New Lindblad cruises to circumnavigate Falkland Islands

Lindblad Expeditions in October will offer circumnavigations of the Falkland Islands -- a first for the line.

The adventure cruise specialist will operate two sailings around the sparsely populated archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean starting on Oct. 19 and 28, respectively.

The 13-day trips will take place on Lindblad's 102-passenger National Geographic Orion and also include a visit to Argentina’s Isla de los Estados, or Staten Island, the newest nature preserve in the Southern Hemisphere.

Lindblad says the trips will feature a profusion of wildlife. Stops will include Carcass Island, where passengers will hike in search of rockhopper penguins hidden in burrows and tussock grass. Also on the schedule is New Island, an outpost for sealers and whalers in the 1800s that is now a haven for blue-eyed shags and black-browed albatross.

Giant elephant seals, striated caracara (a raptor), Commerson’s and Peales dolphins also are on the list of wildlife that passengers might see.

In 2015, Lindblad was the first travel company in years permitted to call at Isla de los Estados, a wild island largely untouched by humans.

Fares for the voyage start at $10,850 per person, based on double occupancy.

For a deck-by-deck tour of a Lindblad vessel, scroll through the carousel below.