The Wildlife Islands

Beyond the main settlements, the scattered outer islands of the Falklands are among the greatest wildlife havens in the South Atlantic, remote, windswept and astonishingly rich in life. Islands such as Sea Lion, Saunders, Carcass and Pebble teem with wildlife remarkably unafraid of people: nesting black-browed albatrosses wheeling in from the ocean to their cliff-top colonies, five species of penguin thronging the white beaches, colonies of cormorants, and shores where sea lions, fur seals and huge elephant seals haul out to bask. Commerson's dolphins play in the surf offshore. Reached by small aircraft and staying at simple island lodges, these pristine, teeming islands offer some of the finest and most intimate wildlife watching anywhere.

What you actually see

• The albatross colonies - the black-browed albatrosses on the cliffs.
• The penguins - the five penguin species on the beaches.
• The seals and sea lions - the elephant seals and sea lions ashore.
• The dolphins - the Commerson's dolphins in the surf.

When to go

November to March, the southern summer, is by far the best time, when albatrosses and penguins are breeding, seals are ashore and the weather is mildest; this is the prime wildlife season across the outer islands. The long southern days give ample time for watching.

Honest expectations

The outer islands are remote, reached by small inter-island aircraft and offering simple lodge accommodation, so visiting takes planning and expense, and the weather is windswept and changeable. As some of the richest and most pristine wildlife islands in the South Atlantic, teeming with albatrosses, penguins, seals and dolphins, though, they offer world-class and intimate wildlife watching.

Nearby

The capital Stanley is the hub for flights to the outer islands.