There's a real thrill to stepping on to Antarctic mainland and feeling the anticipation of what you're about to see in this unique landscape. As before, you'll load into the zodiacs, but this time the crew will head to the beach for a landing. Your expert expedition crew will have found a suitable visitor landing site that has been approved by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), and you will be following the IAATO guidelines on land. Once you get to the beach one of your expedition crew will brief you on the site, where you can go and where you can't, what there is to see, where to finish and what time the last zodiac will be.
Then it's time to get exploring! The landing sites all have so many highlights to see. Sometimes it may be a walk up to a stunning viewpoint, or it may be a historic hut to discover. Often, you'll get to walk right up to explore a penguin colony, one of the most exciting thrills to be experienced on land. Keeping within respectful distances and following the guidelines, you'll get to witness these beautiful creatures up close, hear their noisy squawks and learn their personalities. Depending on the time of year, keep an eye out for eggs, chicks or molting penguins. Position yourself alongside the penguin 'highways', the most well-used paths created by the penguins, to see them running up and down, and sometimes sliding down on their bellies. And keep an eye out for other wildlife like skua and terns flying around, and fur seals lazing around.