Once the grandeur of Antarctica has sunk in, you’ll begin to appreciate the details: cerulean icebergs chiselled by waves into intricate sculptures; glaciers glinting between peaks. But it’s the wildlife of this extraordinary place that will inevitably grab your attention. You won’t need to wait long before seeing penguins. Weaving through the South Shetland Islands, en route to the Antarctic Peninsula, you’ll encounter large colonies of chinstrap, gentoo and Adélie penguins. Using the ship’s inflatable Zodiacs, you’ll be able to go ashore and observe their antics – whether they’re busy courting, brooding eggs or feeding chicks. Sometimes you’ll become the subject of interest from curious penguins. Back in the Zodiac, you might witness them porpoising through the waves, perhaps evading a predatory leopard seal, or scrabbling onto an iceberg for a rest and a preen.