English FAQ Contact Dates & rates Login Antarctica Arctic Special deals Highlights About South Shetland Islands Plum the mysteries of these mist-covered islands South Shetlands cruises The archipelago consists of 11 major islands and numerous smaller ones. They are mainly mountainous and more than 80% glaciated. The islands are of volcanic origin. Although the islands might have been sighted before, the first recorded sighting is that of William Smith, a British sailor whose ship was blown off course while rounding Cape Horn in 1819. Soon after, seal hunters frequented the islands in search of Fur Seals. Read more… Cruises to the South Shetland Islands Sort by Nearest departure date Lowest price Highest price Nearest departure date Antarctica Classic Antarctica including Deception Island PLA24-21 This Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands cruise delivers you into a landscape of dark rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and thousands of penguins. M/V PLANCIUS Cruise date: 12 Dec - 22 Dec, 2021 Price: €6400 Show cruise Up to 2520 discount Antarctica - Discovery and learning voyage Classic Antarctica including Deception Island HDS24-21 This Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands cruise delivers you into a landscape of dark rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and thousands of penguins. M/V HONDIUS Cruise date: 24 Dec, 2021 - 3 Jan, 2022 Price: €5640 Show cruise Up to 2520 discount Antarctica - Discovery and learning voyage Classic Antarctica including Deception Island HDS25A22 This Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands cruise delivers you into a landscape of dark rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and thousands of penguins. M/V HONDIUS Cruise date: 3 Jan - 13 Jan, 2022 Price: €5640 Show cruise Antarctica Classic Antarctica including Deception Island PLA28-22 This Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands cruise delivers you into a landscape of dark rugged rock, pure white snow, and a fantastic variety of wildlife. Come say hello to whales, seals, and thousands of penguins. M/V PLANCIUS Cruise date: 3 Feb - 13 Feb, 2022 Price: €7050 Show cruise Falkland Islands - South Georgia - Elephant Island - Antarctica - Polar Circle Meet at least six penguin species HDS29A22 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 Cruise date: 17 Feb - 11 Mar, 2022 Price: €13200 Show cruise We have a total of 17 cruises All cruises Video Fan(tastic) photo South Shetland Islands by Sanneke van der Sanden See gallery » Share your photo » Customer story Antarctica and My Old Friend, Ortelius: Passenger Story by Ann Lane I was on the recent Antarctic trip on Ortelius, 16 Feb - 7 March. This has been my third expedition with Oceanwide, and Read more » Share a story » Blog Adding Antarctica to Your Seven-Continents Bucket List It’s a common pursuit among serious travelers to visit all seven continents. And indeed, the term “bucket list,” which b Read more » All posts » Highlights See the highlights you may experience: —Zodiac Cruising & Shore Program —Shore-Based Walking —Hiking Deception Island —Polar plunge More highlights » Wildlife See the highlights you may experience: —Arctic Tern —Crabeater Seal —Chinstrap Penguin —Southern Elephant Seal More highlights » Map South Shetland Islands cruise reviews Overall rating based on 7 votes More Than Expected by William Blakley The Captain and Crew were extremely professional in their duties. As was the Ships Doctor. The Expedition Staff were very knowledgeable in their respective fields. All of the above were very friends and woul Read full review » Incredible Experience - with Amazing crew and expedition staff by Merrily Madero This trip was my 7th continent and 100th country and I couldn't have even imagined this experience would surpass ALL of my dreams and expectations. The ship was comfortable, the food was outstanding, the Read full review » Fulfilled a lifetime dream by Michael Sewell This trip fulfilled a lifetime dream for my spouse, Pat and I. We cannot say enough good things about Oceanwide Expedition's Leaders, Adam Turner and Sara Jenner. These two individuals are extreme Read full review » Fantastic Trip by Nick Goody Thank you to everyone at Oceanwide Expeditions for a fantastic trip. Our trip seemed to get better and better every day as the unique wildlife and exceptional scenery was revealed to us. It was a very nice f Read full review » Not your average vacation by Dawn Gurtner Antarctica is not a destination for the faint of heart, and it should not be. Once you get past the "Drake Shake" with your seasickness remedy working, you settle down for the real joy: the excursi Read full review » Amazing experience by Corrado Valsecchi Everything was planned to the detail, the expedition team was fantastic and always willing to answer any question, nice and talkative. Even when plans changed due to weather conditions there was an equally g Read