At Swoop Antarctica, we like to think that we know Antarctica better than anyone in the polar cruise industry. That’s because every year we send more of our team to rekindle their love of Antarctica, and get to know how every ship and expedition team operate in the ice.
In the 2025/26 cruising season that’s just finished, we sent more than 2000 travellers to Antarctica. We always love hearing what our guests have to say about their adventures – so we asked our Antarctic specialists what they loved about their time exploring the White Continent this season
Encounters with penguins
We had an incredible late spring sunset where the sun seemed to linger forever, painting the sky in pastels. It was the perfect canvas for photography – not least when the ship’s captain decided to have us circle an enormous iceberg. As we rounded it, we saw nearly a hundred Adélie penguins resting on top. What a moment!
– Otto sailed on Ultramarine on our Emperor Penguin Expedition in Style trip
Our morning at Gold Harbour started with a 3am wake-up call, but it was more than worth getting up early for. It was the most amazing wildlife experience of the trip. Tens of thousands of king penguins and their chicks, and a congested beach of elephant seals and their super-cute pup and countless fur seals, all against a stunning background of mountains and glaciers. No matter where you looked, something was happening: it was a complete overwhelm of the senses.
– Heather sailed on NG Resolution on our South Georgia, Falklands and Antarctica in Depth trip
For me, there was never going to be anything that topped seeing the emperor penguins at Snow Hill. Heading out on the helicopters felt like a proper mission, then landing at the colony and seeing them all for the first time amid icebergs frozen into the landscape was truly magical. I got a treasured shot of a family of three altogether – mum, dad and chick – then lost my mind a bit at the scene and wanted to run around like a headless penguin trying to take it all in.
– Colin sailed on Ultramarine on our Emperor Penguin Expedition in Style trip
Whales in close up
For me it was all about the sound of Antarctica for when you’re surrounded by an amphitheatre of glaciers. They made everything a big performance, from the thunderous splash of a breaching humpback, to the moment when one of them calves an iceberg and there’s a noise like a breach being torn in the world, followed by an eerie silence as the waves wash out towards you, carrying a carpet of broken ice.
– Holly sailed on Magellan Explorer on our Original Fly & Cruise Luxury Adventure trip
My ship had some visiting whale researchers from the Friedlaender Lab on board, so it was a real treat to learn directly from them about how scientists are learning more about Antarctica’s humpback whales. We saw a group of humpbacks feeding right at the surface and got to see the shocking pink flashes of their open mouths as they feasted on krill – it was a proper David Attenborough moment.
– Burnham sailed on Sylvia Earle on our Discover South Georgia, Antarctica and Falklands trip
The adventurous side of Antarctica
Camping in Antarctica was like a fantasy – and far too exciting to settle down into a proper night’s sleep. Waking up at 4am, I popped my head out of my sleeping bag and just lay there surrounded by white mountains under a pink sky with a nearly full moon. I literally felt like I was still dreaming – the stillness and silence of the Antarctic night is something I’ll never forget.
– Ale sailed on Ocean Albatros on our Antarctic Peninsula Classic trip
I took my first ever helicopter flight in Antarctica and I wasn’t prepared for how incredible it was. Being able to fly above the glaciers to discover how vast they are and how covered they are in vibrant blue crevasses, then seeing huge bergs sparkle like tiny icecubes, was truly magical. It was one of those moments when you’re faced with so much beauty that you’re not embarrassed to shed a few happy tears.
– Nicole sailed on Ultramarine on our Antarctic Explorer in Style trip
Kayaking was a very special way of discovering my own Antarctica. Having the control to paddle when you want, or to just float listening to brash ice scraping and popping along the side of your kayak. The landscape is so overwhelming it feels like you’re kayaking right underneath a glacier cliff even when you’re a safe distance away. Then the penguins appear, porpoising around you with such grace that you don’t mind how it seems like they’re just showing off. I mean – you would too, wouldn’t you?
– Bev sailed on Greg Mortimer on our Antarctic Peninsula Explorer trip
The best day of my trip was waking up to blue skies at Fortuna Bay in South Georgia with the all-clear that we could do the Shackleton Hike. Most landings keep you close to the wildlife on the shoreline, so it was amazing to explore inland. It was only when we got to the summit that we knew we’d beaten the weather and could properly celebrate by drinking in the amazing mountain views and our ship looking so small in the distance next to the old whaling station in Stromness.
– Rebecca sailed on NG Resolution on our South Georgia, Falklands and Antarctica in Depth trip
This year I celebrated my 10th trip to Antarctica. When friends and family ask if I ever get bored of ice and penguins, my answer is always ‘Never!’ This voyage I got completely new perspectives on my favourite place on the planet. Getting to explore 80 metres below the surface in a high tech submersible was something I could never have imagined on my very first voyage. Another new angle for me was getting to experience Antarctica from a paddleboard – skimming along the surface with glaciers perfectly reflected in the water, with the tranquility only broken by the heavy exhale of surfacing humpbacks.
– Lizzie sailed on Scenic Eclipse on our Luxury Antarctica In-Depth trip
Frozen landscapes
I had the classic experience of the first-time in Antarctica, where your expectations are high but the reality is just off the charts. It was like visiting the Taj Mahal after seeing a hundred photos of it – it gets more beautiful the more you look at it. The polar plunge definitely woke me from my reverie though – that freezing smash of water when you jump in, and then the real camaraderie of the swimmers when you grab a hot drink afterwards and laugh about the madness of the moment.
– Alex sailed on Greg Mortimer on our Antarctic Peninsula Explorer trip
Although I flew to Antarctica, the number one experiences always come once you’re on board. Mine was when we navigated the narrow stretch of the Lemaire Channel at sunrise, with the mountains on either side of us lit up in pinks and oranges. It was absolutely stunning. Amazingly, there were only three of us on the deck to witness it – a scene only made more memorable when a minke whale breached next to the ship. I think it was trying to match our sense of joy in the moment.
– Maddi sailed on Magellan Explorer on our Original Fly & Cruise Luxury Adventure trip
We had the biggest surprise of our trip when our ship was able to stop next to a sheet of fast ice so we could get out and explore. It was only the second time the Ultramarine had done this, and you could tell the whole team was as excited as we were – they even got out a football. Dragging your boot over the snow, you could see the blue glow of ice underneath and imagine the sea below us. Some penguins watched us from a distance, and I like to imagine they were finding the scene just as peculiar as we were.
– Georgia sailed on Ultramarine on our Antarctic Explorer in Style trip
Beyond Antarctica
I didn’t make it to Antarctica this season but I did the very next best thing – joining the inaugural cruise of the Douglas Mawson, the newest ship in the polar fleet. It was a treat to get the inside scoop on how it performs when it’s put through its paces, and I still got to see a bit of ice, when a massive chunk was used to christen it instead of breaking the traditional bottle of champagne. I can’t wait to share it with our travellers in the coming season.
– Julie joined Douglas Mawson in Sydney for its inaugural cruise around Tasmania
It seems counterintuitive to say my best thing thing about the frozen continent this season was the heat, but I took the opportunity to explore some of Swoop’s South American extension packages, swapping parrots for penguins in the thundering rainforest of Iguazú Falls – the ultimate contrasting wildlife experience to Antarctica. After all that humidity, discovered one of the driest places on Earth in Chile’s Atacama Desert, stargazing under clear high-altitude skies a short hop from Santiago.
– Cassia explored our South America extensions
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