South Shetland Islands

The South Shetland Islands are the first land most visitors to Antarctica see, a chain of glaciated islands two days across the Drake Passage from Ushuaia. King George Island holds a cluster of research stations and the gravel airstrip where fly-cruise passengers land from Punta Arenas and board their ship. Half Moon Island is one of the most visited landings on the continent, a crescent with chinstrap penguins nesting on its rocks under a backdrop of Livingston Island's peaks. Aitcho Islands and Yankee Harbour add gentoo colonies and elephant seals. Weather decides every landing.