ColorBee Photography Tours
Antarctic snorkelling
Pull on a drysuit, slip in among the icebergs and see Antarctica – and passing penguins – from below the surface.
Antarctica photography tour · Led by Brian (大马猫本)
Sail on a new X-Bow expedition ship (launched 2025) and spend a full 7 days on the Antarctic Peninsula. Ice-water snorkelling, iceberg kayaking, snow camping and polar hiking are all included in the tour price. November is penguin chick season, and Brian (大马猫本), a veteran of seven Antarctic trips, shoots alongside you throughout. Everyday spoken English required.
Pull on a drysuit, slip in among the icebergs and see Antarctica – and passing penguins – from below the surface.
Paddle up to icebergs and ice cliffs, penguins on the floes above, the only sound your paddle.
Roll out your sleeping bag on the Antarctic snow for a night of polar sunset and endless light.
Strap on snowshoes and climb a snowy ridge for views over the icebergs and your ship at anchor.
Arrive in Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, and check in (breakfast included). Explore Tierra del Fuego or try the famous local king crab.
Ushuaia day tour in the morning (lunch included), then board in the afternoon. Sail at sunset, with a safety briefing and the captain’s welcome dinner. The ship cruises the Beagle Channel – home to Magellanic penguins, rock cormorants and sea lions – and we’ll shoot the sunset and seabirds.
Heading south, seabirds and dolphins often follow the ship, and naturalists give talks on Antarctic and Southern Ocean wildlife, history and geology. Past the Antarctic Convergence the temperature drops sharply; we’ll scout the best shooting spots on board and practise photographing seabirds.
The trip’s highlight: pull on a drysuit and slip into the water between icebergs and floes. Visibility is excellent, penguins swim right past and the bergs glow blue beneath the surface. Led by the expedition team’s professional instructors; places allocated in sign-up order, weather and sea permitting.
Paddle up to icebergs and ice cliffs, just metres from penguins and seals; on calm days the reflections are crystal clear. There’s also a polar plunge, which can happen at any time – listen for the team’s announcements.
Spend a night on the Antarctic snow, watching the sunset and polar light from your sleeping bag; by day, snowshoe up a snowy ridge. We may also visit Poland’s Arctowski or Ukraine’s Vernadsky research stations, or historic sites such as Port Lockroy.
Explore the western Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. The expedition team plans each day around weather, ice and wildlife, usually with two landings or Zodiac cruises a day, looking for whales, seals and penguins along ice cliffs and grounded bergs. Brian coaches each person one-on-one to suit their interests and level.
One of the largest penguin habitats, with some 250,000 pairs of gentoo, Adélie and chinstrap penguins. November is chick-rearing season: penguins diving, hopping onto the ice and feeding chicks make for great action shots. Weddell seals often laze in the sun on the ice.
Our route may include Neko Harbour, Paradise Harbour, Wilhelmina Bay, the Lemaire Channel, Penola Strait or Neumayer Channel. From the deck or observation lounge, watch whales feed, hear the deep rumble of glaciers calving into the sea, and on calm days see snowy peaks mirrored in the water.
In November, glaciers calve heavily, sending giant icebergs out to sea – with luck you might even catch an ice shelf collapsing. From pure white to deep blue, no two bergs are alike: a dream subject for landscape photographers.
Farewell to the Antarctic Peninsula as we head north through the Antarctic Convergence and the Drake Passage. Wildlife talks and photo reviews continue on board, then we cruise the Beagle Channel back to Ushuaia and celebrate the expedition with a special photography event.
Disembark in Ushuaia early in the morning. Stay on to explore South America’s southern tip, or fly to Buenos Aires and on home.
Life on board: comfy cabins and an observation lounge, with Antarctica outside the window
Most cabins have a private balcony, with icebergs and ocean right outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
At the stern: an infinity pool and hot tubs. Study plankton under a microscope in the science centre, or relax in the calm, bright library and observation lounge.
At sea we stay on a storm-ready X-Bow expedition ship launched in 2025 – just 120 passengers, with daily cabin service. All meals, snacks, tea and coffee are included, with beer, selected wines and soft drinks at dinner. Night 1 is in a Ushuaia hotel (breakfast included).
Questions? Message our team
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No. All levels are welcome, beginners to advanced, with a camera or a phone. Brian coaches you throughout and reviews your photos daily.
It’s a hands-on expedition and the outdoor guides speak English, so you’ll need everyday conversational English.
All are included in the tour price and allocated in sign-up order, but each depends on the day’s weather and sea conditions.
Antarctica is remote and unpredictable. The itinerary is a guide only and will change with weather, sea and ice conditions – come with a flexible, adventurous spirit.
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