Antarctica

– Embark on an adventure to the end of the Earth
  • True polar expedition
    Embark on an adventure unlike anything else with the leader in Antarctic expedition cruises.
  • Another world
    Set foot on the most unique and remote place on Earth. Explore the frozen wilderness on daily landings and activities.
  • Fascinating wildlife
    Meet the curious and fearless Antarctic animals like penguins, whales and seals in their natural habitat.
  • Sustainable travel
    Sail with the greenest expedition cruise fleet. Learn about our planet’s most fragile ecosystems and get a deeper understanding of the world we share.
Visit the penguins at Bluff Cove on the Falkland Islands
Antarctica is probably where you will use most of your memory card.

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Explore Antarctica

Discover some of the possible landing sites you may visit on an expedition cruise to Antarctica.

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Explore Antarctica

Discover some of the possible landing sites you may visit on an expedition cruise to Antarctica.

  • 1

    Half Moon Island

    Enjoy a stay on this staggeringly photogenic island. We will explore the serrated and creviced cliffs, home to a large colony of chinstrap penguins.

  • 2

    Deception Island

    This distinctive ring-shaped volcanic caldera has a navigable opening into the flooded interior.

  • 3

    Yankee Harbour

    One of the main sights here is the large colony of gentoo penguins, estimated to be 4,000 breeding pairs.

  • 4

    Antarctic Sound

    The huge ice shelves of the Antarctic continent give birth to mile-long tabular icebergs. The strong currents of the Weddell Sea bring these massive flat-topped bergs north into the Antarctic Sound.

  • 5

    Brown Bluff

    This 2,440 ft high, rust-coloured bluff is volcanic and the beach is peppered with lava “bombs”.

  • 6

    Cuverville Island

    Cuverville Island boasts the largest known colony of gentoo penguins in the Antarctic Peninsula.

  • 7

    Neko Harbour

    Neko is one of the places in this area where we have a chance to land on the Antarctic mainland.

  • 8

    Paradise Harbour

    Paradise Harbour offers another rare opportunity for a mainland landing.

  • 9

    Lemaire Channel

    This wide channel is one of the most beautiful passages in Antarctica.

  • 10

    Antarctic Circle

    We hope to explore beyond the Circle at 66°33’ south - far beyond the limit of most cruises in Antarctica - on some of our expeditions between January and March.

  • 11

    Falkland Islands

    Vast open spaces and white sandy beaches will greet you in the Falklands. Known as a birdwatcher’s paradise, the islands also host five different species of penguins.

  • 12

    South Georgia

    Home to stunning fjords, mountains and beaches, South Georgia provides a perfect environment for animals to flourish. Expect to see seals and an abundance of penguin colonies.

Wildlife in Antarctica

There isn't much life in the Antarctic. While the landscape may seem somewhat desolate to the untrained observer, it is actually one of the most interesting places on earth. Apart from a few herbivorous Antarctic creatures, all animals on the southernmost continent are predators.

Discover wildlife unique to the Antarctic like the crabeater seal.
Discover wildlife unique to the Antarctic like the crabeater seal.
Photo: Dietmar Schiemer
Photo: Dominic Barrington

Seals

There are four types of seals that live in the waters surrounding Antarctica: leopard, crabeater, Weddell, and southern elephant. All seals are fairly slow predators that hunt by waiting in places their prey is likely to appear. Most of them are unlikely to pay humans much mind at all—except for the leopard seal.

This seal, named for its characteristic spots, has been known to become aggressive with humans in small boats. They're fierce predators and are perfectly happy to eat anything. Although they don't attack humans often, it's best to give leopard seals a wide berth.

Whales

During the austral summer, Antarctic waters are full of many different types of whales looking to eat fish, squid, and plankton. Killer whales are one of the species travelers might be able to spot on their trip; these are the most aggressive and ambitious hunters, as their sights are set on seals, seabirds, and even other whales. They're perfectly capable of taking down creatures that are much larger than they are, provided they hunt in groups.

Get close to wildlife in Wilhelmina Bay, often called “Whale-mina Bay” because of the large numbers of humpback whales spotted here.
Get close to wildlife in Wilhelmina Bay, often called “Whale-mina Bay” because of the large numbers of humpback whales spotted here.
Photo: Andreas Kalvig Anderson
Marching penguins on Cuverville Islands. Antarctica is a wilderness teeming with life - sail with us and meet the penguins in their noisy and crowded colonies.
Marching penguins on Cuverville Islands. Antarctica is a wilderness teeming with life - sail with us and meet the penguins in their noisy and crowded colonies.
Photo: Andreas Kalvig Anderson

Penguins

The world's favorite Antarctic creatures, penguins mostly eat krill and very small fish. They spend most of their time in the water, but usually come on land to mate and raise their chicks.

Although penguins in the region don't think of humans as a threat or a meal, it's still best to exercise caution when around them. They're not shy around people, and may come right up to you—still, they can and do bite, so it's wise to treat them the way you would any other wild animal.