STATIONS

South Africa maintains bases at Antarctica and on Marion and Gough Islands.  These bases are managed and administered by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).  All Voyages leaves from Cape Town, one of the five gateway Cities in the world. It is less than 200 years ago since the first person set foot on Antarctica. Since then, a slow but steady stream of explorers and scientists, including several thousand South Africans, have been working on and studying the world’s coldest continent, as well as the surrounding Southern Ocean and islands. the region is harsh, desolate and extreme, but also fragile and vulnerable. Much of the proudly South African effort here is aimed at protecting this delicate wilderness.