ICEBERG ALLEY & EMPEROR PENGUINS

Upon arrival, meet your expedition leader as well as your science, naturalist, kayak, climbing, and mountain guides—all leaders in their fields with global reputations for excellence. Discover this Antarctic satellite by hiking and traveling by tender into its bays to see its wildlife.

Have breakfast onboard your yacht as you look out at the passing icebergs before cruising north and taking your first footsteps on Antarctica’s soil.

In the afternoon, board your private helicopter to transfer to the continent’s most northerly Emperor Penguin breeding colony. Begin a week-long collaborative research project with your resident naturalist to collect data on the hunting grounds and migratory routes of penguins and whales.

Take in the astonishing panoramas as your traverse this icy landscape before embarking on a penguin safari with your guides. In the afternoon, travel by tender to see basalt geological formations while keeping an eye out for humpbacks and orcas in the waves.

WRECK & PALMER STATION

From your tender, observe the eerie remains of a whaling shipwreck that sank over a century ago. If experienced, dive below for a closer look. You’ll see cold-water coral, and watch the Antarctic terns.

Cruise to some of Antarctica’s most biodiverse islands. Transferring by tender to shore, you’ll observe the animals from a respectful distance while snowshoeing with your guide, spotting leopard seals, southern giant petrels, and a sea of penguins.

Return to your yacht and sail onwards to a former British Research Station. Learn about daily life for the researchers permanently based there and keen an eye out for nearby penguin colonies and lurking leopard seals.

As you sail further, watch for humpback whales and icebergs. Disembark for an adrenaline-fuelled ice climb up a mountain alongside your guide, arriving at the top in time for a south pole sunset.

COOL CAMPING & DECEPTION ISLAND

Travel onwards to see playful Weddell Seals, Minke Whales, and an immense glacier. Conditions providing, you’ll trek glaciers and thrillingly rappel into an icy crevasse.

Leave your yacht behind and with your kayak guide navigate to an “unknown island” where you’ll unload your supplies and camp for the night. Under the guidance of your expert Pelorus guide, you’ll set up your own camp. Come evening, and by a crackling campfire, listen to stories of explorers—such as Shackleton—who have shared the experience of overnighting on Antarctica’s ice.  

In the morning you’ll pack up the site, ensuring no trace remains in keeping with IAATO guidelines. You and your team will rope together before making the return journey to your kayaks wearing snowshoes, your gear pulled behind you on sleds.

Make your way over the ice to see one of the world’s largest Chinstrap penguin colonies. After this personal encounter with the local wildlife, take a swim in the geothermally heated shallows. You’ll be transferred by air afterward to the summit of a glacier and a panoramic sunset over the White Continent.