Visiting The South Sandwich Islands

The South Sandwich Islands is one of the planet’s most remote and dramatic places, offering a rare glimpse of nature in its rawest form. This isolated subantarctic archipelago is defined by towering volcanic peaks, active glaciers, and stark black-sand shores that create an otherworldly landscape found almost nowhere else on Earth. The islands are also a haven for wildlife, with vast colonies of penguins, seals, and seabirds thriving largely undisturbed by human presence. For adventurous travellers, scientists, or photographers, the South Sandwich Islands represent the ultimate frontier - an opportunity to experience pristine ecosystems, extreme natural beauty, and the profound sense of solitude that comes from standing at the edge of the inhabited world.

Visiting the South Sandwich Islands is a trip for the adventurous as reaching such an isolated and uninhibited place is part of the challenge. Shore landings on the South Sandwich Islands are extremely rare due to the harsh conditions and active volcanism meaning visits are typically part of a expedition that also covers South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.

Unspoiled Wilderness 

The archipelago is the only arc of active volcanoes in the Southern Ocean. You can see active volcanic cones, such as Mount Michael on Saunders Island, which has a rare persistent lava lake, set against a backdrop of glaciers and permanent snow.

Wildlife 

A sanctuary for large populations in both birds and marine life. 
From some of the largest chinstrap penguin colonies and millions of seabirds to migrating humpback whales and a vast array of fish and krill.

The Sandwich Islands are made up of 11 main volcanic islands which are grouped into four main clusters islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean, in a remote, sub-Antarctic region. They lie on the Scotia Arc, which runs from the tip of South America to the Antarctic Peninsula.

From North to South, they are:

Traversay Islands 

• Zavodovski: the northernmost island and known for one of the worlds largest chainstrap penguin colonies and the active Mount Asphyxia.
• Leskov: the smallest of the group.
• Visokoi

Candlemas Islands 

• Candlemas: features the volcanic cone Lucifer Hill.
• Vindication: volcanically has been quiet for approximately 10,000 yrs.

Central Islands

• Saunders: one of the few volcanoes in the world with a persistent lava lake.

Montague Island:

• Montague: the largest islands in the chain and home to the highest peak, Mount Belinda. 

Bristol Island

• Bristol: a glaciated islands with several volcanic peaks.

Southern Thule

• Bellingshausen:  a small island with a cliff plunging into a steaming crater.
• Cook: an ice-clad island in the southernmost group 
• Thule (or Morrell): site of a former Argentine research station.

All 11 islands in the chain are volcanic in origin, and most show ongoing activity, from constant degassing to active lava flows. Monitoring of these volcanoes is done via satellite imagery and thermal detection rather than ground observation due to the extreme remoteness and frequent cloud cover. 

These islands are only accessible by sea as visits are very rare.