Possession Islands

Gateway to the world's greatest ice shelf

Possession Islands — Remote outposts in the Ross Sea

✦Chat with AI about Possession Islands

Adélie Penguin Colonies Wildlife colony

Observe vast Adélie penguin colonies clinging to these remote Ross Sea islands amid pack ice.

Best time: Nov–Jan — Early summer offers safer ice conditions and active breeding behavior.

Things to do:

• Observe penguin rookeries
• Photograph nesting birds
• Count active breeding pairs
• Watch chick development

Ross Sea Pack Ice Marine environment

Navigate the spectacular pack-ice formations that surround the Possession Islands.

Best time: Dec–Feb — Summer ice melt creates navigable leads while maintaining dramatic ice formations.

Things to do:

• Observe sea ice dynamics
• Photograph ice formations
• Watch ice floe movement
• Study ice conditions

Leopard Seal Ice Floes Marine mammals

Spot leopard seals hunting around icebergs and ice floes near the penguin colonies.

Best time: Nov–Jan — Early summer hunting season is most active with abundant prey and optimal ice conditions.

Things to do:

• Spot leopard seals on ice
• Photograph seal behavior
• Observe predator activity
• Watch hunting sequences

Southern Ocean Whales Marine mammals

Spot minke, humpback, and fin whales feeding in the nutrient-rich Ross Sea waters.

Best time: Dec–Feb — Peak summer feeding season draws whales to Antarctic waters with extended daylight.

Things to do:

• Spot migrating whale pods
• Photograph whales surfacing
• Observe whale behavior
• Count individual whales

Possession Islands Seal Haul-out Sites Park

Congregating areas for Antarctic fur and Weddell seals on ice and rocky shores.

Best time: Nov–Mar — Critical breeding and resting habitat for Antarctic marine mammals in their natural environment.

Things to do:

• Photograph seals hauled out on rocks
• Observe marine mammal social behavior
• Record wildlife sounds and interactions

From the notebook

Ross himself landed here in 1841, and we barely managed it — idling offshore in a Zodiac while Adélie penguins studied us from impossible ledges. The islands looked stitched from black rock and guano-white snow, a place that seemed to tolerate visitors rather than welcome them.

Arriving

• Fly into CHC · Christchurch, New Zealand — Sail from Christchurch to these remote Ross Sea islets.
• SIM NZ SIM/eSIM before departure; no signal once at sea.
• Money Carry NZ dollars and USD; onboard costs are prepaid.