Martin Zwick

There are not many regions on earth where wildlife photography is so much fun as on the Falklands. The animals are not shy, they are exotic (at least for us), the local language is English and you have all the touristic infrastructure you need!

The long lasting impression of my first visit on the Falklands has been the reason to move to professional wildlife photography. By now, I have been on these Islands five times and I am sure I will go back from time to time!

However, the Falklands are literally on the other side of the world. If you make the effort to go there, it would be easy to combine the trip with another first class destination in Patagonia to make everything even more worth while to do.

By now you have several choices to go to the Falklands:

As part or ppick up/drop off point on a cruise

With the Royal Air Force from the UK

With regular flights by LAN CHile from Punta Arenas

The RAF flight is the quickest way to arrive on the Falklands, but the RAF is very strict with carry on and has a small allowance of "normal" luggage. Therefore this option is not so intersting for photographers with lots of luggage. The planes are normal passenger planes with acceptable comfort. the food was in the early nineties military food. The check in at an working RAF air base is something different, but all the same I would not recommend this option any longer.

Whats left is the last option to go with LAN CHile. LAN is a good airline, the flight trough Santiago de Chile and Punta Arenas is really long, but somehow you have to arrive at this other end of the world. I always stopped for a day or two in Punta Arenas, to have the chance to find lost luggage, to recover from the long flight and the jet lag. From Punta Arenas there is only one, sometimes two flights per week to the Falklands. The flight goes through argentine airspace. Due to still unsettled tensions between the UK and Argentina concerning the Falklands, Argentina uses these air flights as a pawn in this long lasting conflict. The Argentininas are threatening from time to time to cancel the rights to cross argentine airspace. As far as I know it never really happened with the LAN flights, but they did it already for charter flights for tourists hopping on a cruise on the Falklands.

By now it is no problem to go to the Falklands!

Please check the up to date regulations! This link has the latest regulations.

Entering the Falklands is easy. You have to proof that you have a booked accomodation, to show a return ticket and you have to proof that you have enough money not to end up broken on the Falklands (cash, credit card). All these formalities are done at the airport, to apply for visa at home is not necessary (for EU).

The Falklands Islands have by now a good infrastructure for tourists. The main focus of the local tourist board are cruise ship passengers, callling in Stanley for one or two days. In Stanley the waterfront has been developed and touristy shops have mushroomed where you can buy all the typical souvenier stuff.

Alle air passengers arrive at the military airport app 90 min form Stanley. There is a publich shuttle service to town or you can let arrange a pick up through your hotel or B&B. The road network is beeing upgraded from year to year. As most of the prime destinations for wildlife photographers are located on smaller outlying islands, you will hardly have any necessity to use it.

The number of accomodation is limited, options to camp are there, but very limited as well. It is essential to book well ahead, not only because of the rules of entry into the Falklands.

The Falklands consist of many islands of different sizes. Commuting between the islands is done by the Falkland Island Government Air Service (FIGAS). They use small, very reliable prop planes, which fly on demand. You book the flight and FIGAS will tell you through the radio the evening before you flight the exact flight time! FIGAS has very strict regulations regarding luggage. Every pax will be weight not only the luggage. Somebody who has extraordinary heavy luggage has to inform FIGAS upfront to avoid any problems.

Now some word about cost. The Falkland Islands are no destination for very budget oriented travellers. Everything is much more expensive than in europe!

Penguins, Albatrosses and Elefant Seals! These are the main attractions for wildlife photography on the Falkland Islands. Following list gives a small overview:

Life for landscape photographers is a bit harder. The Falklands are no unspoilt paradise. Nearly all islands have been overgrazed in the past and have lost their natural vegetation to a certain extent, which resulted in soil erosion on the coast line or at exposed parts of the mountains. Thats sometimes a sad view.

Following selection is based on my experience and accessablitly. Destination which are very difficult to go to are not included!

During the last years the temperature on the Falkland has risen like everywhere in the world. The weather changes often, but long phases of rain are rare. Equipment for the european autoumn is sufficient. Windproof overtrousers are recommended in any case, as you probably will have could antarctic winds, even if the sun is shining.

If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact me, by using the contact form!

Martin Zwick