South Shetland Islands
This impressive group of islands, lying to the north and roughly parallel to the Antarctic Peninsula, is a haven for wildlife. We will visit enormous penguin colonies, land on beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and watch southern elephant seals wallowing in mud pools. We also hope to visit one of the many research bases in the archipelago and look for Antarctica’s only two flowering plants, which thrive here during the short southern summer. A highlight of the South Shetland Islands will be attempting to sail through a narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island.

Antarctic Peninsula
This awe-inspiring wilderness of snow, ice, waterways and mountains is the most readily accessible part of the White Continent and has some of the best wildlife. The Peninsula also has a remarkable history and there will be the opportunity to learn about some of the most important and dramatic expeditions to this remote corner of the world.

We will navigate some of the most beautiful waterways in the world (if they are not choked with pack ice and icebergs – a spectacular sight in itself); two in particular, the Neumayer and Lemaire Channels are narrow passages between towering rock faces and impressive glaciers. We hope to reach Paradise Harbour, or nearby Neko Harbour, where glaciers fill the calm waters with a mind-boggling vista of icebergs; this is where many passengers set foot on the Antarctic continent itself.

Falkland Islands
In the historic Falklands our voyages will explore some of the privately-owned outer islands that are home to great concentrations of wildlife – including several species found nowhere else in the world. Flightless steamer ducks, magellanic and gentoo penguins are just some of the highlights on Carcass Island, while nearby West Point boasts fantastic rockhopper penguin colonies. Peale’s and Commerson’s dolphins are often seen along the coast and frequently bow-ride and play alongside our ship. A visit to the Falkland Islands would be incomplete without exploring Stanley, the charming capital of the archipelago.

South Georgia
Great wandering albatross will accompany our ships as we sail across the Antarctic convergence to the remote, rugged and hauntingly beautiful island of South Georgia. This sub-Antarctic island has its own astonishing concentrations of wildlife and awe-inspiring scenery, ranging from 7,000-foot mountains and mighty glaciers to deep fjords and low-lying grassland. Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and inspiring places on Earth, the island certainly has more wildlife than virtually anywhere else on the planet.

Thousands of king penguins greet our boats at Salisbury Plain, wandering albatross nest and thousands of fur seals breed there, while mind-boggling numbers of huge southern elephant seals crowd the beaches. The island also played a significant role in Ernest Shackleton’s epic journey after the sinking of his ship, the ‘Endurance’. Shackleton’s grave is at Grytviken, a once-active whaling station.

The Weddell Sea
To sail into the grand and unforgiving landscape of the infamous Weddell Sea is truly exploratory and we will head into rarely visited regions where scientists are still finding fossils of giant penguins.

The Weddell Sea is synonymous with the torturous northerly drift of Shackleton’s ‘Endurance’ expedition and, as we backtrack along the route the Endurance drifted, we will also attempt the notoriously difficult landing on Elephant Island, the home for many months of the ‘Endurance’ sailors.