Isla Elefante
Isla Elefante
5
Full view
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
22 reviews
Excellent
20
Very good
2
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
PBPG
Yorkshire, UK5,969 contributions
Jan 2023
What a fabulous place. I have never seen so many glaciers in one place before. It was touch and go with the fog, sometimes it won and you couldn't see anything, then it cleared and you got fabulous views. No sign of any wildlife though
Written 22 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liveforetravel
West Palm Beach, FL195 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We only sailed by but what a beautiful and remote place. We could see at one time 19 tidewater glaciers and penguins played around the ship the entire time we sailed by. You could feel the remoteness of the place and could only imagine what the shackleford gang had to deal with.
Written 10 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ruthandvern
Wilton, CA15,345 contributions
Jan 2020
Seamen stranded awaiting rescue must have gone through the worst of the worst. When we arrived the fog shrouded the islands. As we waited the skies did clear and what a magnificent view we were blessed to see. Our cruise had a truly excellent adventure out of Paradise bay, through the Gerlache Strait to Elephant Island. Really exceptional knowing the history.
Written 7 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MalcolmM1947
Richmond-upon-Thames, UK433 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
We sailed by Elephant Island this year in February 2019 because the weather was not suitable for a landing but we were fortunate enough to land there from the ship Polar Pioneer on a previous 'Following in the Footsteps of Shackleton' expedition. As other reviewers have commented, this place is so important in the epic voyage of Shackleton and of his men's survival on this small lump of rock. We were very luck to have got ashore as the sea was quite rough and we were told that very few expeditions actually do so. If you get the chance - go with the guides and have a go.
Written 29 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
triskele27
Belfast, UK48 contributions
Feb 2019
Travelling on MS Fram (Hurtigruten) from South Georgia to the Antarctic peninsula, the reverse of Shackleton's voyage in the James Caird.
It was too rough to land, as is most often the case, so we sailed as close as was safe, halting off the small beach where the crew of the Discovery waited for the Shackleton party to bring help. Nothing like seeing the jagged peaks and glaciers and the small rocky point where the team beached the lifeboats, from the comfort of a stabilised ship, can make you appreciate the death-defying achievement of Shackleton' and his men landing on Elephant Island, or the deprivation and strain on the men left waiting there, while Shackleton went on to try to get help and rescue from South Georgia, knowing, if no-one came, they would have to sail the remaining lifeboats to Deception Island....
It really is a hostile place and it was amazing to see it.
It was too rough to land, as is most often the case, so we sailed as close as was safe, halting off the small beach where the crew of the Discovery waited for the Shackleton party to bring help. Nothing like seeing the jagged peaks and glaciers and the small rocky point where the team beached the lifeboats, from the comfort of a stabilised ship, can make you appreciate the death-defying achievement of Shackleton' and his men landing on Elephant Island, or the deprivation and strain on the men left waiting there, while Shackleton went on to try to get help and rescue from South Georgia, knowing, if no-one came, they would have to sail the remaining lifeboats to Deception Island....
It really is a hostile place and it was amazing to see it.
Written 6 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Allan & Amy T
Edmonton, Canada326 contributions
Feb 2019 • Friends
We were on the ship only and did not land or ride on a zodiac
The visit to paradise bay was awesome with good weather blue sky and calm water
when we came to elephant Island,the weather changed drastically
The sky was grey, there were waves, icebergs broken off and there are multiple glacers you can see in the distant
the captain told us there are lots of floating icebergs and we could only see the island from a distance as you don't want to be too close for safety purpose
We can see penguins with our binoculars when the cloud lift off from the beach
Then you realized the hardship that Shackletons gone through with no shelter and food, etc You could imagine this is tough!!
this is not for everybody,the weather is cold and miserable,but you can appreciate what nature does to you One day is beautiful,calm and peaceful then next day 360 degree complete change
The visit to paradise bay was awesome with good weather blue sky and calm water
when we came to elephant Island,the weather changed drastically
The sky was grey, there were waves, icebergs broken off and there are multiple glacers you can see in the distant
the captain told us there are lots of floating icebergs and we could only see the island from a distance as you don't want to be too close for safety purpose
We can see penguins with our binoculars when the cloud lift off from the beach
Then you realized the hardship that Shackletons gone through with no shelter and food, etc You could imagine this is tough!!