full review » All reviews or Write a review South Shetland Islands FAQ What is the Time in the South Shetland Islands? The South Shetland Islands follow Greenwich Mean Time +12 (GMT +12). This means that if it is 9:00 GMT +12 (9 a.m.) during your trip to the South Shetland Islands, it would be the previous day at 17:00 (5 p.m.) in New York City, USA and 22:00 (10 p.m Read more » What is the Temperature and Weather Like in the South Shetland Islands? The climate in this area is typically very cool and corresponds well with the rest of the northern Antarctic Peninsula.The average summer temperature only reaches 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 degrees Fahrenheit), and the typical winter temperature hover Read more » What Wildlife Can I See in the South Shetland Islands? A visit to the South Shetland Islands will reveal a surprising amount of life for such a harsh environment. South Shetlands wildlife such as, seals, penguins and seabirds utilize the surrounding water as a feeding spot, and they can often b Read more » How Many People Live in the South Shetland Islands? The number of people living in the South Shetland Islands is extremely hard to say. Research stations may only have a skeleton crew - if any at all - during the winter. During the summer months it's booming with scientists and support crew. Read more » Who Owns the South Shetland Islands? The South Shetland Islands are not under the control of any nation. Instead, the Antarctic Treaty enables all signatories to utilize the region for any non-military related purposes. This has led to 13 countries establishing research stations and fie Read more » What Unique Features Does the South Shetland Islands Have? The South Shetland Islands are volcanic, primarily mountainous and approximately 80 percent glaciated. A voyage to the South Shetland Islands will often provide visitors with the opportunity to see penguins and seals. Deception Island is always a hig Read more » Show all FAQ 15 photos of South Shetland Islands in the gallery » About South Shetland Islands Weather Be prepared for some chilly weather on your South Shetland Islands cruise. The summer months’ average temperature only ever gets up to around 1 or 2°C, and that’s without factoring in the wind which can carry away your body heat. Scroll one third of the way down this linked page to get all sorts of info about what clothes you should bring. Facts about the South Shetland Islands If the Antarctic region has any sort of bustling cosmopolitan centre, it’s the South Shetland Islands. There are 10 bases on the Islands populated the year round and another 8 that see activity in the summer months. The South Shetland Islands are made up of many tiny islands and rocks and 11 main islands – Clarence, Deception, Elephant, Greenwich, King George, Livingston, Low, Nelson, Robert, Smith, and Snow. Deception Island is considered an active and ongoing “significant volcanic risk.” Only about 3% of the Islands are ice-free, along the coasts. That’s where your South Shetland Islands holiday will find all of the Islands’ life – including the humans. Famous explorer Shackleton and his crew survived more than four harsh months on Elephant Island. 12 different countries have bases on King George Island – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Germany, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Uruguay, and the U.S. The Islands were initially discovered on February 19, 1819 when the British ship Williams was blown of course while trying to make its way around Cape Horn. Travel to the South Shetland Islands A cruise including South Shetland Islands takes you to the gateway of the Antarctic. The South Shetland Islands, just a half a day’s cruise away from the Antarctic Peninsula, is home to stunning scenery and astounding amounts of wildlife. Get ready to bird watch as the islands are the home breeding grounds of terns, skuas, shags, gulls, and thousands of penguins of different kinds. Your South Shetland Islands trip gives you the chance to explore the Islands through a wide range of activities including snowshoeing & hiking, kayaking and diving. Antarctica Weddell Sea Antarctic Circle Antarctic Peninsula Ascension Island Cape Verde Falkland Islands South Georgia South Orkney Islands South Shetland Islands Ross Sea Arctic Franz Josef Land Greenland Jan Mayen North Norway Svalbard Highlights Basecamp Polar Diving Mountaineering Antarctic Camping Hiking Ski Mountaineering Photo Workshop Helicopter Tours Kayaking Snowshoeing Resources Rental gear FAQ Stories Photo Gallery Press Contact Careers Privacy policy Terms and conditions Sharing guidelines Insured travel funds Photo and video terms Group request Connect with us on: +31 (0)118 410 410 Sign up and stay updated: Subscribe The cruises on oceanwide-expeditions.com have received an average rating of 9.6/10 based on 520 customer reviews Contact Privacy policy Terms and conditions cookies © 2021 Oceanwide Expeditions