South Shetland Islands

Situated 120 kilometres north of the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetland Islands are a remote destination comprising of eleven islands which form part of the icy landmass of the ‘White Continent’. This Antarctic archipelago possesses a sheer dramatic beauty with its rugged, icy, windswept landscapes dotted with research stations. It is home to a variety of wildlife such as seabirds, penguins, and large colonies of elephant seal. Visitors can look forward to exploring the spectacular islands of South Shetland, including; Livingstone Island, home to the highest point of the archipelago; King George Island, with its twelve research stations from different countries; and Deception Cove on Deception Island, an active flooded caldera featuring bubbling pools of thermal water, where visitors can take the once-in-a-lifetime ‘polar plunge’.