Ocean Nova

In 1773 even though he crossed the Antarctic Circle and correctly surmised this was the route to the South Pole, in 1775, Captain Cook was quite dismissive of land beyond South Georgia, writing "… we may reasonably suppose that we have seen the best, as lying most to the North." King George Island is the largest and most "civilised" of the South Shetland Islands and is also home to many of the Antarctic research stations on its southern side at Maxwell Bay and Admiralty Bay, due to the milder environment. Historically, exploration and sealing brought people to this island. Nowadays, there is an Antarctic 26 mile marathon held here that attracts runners from all over the world. Scientific bases apart, the wildlife and dramatic scenery are the Island's major attractions e.g. Gentoo, Adelie, Chinstrap penguins, Antarctic tern, Snowy sheathbill, Southern giant petrel, Southern elephant seal.

This volcanic island in the northern Weddell Sea is home to a huge Adelie penguin rookery and the pink guano stains feature widely in the landscape. You will also find an Antarctic shag colony and skuas also nest here. Leopard seal also visit as there are plenty of penguins for dinner! This island is also home to another dramatic escape, this time for a Norwegian crew from the vessel supporting Swedish geologist Otto Nordenskjold’s 1901-03 expedition. The Antarctic was crushed in the pack ice while trying to pick up various members in different places. Fortunately, they managed to make their way across the ice floes to Paulet Island, where they wintered in a stone hut and fed off seals. Sadly, one young sailor, Ole Wennersgaard, did not survive and is buried here.

Deception Island is one of the most incredible islands on the planet. It is an active volcano in the South Shetland Islands, off the Antarctic Peninsula. Its unique landscape comprises barren volcanic slopes, steaming beaches and ash-layered glaciers. It has a distinctive horse-shoe shape with a large flooded caldera. This opens to the sea through a narrow channel at Neptune's Bellows, forming a natural sheltered harbour. It is one of the only places in the world where vessels can sail directly into the centre of a restless volcano.

It earned the name of 'Deception' from the concealed horsehoe-shaped harbour. The volcano beneath it was formed 10,000 years ago but erupts still in modern times, with fissures and cones in the late 60s and in 1970 that destroyed UK and Chilean scientific bases. Seismic activity was also detected in 1992 but no eruption occurred. This volcanic activity probably accounts for fewer glaciers on the island than on other islands in the area.

Telefon Bay is a small bay on the north-west coast of Port Foster, Deception Island, in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It is surmounted by Telefon Ridge. The name appears on the chart of the French Antarctic Expedition under Charcot, 1908–10, and derives from the ship SS Telefon, which sat here awaiting repairs.

Points of interest include volcanic caldera, geothermal hot springs, scientific bases, extensive moss beds with the additional wildlife: Chinstrap penguin, Cape petrel, Antarctic fur seal, and Weddell seal, which is the most southerly of the Antarctic seals and lives mostly on fast ice.

Lemaire Channel, illogically named after an African Belgian Explorer, is a dramatic deep fjord guarded by looming volcanic cliffs. Sufficiently narrow to be blocked by icebergs, take every advantage you can to enjoy the magnificent scenery. Leopard and crabeater seals enjoy chilling out on the ice floes. See if you can spot Gentoo penguins and Antarctic shags, humpback and Minke whales.

Petermann Island is the southernmost visitor site on the Antarctic Peninsula.

It was named after a German cartographer and discovered by the German Antarctic Expedition led by Eduard Dallmann (1873-4), which sailed on the first steam ship, Cape Gronland, to reach Antarctica.

In 1909 French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot and his men sheltered here in Circumcision Bay (so named as 01 January celebrates the feast of Christ's circumcision).

Wildlife includes Gentoo and Adelie penguin colonies, Snowy sheathbill, Skua, Kelp gull, Wilson's storm petrel, Antarctic shag, red and green snow algae.

There is a memorial cross to 3 members of British Antarctic Survey who died on the sea ice nearby in 1982.

In 1773 even though he crossed the Antarctic Circle and correctly surmised this was the route to the South Pole, in 1775, Captain Cook was quite dismissive of land beyond South Georgia, writing "… we may reasonably suppose that we have seen the best, as lying most to the North." King George Island is the largest and most "civilised" of the South Shetland Islands and is also home to many of the Antarctic research stations on its southern side at Maxwell Bay and Admiralty Bay, due to the milder environment. Historically, exploration and sealing brought people to this island. Nowadays, there is an Antarctic 26 mile marathon held here that attracts runners from all over the world. Scientific bases apart, the wildlife and dramatic scenery are the Island's major attractions e.g. Gentoo, Adelie, Chinstrap penguins, Antarctic tern, Snowy sheathbill, Southern giant petrel, Southern elephant seal.