March 1, 2017

An Extraordinary New Antarctica Photography Safari

Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) on iceberg Mikkelsen Harbour, Antarctica

The planet’s southernmost continent, Antarctica, is a vast ice-covered landmass of breath-taking majesty and beauty. The extraordinary scenery in this remote region has been captured by some of the world’s great photographers, including the wildlife photographer Andy Rouse who has garnered awards for his accomplished shots. Now, the adventure tour operator Natural Worlds Safaris is hosting a photographic expedition to the continent with this esteemed photographer on-hand to share his expertise.

In November 2017, passengers on this 13-day expedition will depart from the world’s southernmost city, Ushuaia, aboard the M/V Akademik Ioffe. On the ship’s voyage along the Beagle Channel and across the wild waters of Drake Passage, passengers have the unique opportunity to join Andy Rouse and his team in photography workshops, while expert naturalists share their knowledge of the wildlife and ecosystems encountered throughout the journey, from the abundant bird life seen on the voyage across the ocean, to the species seen up-close in Antarctica.

During the seven days spent in the South Shetlands Islands and on the Antarctic Peninsula, time in the smaller Zodiacs is maximized to enable each passenger to seek out and photograph the wildlife. And from photographing the whales, seals and penguins, to the towering icebergs of the landscape they’re in, Andy Rouse and his team will provide on-the-ground photography training.

On reaching the landing sites of Antarctica itself, passengers have a chance to set foot on the white continent, before setting out on the voyage back across the ocean towards Ushuaia. But the expedition is far from over, as the return journey across the Drake Passage opens up more opportunities to spot whales as they pass through these waters, join in on photographic critiques and workshops, and revel in this time aboard the M/V Akademik Ioffe.