Simple Ways to Explore Antarctica From Your Home

We are crazy in love with Antarctica, and we love sharing it with others. Since we can’t take you there right now, we want to give you the power to explore Antarctica from home, so we’ve chosen some of our favorite Antarctic films, books and online learning tools to share with you. We hope that these will bring you a bit of the magic of the “last wild place on earth”.

The wildlife, history and dramatic landscape of Antarctica makes it the perfect setting for incredible storytelling. Whether it’s learning about the incredible wildlife or of Shackleton’s struggle to save his expedition team, these films and books are sure to fascinate and entertain you.

We are looking forward to returning to the white continent for the 22/23 season and we hope you’ll join us!

Chasing Shackleton

Follow five intrepid explorers – including Polar Latitudes Historian Seb Coulthard – as they duplicate Shackleton’s epic sea-and-land voyage in a replica of the original explorer’s lifeboat, using only period clothing and gear from the early 1900s. Don”t believe it? Watch it now with your Prime Video account and see for yourself!

Antarctica: A Year on Ice

Visually stunning, this unique first person documentary features the people who live and work together in the remote bases of Antarctica. An award winning film that positions the viewer deep in the rugged beauty of the white continent. Enjoy this film on Vimeo, rent on YouTube or stream through your subscription for PBS.

First Impressions of Antarctica

Famed travel vloggers Kara and Nate were recently welcomed onboard our Antarctica In-Depth itinerary in February 2020. You can’t help but smile watching this bubbly twosome navigate life on board our ship as they tackle their daily adventures in Antarctica with enthusiasm and fascination. Be sure to watch their Antarctica series, beginning with the first of four videos, a ship tour of the Hebridean Sky, on their YouTube page.

Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition

Narrated by the iconic Liam Neeson, this documentary is free to watch on YouTube, and provides insight on the historic saga of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men. This film takes the viewer into the dark and harrowing journey of these brave polar explorers, and features interviews with family members as well as polar historians.

Antarctic Cruising Guide

A guidebook packed with breathtaking color photographs and detailed area maps. It also includes fascinating, full accounts of interesting places, spectacular landscapes, and local plants and wildlife—from penguins and other birds to whales, seals, and a myriad of mammals.

Endurance

For an incredible true account of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his epic saga, read this best-selling book that tells the extraordinary tale of survival and recounts the epic stories of the 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Get lost in this unforgettable story that redefines our understanding of the word ‘courage’.

Antarctica: A Guide to the Wildlife

For more reading suggestions, check out our Antarctica Reading List, carefully curated by our own expedition staff.

Antarctica: More Than Just Penguins

Antarctic Marine Biologist Huw Griffiths, in partnership with the British Antarctic Survey, recently conducted a live stream presentation about Antarctica and its wildlife on YouTube. This presentation is great for kids of all ages and includes maps, fun facts as well as video and images from Griffith’s experience in Antarctica conducting important scientific research.

Whale and Dolphin Conservation Kidzone

WDC is committed to the protection of whales and dolphins everywhere, and if your child loves whales and dolphins, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation website is a fantastic resource. With child-friendly information, games, fun facts, and activities to play at home, this website makes for a home schooling treasure.

Discovering Antarctica

Take a journey through this site built by the British Antarctic Survey and begin discovering Antarctica for yourself. Each section features activities, images, video clips, and fact sheets, to help you learn about this distant, frozen wilderness.