South Orkney Islands

Reward your inner nature photographer

They were named, together with the South Shetland Islands, after the islands in northern Scotland by the Scottish sealers that frequented the area. 

The islands were discovered only in 1821 when they were sighted by the respectively British and American sealers George Powell and Nathaniel Palmer. The islands consist mainly of rock and ice (85 % is glaciated), with little vegetation. Argentina and the United Kingdom have scientific stations on the islands, the Orcadas Station and Signy Station.

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Cruises to the South Orkney Islands

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species!

PLA20-24 A cruise to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia & the Antarctic Peninsula. Visit some of the most beautiful arrays of wildlife on Earth. This journey will introduce you to at least 6 species of penguin and a whole lot of Antarctic fur seals!

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

18 Oct - 7 Nov, 2024

Berths start from:

13350 USD

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species

PLA24-24 This Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctic Peninsula cruise is an animal-lover’s dream come true. The expedition explores one of the last untamed areas on Earth – a land of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and amazingly varied wildlife.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

6 Dec - 25 Dec, 2024

Berths start from:

17250 USD

Falkland Islands – South Georgia – Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species

OTL25-25 This Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctic Peninsula cruise is an animal-lover’s dream come true. The expedition explores one of the last untamed areas on Earth – a land of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and amazingly varied wildlife.

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

10 Dec - 29 Dec, 2024

Berths start from:

13550 USD

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species

HDS25-25 This Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctic Peninsula cruise is an animal-lover’s dream come true. The expedition explores one of the last untamed areas on Earth – a land of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and amazingly varied wildlife.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

17 Dec, 2024 - 4 Jan, 2025

Berths start from:

14600 USD

Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Antarctica

Meet at least six penguin species

HDS26-25 This Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Antarctic Peninsula cruise is an animal-lover’s dream come true. The expedition explores one of the last untamed areas on Earth – a land of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and amazingly varied wildlife.

m/v Hondius

m/v Hondius

Cruise date:

4 Jan - 22 Jan, 2025

Berths start from:

15750 USD

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11 South Orkney Animals: Whales, Seabirds, and Penguins Aplenty

The South Orkney Islands are frequently forgotten as an Antarctic travel option. But they shouldn’t be: Forming part of the Scotia Sea Islands tundra ecoregion, the South Orkneys are home to a healthy supply of wildlife despite their rough conditions.

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South Orkney Islands cruise reviews

by Lucinda Roenicke
The 23 day trip on the Hondius was better than I ever could have imagined. Every day was filled with views, wildlife and wonderful presentations. The team (guides, crew, service, etc) were all friendly, knowledgeable and professional. The ship was extremely comfortable, the food delicious and plentiful and the excursions were fun and informative. The lead guide, Pippa, checked weather daily and made educated decisions with the captain on where we should head. Everyday we were not at sea we had an excursion! The guides were all well educated and gave presentation on history, animals, geology and more. It was great learning about what we were seeing. I highly recommend this trip, Oceanwide and The Hondius !
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by Thomas Roenicke
This trip was beyond out expectations - from crew to guides to activities and itinerary Read full review
by Edwin Ketting
De reis met de Hondius van Oceanwide is een echte aanrader. Het personeel en de staff doen er alles aan om het naar je zin te maken. Het was een onvergetelijke reis. Als je van plan bent om deze reis te maken is Oceanwide wel een van de beste. Read full review
by Margaret Moss
Two unique special occasions. On separate zodiac trips in bays of the Peninsula on windless still ice-covered waters. The outboard engines were switched off. Everyone was asked to keep quiet and listen to the silence. These precious moments I will never forget. For the most part, people are not used to silence. After a few moments, people need to fidget. We are strangely perturbed by a lack of noise, perhaps made nervous by the extraordinary power silence has, being that it is perfectly comfortable in its own company. Humans, on the other hand, are such noisy creatures - velcro, zippers, sniffles, arranging gloves or beanies, cameras clicking. Then, when the silence is deemed to have been sufficient, we return to the world we make more noisy, zooming away to the chug of outboard engines and the human chatter that seeks to dominate. Read full review
by Sandra R.
This trip was a dream for my whole life and, when the opportunity came to go, I wondered if it could possibly add more to my understanding of these areas and the wildlife than I've absorbed from years of reading books and watching documentaries. The answer is a resounding yes. Each day brought experiences, sights, wildlife observations, intelligent presentations and clear information briefings that together made a life changing and life lasting affect, for me. Every member of the expedition team were experienced, well informed, engaging and efficient in their duties at all time. This professional approach was balanced with fun, when the occasion offered. The ship and every member of its excellent crew ensured we were very comfortable and well cared for at all times. The food was excellent, varied and was adapted to special diets without fuss. To others wanting to really engage with the wonders of Antarctica, consider this expedition. Read full review
by Sylvia Wyler
Empfehlenswert, ausgezeichnete Betreuung und herrliche Landschaften mit vielfältiger Tierwelt Read full review

