South Georgia has rightly been called ‘the greatest wildlife show on earth’ and after our in depth exploration of this remote island in the South Atlantic, we are certain you will agree. This seldom-visited corner of the planet is a place we know intimately and look forward to visiting every season. Even our experienced expedition staff, some with more than 100 journeys into the polar regions, cherish every visit to South Georgia.

Traditionally, our visits to South Georgia last only three or four days and are part of a much longer itinerary that includes Antarctica. However, after many years of careful preparation and planning, we now offer the unique opportunity to spend eight full days of exploration. This is more than double the time traditionally spent exploring South Georgia.

This particular departure is timed to coincide with the arrival of spring, a time of intense wildlife activity. November is a critical time in the wildlife migration and breeding cycle for many species. Scenes of male elephant seals battling for control of the beaches (and the female harems), the intimate and beautiful courtship rituals of the albatross and antics of the young penguin chicks, will have you believing you are 'on the set' of your very own wildlife documentary. For lovers of remote, small-ship expedition cruising, this voyage ticks all the boxes.

Antarctica has been inspiring explorers for centuries. And this voyage offers you the chance to discover why, with an unforgettable journey through the spectacular wilderness of the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula. This is a place with an extraordinary and dramatic history; the silence, and the purity of its environment is something that cannot be described in words.

Keep your camera ready as you cruise in a Zodiac in search of whales, seals, seabirds and astounding icebergs. On land you will witness thousands of penguinsin their colonies, with snowcapped mountain peaks looming behind. During this trip, you will enjoy iconic Antarctic highlights, and you will be rewarded with memories to last a lifetime.

There are so many ways one can explore our Polar Regions. There is hiking and snowshoeing over rugged landscapes, or ascending mountains to get that perfect panoramic photograph.  There are trips inland where you can make friends with the local penguin population. Perhaps you’d like to explore the shorelines via kayak or Zodiac. Maybe you’d like to camp out under the Antarctic skies. Or, how about whales? Who wouldn’t want to go out and see some whales up close and personal?

Planning an adventure trip can be a bit tricky if packages limit your options as to how you can experience the Arctic or Antarctic. You want to do it all, and not have to follow someone else’s notions of what will be fun or interesting. That’s why we created our Basecamp adventure cruises.

During your trip you will use one of our self-owned vessels as the centre of all of the activities that we offer as ways to explore your Polar Region of choice. The vessel will stay for two or three days at specific locations to serve as a comfortable hub for a wide range of activities that will enable:

• Mountaineers to climb mountain ranges (soft climbing).
• Hikers to participate in long walks.
• Photographers to explore photo opportunities.
• Campers to enjoy life at shore base camps.
• Kayakers and Zodiac passengers to explore shorelines where the cruise ship cannot go.

The Weddell Sea will always be remembered as the polar region that still echoes the ill-fated expedition of the great British polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. After Amundsen and Scott had reached the South Pole, Shackleton planned the Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition to make the first crossing of Antarctica, from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea via the South Pole. The 1914 expedition was a failure but it produced one of the greatest stories in the history of polar exploration.

His ship, the Endurance was beset in the ice almost in sight of her destination, Vahsel Bay, and after drifting northwards, eventually sank. The crew camped out on the pack-ice and slowly made its way to Elephant Island in the South Shetland Islands and, as there was no hope of rescue, Shackleton determined to go for help. He decided to head for South Georgia. Shackleton and five companions set out in one of the lifeboats across 1,300 km (800 miles) of the stormiest water in the world. Sixteen days later, worn out, soaked and hungry they sighted the southern coast of South Georgia. But they still had to cross the interior of the island, as the whaling stations were all situated on the northern coast.

The interior of South Georgia had never been surveyed and they had to guess their route, but after a difficult march they finally found their way to the whaling station Stromness, where they did get help. However, it would take them another three attempts to get back to Elephant Island before the 22 marooned men of the Endurance were rescued. Through Shackleton’s outstanding courage and leadership his men survived.