Glide silently through mirror-calm Antarctic waters in a double sea kayak, threading between cathedral icebergs alive with Adélie penguins porpoising alongside your hull. This is as close as human beings get to total immersion in the world's last great wilderness.
What to expect
After a thorough dry-land paddle briefing and a wetsuit fitting, you launch directly from the ship's marina platform into water that rarely exceeds 2 °C. Your guide leads you in a tight cluster through seracs and brash ice, pausing to point out crabeater seals basking on floes just metres away. The silence is profound — only the creak of ice and the splash of a penguin breaking the surface. Sessions typically run 2–3 hours depending on conditions, returning to the ship for a warming drink and an adrenaline-fuelled debrief.
Good to know
Book the kayak programme before embarkation — slots are strictly capped for safety and IAATO compliance. A basic paddle fitness level is required; no previous kayak experience is needed. Wetsuits and all safety gear are supplied. Weather cancellation is always possible; the fee is refunded if conditions prevent departure.