Last month, there was a general inquiry on this site about recommendations for birding to Antarctica.
I just returned from a 17 day cruise to South America & Antarctica on board Sapphire Princess, a 1000' luxury cruise ship. Apart from the usual amenities, the birding was excellent and for budget-minded travelers, at a fraction of the more "adventuresome" trips (which I've also done). For disclosure, I'm NOT employed by the cruise line and this is not a "crass commercial" but it did provide an excellent opportunity to see an incredible number of species not easily seen otherwise - certainly not at the far more affordable rates - and at times, in mind-boggling numbers.
Anyone who is interested should contact me directly for details but as an overview, I saw:
10 species of Albatross
13 species of Petrels, Prions, etc.
6 Penguins
5 Shearwaters
3 Storm-Petrels
1 Diving Petrel
6 Skuas & Jaegers
6 Whales
3 Dolphins
5 Seals
1 Sea Turtle
The only "downside" is there are no shore excursions in Antarctica but for the price and the rest, it's well worth while.
