Birds · Winter departure
Hooded grebe in winter.
Four days on the Atlantic side of Santa Cruz. After breeding on the plateau lakes, the hooded grebes come down to the estuary of the Santa Cruz river for the winter. We go out at high tide in a small boat and let the birds set the distance, with low winter sun all day long.
July–August 2027
4 days · 3 nights
2–6 photographers
At a glance
The trip in four lines
Dates
July–August 2027
Exact days follow the estuary tide table and are announced well in advance.
Group
2–6 photographers
An R40 guide on board with a local skipper who knows the estuary.
Where
The Santa Cruz estuary
The Atlantic coast of southern Santa Cruz, where the river meets the sea, plus the coastal steppe around it.
Fitness
Easy, but cold
Little walking. Hours seated in an open boat in winter wind, and icy roads on land.
Day by day
Two tides, four days
Day 1 · Arrival
To the river mouth
Transfer across the coastal steppe to the estuary. Evening briefing on tides, the boat and how we approach the birds.
Days 2–3 · Water
High tide on the estuary
Two boat sessions at high tide, about three hours each, among wintering hooded grebes, great and silvery grebes and imperial cormorants. The second tide doubles as a reserve if wind keeps us ashore.
Day 3 · Land
Steppe in winter
Guanacos and lesser rheas on the frozen steppe, with owls and raptors along the way.
Day 4 · Coast
Winter shorebirds
A dawn session on the coast for seedsnipes, snowy sheathbills and other winter visitors, then departure.
Photography
Gear and conditions
From the boat: a handheld 100–400 or 100–500 mm zoom. Long primes on a tripod do not work with the boat moving.
Settings: fast shutter speeds, 1/2000 s or more, and stabilisation on. The boat is never still.
Light: at 50° south in winter the days are short, but the sun stays low all day. Good light from morning to afternoon.
Cold: thin shooting gloves under warm mitts, spare batteries in an inside pocket, and a rain cover for the spray.
Approach: slow, and the birds set the distance. If they dive, we let them go.
What is included
Included and not included
Included
3 nights in double rooms
Meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 4
All ground transfers during the trip
Boat sessions with skipper and safety gear
R40 guide and in-field photo guidance
A contribution to hooded grebe conservation
Not included
Flights
Travel and medical insurance with emergency evacuation, minimum USD 100,000 (mandatory)
Single room supplement
Alcoholic drinks, tips and personal expenses
Booking
Price and reservation
Price on request
Non-shooting partners welcome
Write to us first
We reply personally with dates, price and how to reach the start. A 30% deposit holds your place; the balance is due 90 days before departure. Cancel more than 90 days out and only the deposit is kept; after that there is no refund unless your place is filled. We recommend cancellation insurance.
Boat trips depend on wind and on the coastguard’s go-ahead. Two tide windows give you the best realistic odds; if we cannot sail, we work from the shore. Sightings are never guaranteed.
Want the dance, not the winter flocks? See The Gallardo Tango, our summer expedition on the plateau.
