Scattered across the Southern Ocean, the isolated Sub-Antarctic islands of New Zealand and Australia support immense seabird colonies, vast marine mammal gatherings and endemic species found nowhere else. Travelling aboard the Heritage Adventurer with Heritage Expeditions, this small-group photography expedition led by Rachel Bigsby explores Macquarie Island, Campbell Island, the Auckland Islands and The Snares, offering extraordinary opportunities to photograph Penguins, Albatross, Seals, Shearwaters, Petrels, Orca and the wildlife of the Southern Ocean in some of the most remote ecosystems anywhere on Earth.
Expedition Highlights
12-day expedition voyage through the Southern Ocean
Explore Macquarie Island, Campbell Island, Auckland Islands, and The Snares
Limited to just 8 photographers for highly personalised guidance
Photograph endemic Royal Penguins, King Penguins, Yellow-eyed Penguins, and endemic Snares Crested Penguins
Southern Royal Albatross at close range on Campbell Island
Southern Elephant Seals during peak breeding activity
Extensive opportunities for pelagic seabird photography at sea
Daily Zodiac excursions and shore landings (conditions permitting)
Access to a private Zodiac for increased photographic flexibility
Onboard image reviews, photography sessions and one-to-one tuition
Creative techniques including high key, low key and in-camera multiple exposures
Strong emphasis on producing finished images in camera
The Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand and Australia
There are few places left on Earth quite like the Subantarctic Islands. Here, vast cliffs tremble with the sound of Seabirds, Penguins gather in numbers almost beyond comprehension and great Albatrosses command the skies above an ocean that seldom rests. Along remote shorelines, Southern Elephant Seals battle for dominance beneath the relentless winds of the Southern Ocean. Isolated by immense distances and shaped by some of the planet's most powerful natural forces, these islands remain among the world's last great wildlife wildernesses. Travelling aboard the Heritage Adventurer, venture deep into this extraordinary region, exploring islands seldom visited and witnessing wildlife spectacles that few people will ever experience. This is expedition travel in its truest sense, where weather, light and sea conditions shape each day, and some of the most memorable encounters are those that cannot be anticipated.
Macquarie Island is a place of almost overwhelming abundance. Endemic Royal Penguins crowd the shores in their hundreds of thousands, gathering at the only breeding grounds of their kind anywhere on Earth. King Penguins move elegantly between the colonies, while enormous Southern Elephant Seals occupy the black sand beaches, their moments of quiet repose interrupted by thunderous confrontations between rival bulls. Among them, Giant Petrels and Brown Skua patrol the shorelines, offering a remarkable diversity of photographic subjects within a single landscape.
Further south, Campbell Island offers a different kind of wonder. Across its windswept slopes, Southern Royal Albatrosses tend their nests, court their partners and take to the air with an elegance that seems almost impossible for birds of such immense proportions. Here, photography becomes an exercise in patience and observation, finding beauty in subtle gestures, intimate interactions and the extraordinary relationship between these magnificent seabirds and their environment.
The Auckland Islands, including Enderby Island, reveal a quieter, more intimate wilderness. Endangered Yellow-eyed Penguins emerge from dense coastal vegetation, following ancient pathways between their nesting grounds and the sea. These encounters invite a slower, more considered approach to photography, where atmosphere, behaviour and the smallest details can become the foundations of compelling visual stories.
At The Snares, steep, seabird-covered coastlines rise dramatically from the ocean. Weather and landing restrictions permitting, Zodiac explorations offer opportunities to photograph endemic Snares Crested Penguins navigating the remarkable natural rock chutes that connect their colonies to the sea.
Yet the islands themselves are only part of the experience. Sea days crossing the Southern Ocean present exceptional opportunities to photograph some of the world's most accomplished ocean wanderers. Wandering, Royal, Campbell, Buller's and Black-browed Albatrosses, alongside Petrels, Prions and Shearwaters, sweep across the waves, sometimes passing within metres of the vessel. Against a constantly changing canvas of sea, sky and weather, these encounters offer an extraordinary setting in which to explore movement, light and the art of photographing birds in flight.
Throughout the journey, Rachel will provide personalised photographic guidance tailored to your experience, interests and creative ambitions. From mastering autofocus and exposure in challenging conditions to anticipating behaviour and developing stronger compositions, tuition takes place where it matters most: in the field, responding to the wildlife and opportunities unfolding around you.
Beyond technical proficiency, Rachel encourages participants to discover their own photographic voice. Drawing upon her distinctive fine-art approach, you will have opportunities to explore high-key and low-key photography, in-camera multiple exposures, intentional camera movement and shutter drag, learning to create images that communicate not simply what a moment looked like, but what it felt like. Her philosophy places particular emphasis on observation, creative decision-making and achieving the desired result in camera, allowing the experience itself to remain at the heart of the photograph.
More than a photography workshop, this is an invitation to immerse yourself in one of the most remote, spectacular and ecologically significant regions of our planet. To experience the extraordinary lives of its wildlife, to embrace the unpredictability of genuine exploration, and to return not only with remarkable photographs, but with a deeper understanding of the subjects, landscapes and stories that inspired them. An expedition to the edge of the world, and an opportunity to see it differently.