this is not for everybody,the weather is cold and miserable,but you can appreciate what nature does to you One day is beautiful,calm and peaceful then next day 360 degree complete change
Written 7 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YTCHENG
Hong Kong, China15,491 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
On our way to Antarctica Peninsula, our Expedition Cruise ship, with the order of captain and expedition leader, made a surprise landing to Point Wild of Elephant Island (61.05"S) at approximately 8 pm on 10 Jan. The landing time was very short due to swell and wind, but was of excitement to those Shakleton's fans because this famous polar explorer with his 21 crewmen had been stuck in this isolated island for help. The only available food for them at this spot was penquins and seals but the place was open and windy. At last , Shackleton's second in command, the Chilean Sea Captain Frank Wild came to rescue them after 105 days. We were lucky to land at this site to witness the unbearable environment. Apart from penquins, there was a statue on the rocky beach to memorize the work done by Captain Wild. You can come here only if you have luck but not by accident.
Written 2 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeff1903
King's Lynn, UK1,566 contributions
Nov 2018 • Friends
We made a close pass to the Island in some poor weather and really gained an appreciation of the suffering of the members of Shackleton's party who spent over 4 months marooned here. We attempted to spot the monument to the Captain that rescued them at Wild Point, but the weather was such that it was probably imagination rather than observation that accounted for the glimpses.
It was a real privilege to witness such a historic place rounded off by the ship showing the Shackleton movie in the evening.
Two hours after leaving the Island we encountered iceberg A68, 15 miles long and a remnant of a much larger one that broke off the ice shelf.
These are strange and exciting waters.
It was a real privilege to witness such a historic place rounded off by the ship showing the Shackleton movie in the evening.
Two hours after leaving the Island we encountered iceberg A68, 15 miles long and a remnant of a much larger one that broke off the ice shelf.
These are strange and exciting waters.
Written 8 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
divegirlelaine
El Cerrito, CA243 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
We arrived at Elephant Island in the South Shetland Islands very behind schedule. The cruise from South Georgia had been through terrible seas, taking almost 3 full days to arrive Elephant Island, well more than was expected. The seas and winds were high, and the ship pitched and rolled until we got closer to the island and more sheltered seas. When the seas finally calmed some, the scenery enroute to the Island consisted of large expanses of beautiful ice fields, so serene with large icebergs and numerous smaller bergs and bergie bits floating by. It was fascinating to see some of the larger bergs making their own sea states with the intense blue water surging in and out of ice caves formed by this wave action. Many of the bergs had seals and penguins on them, either just standing/lolling around, chasing each other, or scurrying off their icy perches at our approach. What a welcome contrast to the surging and tossing seas of our crossing!
We arrived at Elephant Island and our destination of Point Wild after dinner. Point Wild is the tiny outcrop where the Shackelton Expedition’s second in command, Frank Wild, kept the 21 crewmen alive while Shackleton and five other crewmen sailed to South Georgia to seek rescue after their ship had been stuck in the ice and destroyed by its crushing pressures. After their ship’s destruction and sinking, the expedition force had already endured a winter on the ice when it was determined that they would have to save themselves and set sail in three tiny boats the size of lifeboats. In their quest, Point Wild was the best refuge they could find, so the larger group determined to survive on this exposed spit of penguin colony, living under two of the boats for 105 days, not knowing whether the captain and his men had found rescue or were dead at sea or whether anyone knew of their whereabouts. The only indication of their remarkable feat of survival is the bust of the Chilean sea captain who came to rescue them, but I am sure that the men would have fully endorsed this tribute to the man who took them away from their ice-bound prison.
