and killer whales hunt the edges of offshore kelp
beds. The island is a perfect location for private
nature strolling at sunrise and sunset where
every outing brings a new wildlife surprise.
NOV 6 – 7 Fly north to Bleaker Island for two more
relaxing days absorbing the natural wonders of the
Falklands. Much of the island is a nature reserve and
its wave-sculpted beaches are home to penguins,
shorebirds, waterfowl, sea lions and elephant seals.
As well, the island is home to 79 species of flowering
plants including lady’s slippers and yellow orchids.
NOV 8 – 10 Return to Stanley. After lunch we
take a half-day guided tour of the town including
Christ Church Anglican Church, Whalebone Arch,
Government House, and the Stanley Museum.
On our second day in Stanley we take a full day
excursion to Volunteer Point — a four-wheel-drive
expedition across the rolling moors to the world’s
largest accessible colony of king penguins, arguably
the most beautiful of all the penguins. On our last
day in the Falklands we have a day at leisure when
we may visit the Magellanic penguin colony at
Gypsy Cover or take a boat trip to Kidney Island
searching for Peale’s and Commerson’s dolphins.
NOV 11 – 14 Fly to Punta Arenas, Chile, at the
southern tip of South America, then board our
private coach for the drive to Parque National Torres
del Paine, our base for the next four days. Parque
National Torres del Paine, in the words of author
William Leitch, “is not a mere park, but a park of
parks, a destination of travellers to whom a park
is more than a place in which to be entertained,
but rather an experience to be integrated into
one’s life. Torres del Paine is the sort of park that
changes its visitors by setting standards of sheer
sensory impact against which all other parks are
thereafter measured.” Our many days in the park
allow us to savour the majesty of the southern Andes
Mountains and to enjoy close-up views of roaring
waterfalls, and herds of unwary guanacos. Other
wildlife specialties of the park include: Patagonian
red and gray foxes, Andean condors, black-necked
swans, torrent ducks, and buff-necked ibises. In
recent years, visitors are getting daytime glimpses
of the puma. The treeless steppe of the park is
the favoured hunting grounds of this large tawny
cat, and Torres del Paine is now the best place in
the world to see this normally elusive predator.
NOV 15 – 16 Return to Santiago for our
connecting flights back to Calgary.
Accompanying Resource Person
Dr. Wayne Lynch is an internationally-recognized
naturalist, science writer and professional wildlife
photographer. He is the author and photographer
of over 60 natural history books for children, young
adults and adults. He is also an elected fellow of
the Explorers Club and the Arctic Institute of North
America, and his biography has been included in the
Canadian Who’s Who, published by the University of
Toronto, since 1996. Wayne has led over a dozen trips
to the Falkland Islands and has written four books
on Penguins. Wayne has planned and accompanied
trips for Continuing Education to Antarctica, Borneo,
Brazil, Namibia, Arctic Norway, Kenya, Tanzania,
Boreal Canada and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.
Costs
Airfare International and domestic flights Land, tuition and other costs GST TOTAL Single Supplement $3,700
$13,000
$75
$16,775
$ 700
Cost includes: Tuition and two-week orientation course,
airfare, accommodation, transfers, all surface travel,
and meals as listed in the itinerary. A deposit of $500
is required with the registration form. There is a $200
withdrawal fee prior to the final payment date. Final
payment is due on February 15, 2017. Please the Refund
Policy section for withdrawal/refund procedures and
liabilities. Fees are based on the information available at
the time of print and are subject to change to reflect any
changes in currency rates, airfares, or land costs. There
are possibilities of decrease or increase, and any changes
will be reflected on the final payment and passed on to
the participant. All fees are based on double occupancy.
17
Choose your adventure:
o Routes of Spain, Kenneth Brown
May 1 – 17, 2017 TRA 190-001
o Iceland and Scotland, John Gilchrist
May 27 – June 9, 2017 TRA 188-001
o Wildlife Treasures of East Africa, Dr. Wayne Lynch
August 5 – 19, 2017 TRA 146-002
o Emperors and Artists: Italy through the Ages,
Scott Norris
September 2 – 16, 2017 TRA 189-001
o Great Cities of the Adriatic: From Dubrovnik
to Venice, Marina Fischer
September 7 – 21, 2017 TRA 187-001
Registration Form
By Mail
UCalgary Continuing Education
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4
In Person
UCalgary Continuing Education
Energy Resources Research
Building (ERRB)
N140, 3512 - 33 St NW
Calgary, AB
By Fax
403.284.9242
NAME (As per passport)___________________________________________________
DATE OF BIRTH (MM/DD/YYYY) __________________________________________
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
HOME___________________________________
WORK PHONE__________________ CELL PHONE____________________________
ADDRESS____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
FAX__________________________ EMAIL________________________________
o The Great Bear Rainforest: Spirit Bears, Grizzlies
and Ancient Forests, Dr. Wayne Lynch
September 26 – October 1, 2017 TRA 175-004
Will you be travelling with another person?
o No
o Yes Their Name:___________________________________________
o Falkland Islands and Southern Andes: Their Wildlife and Scenic Splendour, Dr. Wayne Lynch
October 26 – November 16, 2017 TRA 191-001
Would you like to have a roommate? o Yes o No
o South India Only, Valery Efimenko
January 15 – 29, 2018 TRA 186-001
Payment Information
o South India with Extension to Sri Lanka,
Valery Efimenko
January 15 – February 4, 2018 TRA 186-002
Please note that if you wish to share, every effort will be made to find you a suitable
roommate. If this is not possible, a single supplement will be applied.
If you are registering for a trip, your deposit of $500 must accompany registration.
Remit by cheque, money order or credit card in Canadian funds payable to the
University of Calgary.
o CHEQUE ENCLOSED
o CREDIT CARD PAYMENT
We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. However, for your security, please do
not document your credit card information on this form. Instead, please call 403.220.2952
weekdays, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, to provide the name and number on the card.
Please note: Your registration cannot be finalized until you have provided your credit
card information.
This information is collected under the authority of the Post-Secondary Learning Act. Your
personal information is collected to register you in a Continuing Education course and forms
part of the permanent student record. If you have questions about the collection or use of this
information, or, if you want your name removed from our mailing list, call 403-220-2952.
University of Calgary Continuing Education
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
T2N 1N4
2538016