South Orkney Islands FAQ

The climate in the South Orkney Islands is typically windy, wet and cold. Summer lasts from December to March, and individuals who participate in an expedition cruise to the South Orkney Islands can expect an average temperature of 3.5 degrees Celsius (38.3 degrees Fahrenheit).

The South Orkney Islands are mostly inaccessible from late April to November due to the nearby water being ice-covered during this time period. The average winter temperature in July drops to -12.8 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit).

Bird enthusiasts will enjoy a visit to the South Orkney Islands because of the prevalence of penguins and seabirds. It is common to spot Gentoo, Adelie and Chinstrap penguins, and you may also see Snow petrels, Pintado petrels, Kelp gulls, Sheathbills, Antarctic shags, terns and skuas. The surrounding waters will also be home to many seals – especially Antarctic fur seal in the later summer season.  

The South Orkney Islands are part of the Antarctic Treaty System, which means that they are not technically owned by any country. However, Argentina and the U.K. have both made claims upon these islands in the past. This region was first discovered by British and American sealers in 1821, and the first weather station was established in the South Orkney Islands in 1903 by the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. The station was later taken over by the Argentineans (Orcadas Station) and is now the place of the longest running scientific station in the Antarctic.   

Coronation Island has the region’s highest point with Mount Nivea, which is located on Sunshine Glacier and stands 1,265 meters (4,050 feet) tall. This combined with the high percentage of glaciation and diverse mixture of seabirds and penguins helps make the South Orkney Islands an attractive destination for explorers and adventurers who are seeking a once in a lifetime experience. The area around the islands is often littered with massive icebergs making cruising there a great experience. 

That depends on whether they only want eclipse photography or also pictures of wildlife and landscapes. Advise the passengers to look at the photography pages on our website. We avoid saying what specific equipment they might need, as this is very subjective, but we do provide general advice based on what our guides bring. We also have a how-to video on the topic of polar photography: Photography Equipment for the Polar Regions >

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South Orkney Islands Weather

The overall climate you’ll experience on your South Orkney Island expedition is cold, wet, and usually quite windy. During the summers (December through March) temperatures hover at just a little bit over 0°C.

During the winter (around July) the average temperature falls to around -10°C.

Facts about The South Orkney Islands

  • The South Orkney Islands sit about 600 kilometres to the northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula.
  • The only inhabitants are the people working at one of the two research stations (one British, one Argentinian).
  • Despite the cold of the region the South Orkney Islands do support some plant life – algae, lichen, and mosses.
  • The South Orkney Islands are considered to be an archipelago (chain of islands). There are four main islands – Coronation Island, Laurie Island, Powell Island, and Signy Island. The rest of the archipelago is made up of smaller islands such as the Saddle Islands and the Robertson Islands.
  • Almost 90% of the South Orkney Islands surface area is covered in glaciers.
  • The South Orkney Islands were originally called “Powell’s Group” after George Powell a Brittish sealer joining the  American Nathaniel Brown Palmer, who discovered them in 1821.
  • The oldest ongoing research station in the whole Antarctic region was established on Laurie Island in 1903 by Scottish Oceanographer William Speirs Bruce. He sold the station to Argentina in 1904. Orcadas Station is still operational today. 

Travel to the South Orkney Islands

A trip including South Orkney Islands takes you into the heart of one of the most important breeding grounds in the world for Adélie and Chinstrap penguins. Your South Orkney Islands expedition affords you the chance to take in some incredible bird watching, say hello to a variety of seals, and make friends with the local penguin populations. 

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