Seabirds of the Subantarctic Islands: In Collaboration with Heritage Expeditions

Galapagos of the Southern Ocean: New Zealand & Australia’s Subantarctic Islands

A 12-day wildlife photography expedition with Rachel Bigsby, in collaboration with Heritage Expeditions

Remote. Raw. Spectacularly alive.

Welcome to the Subantarctic Islands, one of the last great wildlife strongholds on Earth, often called the Galapagos of the Southern Ocean.

This extraordinary small-group photography workshop takes you deep into a world few will ever see, let alone photograph.

Travelling aboard Heritage Expeditions’ flagship Heritage Adventurer, you’ll explore a chain of UNESCO World Heritage–listed islands — The Snares, Auckland Islands, Macquarie Island, and Campbell Island — landscapes so pristine and wildlife-rich they were named among Condé Nast Traveler’s “25 Best Places to Go in 2025.”

Led by multi-award-winning photographer and Nikon creator, Rachel Bigsby, this workshop is designed to elevate your wildlife photography in one of the most challenging and rewarding environments on Earth. With major accolades including Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Bird Photographer of the Year, Rachel brings deep expertise, patience, and a hands-on teaching style tailored to each participant. With just eight photographers in the group, you’ll receive genuine one-to-one tuition, both in the field and during interactive onboard sessions, covering composition, storytelling, field craft, and technical refinement. Whether you’re an experienced wildlife photographer or building your confidence, this workshop offers the rare combination of expert guidance, creative immersion, and true expedition adventure.

Expedition Highlights:

• On Macquarie Island, guided by park rangers, you’ll witness vast colonies of Royal Penguins (the only place on the planet where they breed) alongside regal King Penguins and the thunderous clashes of southern Elephant Seals battling for dominance. Zodiac cruises through Lusitania Bay, one of the largest penguin breeding sites on Earth, place you eye-to-eye with tens of thousands of birds in constant motion.

  
  

• On Enderby Island, photograph Yellow-eyed Penguins (Hoiho) as they march along the famous Penguin Highway, commuting between sea and nest to feed waiting chicks.

  
  

• Hike the unforgettable terrain of Campbell Island, home to the world’s largest breeding population of Southern Royal Albatross. Here, photography becomes an intimate, humbling experience. You’ll observe and photograph these immense, long-lived seabirds at close range as they nest, preen, interact with partners, and effortlessly command the wind with wingspans stretching over three metres. Few places on Earth allow such proximity to these giants of the sky, offering extraordinary opportunities to capture compelling portraits, behavioural moments, and environmental compositions that tell the deeper story of life in the Subantarctic.

  
  

• At The Snares, Zodiac cruises reveal steep, wildlife-packed coastlines and the mesmerising spectacle of Snares Crested Penguins riding the natural rock “penguin slide” between colony and sea.

  
  

• This expedition also offers ample time at sea, where some of the most thrilling wildlife photography unfolds. The Southern Ocean is the natural realm of the world’s greatest flying seabirds, and the days between islands are rich with photographic opportunity. From the deck, you’ll photograph Wandering and Royal Albatross gliding just metres from the ship, alongside an ever-changing cast of shearwaters, petrels, prions, skua, and more; all thriving in the powerful winds and nutrient-rich waters of these latitudes. These pelagic encounters allow you to refine techniques for photographing birds in flight, dynamic light, and open-ocean conditions, with expert guidance from Rachel throughout.

Expedition Details:

• Galapagos of the Southern Ocean: New Zealand & Australia’s Subantarctic Islands 17–28 December 2026

• Limited to 8 photographers

• Authentic expedition cruising with daily landings and Zodiac excursions

• Access to a private zodiac for extra space and creative control

• Onboard interactive sessions and 1:2:1 tuition

• Pre and post departure photography support

• Daily group recap and dinners

• Luxury expedition vessel with an expert expedition team

For more information, follow the link here.

To discover more about Rachel's 2025 workshop with Heritage Expeditions, visit here.