It is knowing this story that makes the visit to Point Wild so poignant and so moving. If you have not already done so, do read “Endurance” by Alfred Lansing that tells this remarkable story. If it were not true, no one would ever believe it, and it is very well written and will keep you up at night reading. But, now let’s return to the present day. The weather was setting in when we arrived, with the winds blowing snow horizontally and the darkness settling in quickly. From the deck of the ship, you could barely make out the shoreline of the island. The snow was coating my face and glasses, and seeing anything was hopeless. Still the zodiacs were picking up people for a “scenic” cruise along the shoreline and to Point Wild. There people carefully picked their way among the slippery rocks, holding on to each other for support. Most were unable to get more than a few steps onto shore to try to make out the fur seals and chinstrap penguins that wondered why the two-legged animals were invading their space. But seeing the point and the conditions brought home all too clearly the impossibility of the survival of that band of men. We realized we were enduring it for only 20 minutes, soon to return to the warmth of our ship and beds and the comfort of a brandy.
While we considered ourselves terribly brave to endure that 20 minutes, we were really very lucky since the conditions at the Point are rarely good enough for visitors to even embark onto the shore. This is a remarkable place that is a testament to those brave and hardy men, and I hope that you will be lucky enough to see and experience this moving visit back into history.
We arrived at Elephant Island and our destination of Point Wild after dinner. Point Wild is the tiny outcrop where the Shackelton Expedition’s second in command, Frank Wild, kept the 21 crewmen alive while Shackleton and five other crewmen sailed to South Georgia to seek rescue after their ship had been stuck in the ice and destroyed by its crushing pressures. After their ship’s destruction and sinking, the expedition force had already endured a winter on the ice when it was determined that they would have to save themselves and set sail in three tiny boats the size of lifeboats. In their quest, Point Wild was the best refuge they could find, so the larger group determined to survive on this exposed spit of penguin colony, living under two of the boats for 105 days, not knowing whether the captain and his men had found rescue or were dead at sea or whether anyone knew of their whereabouts. The only indication of their remarkable feat of survival is the bust of the Chilean sea captain who came to rescue them, but I am sure that the men would have fully endorsed this tribute to the man who took them away from their ice-bound prison.
It is knowing this story that makes the visit to Point Wild so poignant and so moving. If you have not already done so, do read “Endurance” by Alfred Lansing that tells this remarkable story. If it were not true, no one would ever believe it, and it is very well written and will keep you up at night reading. But, now let’s return to the present day. The weather was setting in when we arrived, with the winds blowing snow horizontally and the darkness settling in quickly. From the deck of the ship, you could barely make out the shoreline of the island. The snow was coating my face and glasses, and seeing anything was hopeless. Still the zodiacs were picking up people for a “scenic” cruise along the shoreline and to Point Wild. There people carefully picked their way among the slippery rocks, holding on to each other for support. Most were unable to get more than a few steps onto shore to try to make out the fur seals and chinstrap penguins that wondered why the two-legged animals were invading their space. But seeing the point and the conditions brought home all too clearly the impossibility of the survival of that band of men. We realized we were enduring it for only 20 minutes, soon to return to the warmth of our ship and beds and the comfort of a brandy.
While we considered ourselves terribly brave to endure that 20 minutes, we were really very lucky since the conditions at the Point are rarely good enough for visitors to even embark onto the shore. This is a remarkable place that is a testament to those brave and hardy men, and I hope that you will be lucky enough to see and experience this moving visit back into history.
Written 2 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelfotofanatic
Brisbane, Australia383 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
On our Antarctic Expedition (on the Quark "Ocean Diamond") travelling from South Georgia to the Peninsula we called in to Elephant Island to zodiac around Point Wild - on the north side of the island - where Shackleton & his men camped for several months after their ship sank. Such a wild & treacherous looking place that it's hard to imagine how they survived for so long just eating penguins. Beautiful scenery and several different sea birds and penguins, with a few seals. In the afternoon the ship sailed around to the south side of the island and AMAZINGLY, we were able to get ashore at Chinstrap Cove - with Chinstrap Penguins everywhere. Fantastic. We were told that it's very rare to get ashore here, but we were so lucky with relatively warm weather and extremely calm seas.
Written 15 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lucio Flaubert
Maringa, PR109 contributions
Farei um cruzeiro em fevereiro/2019. Li em uma publicaçao na internet que existe um numero limitado de pessoas que podem descer do navio na Antartica, isso é verdadeiro? Só uma parte dos passageiros podem descer? Considerando ser possível descer, tenho obrigação de contratar um "tour" (passeio) para poder ver os pinguins e leoes marinhos entre outros?
