The penguin colonies are the anchor of every landing. Gentoos are the most widespread and the most likely to be nesting a few metres from the marked path; chinstraps hold the steeper, noisier rookeries; Adélies are the true ice specialists, found further south and declining in the northern peninsula as the climate warms.

The ice itself is where the seals are. Crabeater seals haul out on floes in numbers, Weddell seals lie fat and motionless near fast ice, and leopard seals patrol the edges of penguin colonies — a zodiac cruise through brash ice is the most productive seal watching of the trip.

The channels and bays — the Lemaire, Wilhelmina, Neko Harbour — are where whales concentrate. Humpbacks feeding on krill are the main event, often approaching stationary zodiacs of their own accord, with minke whales in the ice and orca as an occasional bonus.

Timing changes the trip completely. November brings pristine snow, courtship and nest building; December and January the long days, hatching chicks and the peak of activity; February and March the fattest chicks, the most whales, and the best chance of finding the humpbacks in numbers.

How visiting works

Everything is regulated by the Antarctic Treaty system and, in practice, by IAATO, whose members run essentially all tourist voyages. No more than 100 passengers may be ashore at a site at any time, which is why ships carrying more than about 500 passengers cannot land at all — vessel size is the single most consequential choice you make.

Ashore, you must keep at least five metres from wildlife and ten metres from the edge of a penguin colony, stay off their pathways to the sea, and let any animal that approaches you do so on its own terms. Boots and outer clothing are decontaminated between landings. Nothing is taken, nothing is left, and no food is eaten ashore.

Most voyages leave from Ushuaia and cross the Drake Passage in about two days each way — budget for that being rough, or pay considerably more to fly across it to King George Island.