Usually mostly covered by ice, the Amundsen Sea was discovered in February 1920 by Captain Nils Larsen who named it in honour of the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen. The sea is bordered by the northwestern tip of Thurston Island and Cape Dart. The next named sea is that of Ross Sea which about the size of southern Europe and was discovered by James Ross in 1841.

On a typical Antarctic cruise in this region, you're likely to see a great deal of wildlife whilst sailing along and through the ice. This may include single straggling Emperor Penguins, groups of seals on ice-floes, and also Orca's and Minke Whales along the ice-edge, often accompanied by different species of fulmar petrels.

Find out more about Antarctica & visiting the Peninsula on our page about Antarctic cruises