South Shetland Island

Antartica

The South Shetland Islands are an archipelago off the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, the gateway to Antarctica. First landfall of early sealers and whalers, they host many nations' research stations. Expedition visits include the vast chinstrap colony of Half Moon Island, the flooded volcanic caldera of Deception Island — where ships sail into the crater — the stations of King George Island, penguins, seals, and the first Antarctic landscapes most visitors ever see.