Elephant Island: Point Wild and Whale Watching, travel report

We are on an Antarctic expedition with the Expedition ship Sea Spirit by Poseidon Expeditions and this travel report takes you to elephant island: An impressive glacier, penguins, fin whales and the famous beach of Shackleton's men at Point Wild await us. Elephant Island is part of the South Shetland Islands and politically part of Antarctica. The sub-Antarctic island became famous as the last refuge of the crew of the famous adventurer Ernest Shackleton.

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Personal Experience Point Wild on Elephant Island

So far we have already Chinstrap penguin colony on Hafmoon Island visited, a hike on Deception Island undertaken and the Whalers Bay on Decatur Island visited. Elephant Island is the third South Shetland Island on our Antarctic cruise.

An ice-cold reception

From afar we can see a beautiful iceberg floating in front of the island. The expedition team of the Sea Spirit explains to us that Elephant Island is known for large icebergs: they regularly strand on rocky pinnacles off the island.

After this icy reception, the magnificent glacier of Elephant Island draws our full attention: the glacier's ice masses flow directly into the sea and their reflection creates a delicate blue shimmer that stands out sharply against the dark rocky cliffs. The closer we get, the more impressive it is. We explore its wildly rugged surface with binoculars and a telephoto lens. It is breathtakingly beautiful.

The beach of Shackleton's men

Then we reach the famous Point Wild on Elephant Island. The place is named after Frank Wild, Ernest Shackleton's close confidant. During Ernest Shackleton's adventurous Endurance Expedition to the Antarctic, his ship was trapped in ice and eventually destroyed. The men's fight for survival and the daring rescue mission is legendary. Frank Wild was in command of the crew that remained behind.

We have learned a lot about this Antarctic expedition from lectures on board, and so we look at Elephant Island with expert eyes. The stretch of beach on this South Shetland island looks tiny. Here, 28 men lived under three overturned rowing boats, persevered and waited for months to be rescued. It's amazing that everyone actually survived. Today, the monument to Luis Prado stands at Point Wild: a bust of the Chilean captain, with whose help Ernest Shackleton was finally able to save his men. We look through our telephoto lens and watch the chinstrap penguins that sit around the bust and have made Point Wild their home.

Unfortunately no Point Wild Zodiac ride off Elephant Island

A Zodiac trip was actually planned off Elephant Island, but unfortunately it is too wavy to change into the small dinghies. It is not very windy, but the waves regularly splash over the marina on the lowest deck. The waves that reach us from the high seas are too strong. At least for people who are not good on foot or not seaworthy, getting on board would be dangerous. Our expedition leader decides that the risk of injury is too high and the risk too great just to get a few meters closer to the island. The swell is the problem, he explains apologetically and looks at disappointed faces. Then he quickly pulls an ace out of his sleeve: Now it's time to go whale watching.

Whale Watching in the Southern Ocean off Elephant Island

Is there a better alternative than whales? Our faces immediately brighten up again. On the way to Elephant Island we could already see a few fins in the distance when the captain set course for the island. Now we're heading back with the plan to look for exactly this group and observe them up close this time. Weigh anchor: whales ahead!

Blow, back, fin. Suddenly we are right in the middle. Fountains of water splash upwards everywhere. Right a blow, then left, a third further back. Only a few seconds at a time, the backs of the whales dip through the surface, allowing us a glimpse of a small piece of the majestic animals. We are breathless because there are so many.

Most are fin whales, but also a few humpback whales are there. Excited shouts accompany the spectacle. There – no, there – and here. Fin whales, the second-largest whale species in the world, and we're lucky enough to encounter a whole group. Incredible. Later, the sighting of around 40 animals is recorded in the logbook. Forty. Even at dinner, all the passengers have broad grins on their faces.

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Would you also like to travel to Antarctica?

Information and experiences for your Antarctica trip:

• Dream trip Antarctica and South Georgia: Here you will find everything you need to know about the lonely kingdom of cold and the animal paradise of South Georgia.
• Antarctica Journey: To the End of the World and Beyond, Travel Report: Browse the full Antarctica travel report and be there from the beginning.
• On an Antarctic cruise with the expedition ship Sea Spirit: Find out about the expedition ship we travelled on.
• Animals of Antarctica: Learn about the impressive biodiversity and adaptation strategies of animals in Antarctica.

More travel reports on the South Shetland Islands and Antarctica:

• Antarctica Travel Report – The Rough Beauty of South Shetland
  • Halfmoon Island: Observation of Chinstrap Penguins, Travel Report
  • Deception Island: Hiking in Telefon Bay, travel report
  • Deception Island: Visiting Whalers Bay, travelogue
  • Elephant Island: Point Wild and Whale Watching, travel report
• Antarctica Travel Report – A Rendezvous with Antarctica

Antarctic Travel Guide • dream trip to Antarctica • travel report South Shetland Islands • elephant island • Travel report elephant island

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