South Georgia - Attraction of Antarctica

Highlights and Main Attractions of South Georgia

Widely heralded as one of the world’s most understated wildlife sanctuaries, the sheer isolation of this island is just part of its appeal. A wonderland of snow, ice and inquisitive wildlife, South Georgia offers its visitors magnificent and pristine scenery.

The island itself measures 170 kilometres and is a mountainous landscape, with snow-capped peaks that soar to a height of 2,934 metres.

Located 1,400 kilometres east of the Falkland Islands, the island is only accessible by boat, and the journey time from the Falkland Islands is approximately two days.

South Georgia Quick Facts

Mammals: There are no native land mammals, reindeer, rats and mice have been introduced.

Size: a surface area of almost 4,000km2

Wildlife: lots of birds including a King penguin colony, albatross and petrels.

History: claimed to be first spotted in 1675 and landing in 1775

Where is South Georgia?

Wildlife and Variety

It was British explorer James Cook who first set foot on the island during his second worldwide voyage of exploration, and after his initial disappointment at not finding a vast mainland, he described it as follows: "A country doomed by nature never once to feel the warmth of the sun's rays, but to lie for ever buried under everlasting snow and ice.”

The island is a true paradise for wildlife enthusiasts, with literally millions of creatures going about their lives completely uninterrupted. At Prion Island it is possible to see the breeding efforts of the huge wandering Albatross and enjoy watching their displays. At Salisbury Plain, the second largest King Penguin colony in South Georgia, you can also see elephant seals, whilst at Grytviken you may visit an abandoned whaling center where king penguins roam freely, and the Whaling History Museum and Shackleton’s grave are also of interest. Reindeer were also introduced to the island by Norwegian whalers, and can often be spotted grazing around the Fortuna Bay area.

It is possible for the more active to ski trek across South Georgia, over a total distance of 40 kilometres, following in the footsteps of Shackleton, crossing alpine passes and glaciers, offering a completely unique perspective on the island aside from our standard sea voyages.

Whilst many trips choose to combine the island with visits to the Falklands and the Antarctic Peninsula, we also have a trip that focuses solely on South Georgia.

Accommodation Options

Akademik Ioffe

Akademik Ioffe is a modern ship, initially built for scientific research, now one of the best polar expedition ships.

Akademik Sergey Vavilov

Initially built for marine research, the Akademic Sergey Vavilov is modern, comfortable & steady for a thrilling Antarctica journey.

Hanse Explorer

This purpose built expedition ship is solely for the use of private charters, meaning your itinerary can be completely bespoke.

Kapitan Khlebnikov

Built in 1981, the Kapitan Khlebnikov is a home away from home and an extremely powerful icebreaker.

M/S Expedition

M/S Expedition is a 134 passenger ship with a gym, intermittent internet and a variety of cabin categories.

M/S Hebridean Sky

An intimate, ice strengthened expedition ship sleeping up to 110 passengers. A great mix of adventure and luxury.

M/V Ortelius

Accommodating 120 passengers, M/V Ortelius is an ice strengthened ship. Comfy but basic maximising exploration.

M/V Plancius

M/V Plancius is a 114 passenger vessel exploring the far reaches of the polar regions, maximising your polar wildlife viewing.

M/V Sea Spirit

M/V Sea Spirit is a luxurious ship with space for just 114 passengers it is complete with an onboard restaurant, gym and outdoor hot tub.

M/V Ushuaia

M/V Ushuaia is a comfortable & intimate ship that has been redesigned & ice-strengthened to explore Antarctica.

Magellan Explorer

Newly built for the 2019/20 polar expedition season, this modern vessel has space for up to 100 passengers and is perfectly designed for high-end voyages through Antarctic waters.

Ocean Nova

The intimate & unique sister ship to the M/S Quest, Ocean Nova comfortably sleeps just 73 guests at a time.

Polar Pioneer

Ex-research vessel, the Polar Pioneer, sleeps up to 54 passengers. It is excellent for exploring the far Polar Regions.

Spirit of Enderby

This small ship has just 30 cabins and is great for getting to those narrower, hard to reach places in Antarctica.

BOOK YOUR ANTARCTICA SAFARI

Contact one of our Destination Specialists to start planning your journey.