The Antarctic Ross Sea, the largest marine protected area on Earth

An important milestone for the protection of Antarctica

After years of wrangling, 24 countries and the European Union agreed on a historic deal in Hobart (Tasmania, Australia) in October 2016: the Antarctic Ross Sea was designated the world's largest marine protected area.

Since December 2017, an international agreement has been in force prohibiting fishing (including and especially krill and whales) in the 1.55 million square meter protected area in the Southern Ocean. This agreement will initially remain in force for 35 years.

More than 10,000 animal species live in Antarctica: whales, penguins, seabirds such as albatrosses, bony fish, and seals. They in particular benefit from the protection agreement. Scientists estimate that the Southern Ocean provides about three-quarters of the total food supply of all oceans. Here, everything revolves around krill, a small crustacean that is the main food source for the unique Antarctic wildlife and the basis of life for most animals.

The wildlife is unique. It took millions of years for them to adapt to the harshest of climates: 24,000 whales, 300,000 seals, and millions of seabirds—all feeding on krill, tiny crustaceans.

The emperor penguin, the largest species of penguin, is the only one that breeds in the harshest winter on Earth. Approximately 240,000 penguins raise their families in the Ross Sea region. If conditions permit, you’ll be able to fly close to the colonies by helicopter.

Traveling to the Ross Sea

Due to its remote and inhospitable location in southern Antarctica, the ecosystem is almost completely intact.

The journey to the Ross Sea is time-consuming. The distances are great, and ice conditions rarely allow for voyages into this inhospitable region.

The Ross Sea is located in southern Antarctica on the side facing New Zealand and is only offeredon very few itinerariesto Antarctica. So it's perfect for adventurers and explorers: if you're looking for the most remote corners of our planet, which have only been visited by a few people so far, then this is the place for you.

Natural spectacle on the Antarctic semi-circumnavigation from South America to New Zealand or Australia

• Panoramic flightsin the ship's helicopter over the Ross Sea and to the penguin colonies are special experiences that can only be topped by landing on the ice shelf.
• Crossing the InternationalDate Line
• Thevolcanic islandof Peter I Island
• Cape Royds: Here stand thehuts of British explorer Shackleton, now surrounded by thousands of Adelie penguins in the world's southernmost penguin colony.
• Cape Evans:Robert Falcon Scott'swell-preservedTerra Nova hut, built in 1911, still contains a lot of equipment. It provides interesting insights into the explorer's life in Antarctica. From here, he and his crew set out for the South Pole.
• TheAmerican McMurdo Station isthe largest of more than two dozen research centers in Antarctica.
• TheNew Zealand research station Scott Base:If ice and weather conditions permit, landings are carried out by helicopter.
• Ross Island: The activevolcano Mount Erebusdominates the island's landscape. Some expeditions also offer hikes to Castle Rock. The total distance is approximately 10 km.
• Campbell Island: New Zealand's sub-Antarctic island has been designateda World Heritage Site by UNESCOasa nature reserve. For an Antarctic island, it has abundant vegetation and wildlife. You will encounter royal albatrosses as well as wandering, Campbell, black-browed, gray-headed, and gray-mantled sooty albatrosses, as well as rockhopper penguins, yellow-eyed penguins, and crowned penguins. Unfortunately, seals have been almost wiped out, but elephant seals, fur seals, and sea lions have recovered.
• Lake Amundsen
• Macquarie Island
• Unique wildlife: emperor and other penguins, whales, seals, and seabirds