Pictured above: Swan Hellenic’s SH Vega in polar sea ice. Our Ross Sea voyage will be aboard her sister ship, SH Minerva.
I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be joining Swan Hellenic as a guest lecturer aboard SH Minerva in February 2027, on an extraordinary voyage from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Dunedin, New Zealand.
Our journey will take us across the formidable Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, before continuing along the remote coastline of West Antarctica towards the Ross Sea. This ambitious voyage offers the opportunity to experience parts of Antarctica that relatively few visitors ever reach.
For me, it is a dream come true.
A connection that began in Plymouth
Growing up in Plymouth, the story of Robert Falcon Scott was never far away. Born in Devonport, Scott became one of the defining figures of Antarctic exploration, and his expeditions helped spark my own fascination with the polar regions.
Scott reached the Geographic South Pole in January 1912, only to discover that Roald Amundsen’s Norwegian team had arrived before him. Scott and his four companions all lost their lives on the return journey. Their story remains a deeply moving part of Antarctic history.
Having since travelled to both the Geographic North and South Poles myself, I find these accounts carry a different weight. My experiences have given me some understanding of the physical effort and mental discipline involved, alongside an enormous respect for what those early teams faced.
The possibility of visiting the places where they lived, prepared and set out is something I have hoped for over many years.
Scott, Shackleton and the Ross Sea huts
Subject to sea ice, weather, permissions and safe access, we hope to visit historic expedition huts in the Ross Sea region, including Scott’s hut at Cape Evans and Shackleton’s hut at Cape Royds.
These were the bases for Scott’s Terra Nova expedition and Shackleton’s earlier Nimrod expedition. Scott’s Discovery hut at Hut Point is another remarkable reminder of this period of exploration.
During the Nimrod expedition, Shackleton and his companions came within approximately 97 geographical miles of the South Pole before turning back. His decision to prioritise their survival remains a powerful example of leadership under pressure.
Shackleton later returned with the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, intending to cross the continent. That became the famous Endurance story, but it also involved a separate Ross Sea party tasked with laying supplies for the crossing. The Ross Sea therefore holds an important part of that wider history too.
There are no guarantees that we will reach these sites. Antarctica will determine what is possible, and that uncertainty is part of travelling there.
From letters home to a connection with the classroom
More than a century ago, expedition news could take months to reach home, carried by returning ships and letters. Today, satellite communications give us the possibility of sharing our experiences while we are still in Antarctica.
That change creates a remarkable educational opportunity.
Alongside my guest lectures, I’m developing a digital outreach programme so that schools can follow the voyage through journal updates, photographs, activities and resources. I want pupils to explore the history with us, but also ask questions about Antarctica today: its wildlife, its environment, its science and the people working there.
We also hope to arrange a live online connection with participating schools, subject to connectivity and the ship’s programme. The prospect of speaking to pupils from Antarctica, perhaps after exploring somewhere they have been learning about that week, is particularly exciting.
Take your school flag to Antarctica
As part of the programme, I’m inviting schools to send their school logo so that we can create an A3 school flag to travel with me.
The aim is to photograph each flag ashore in Antarctica, where conditions and landing opportunities allow, before returning it to the school. It will give pupils a tangible connection to the journey and something to display afterwards as a reminder of their involvement.
Registration closes on 15 December 2026. To find out what’s included and register your school, visit Take your school flag to Antarctica.
From a childhood in Plymouth learning about Scott to the possibility of standing beside the expedition huts in the Ross Sea, this voyage feels especially personal.
I’m looking forward to sharing it with you, and to helping another generation discover the curiosity, courage and questions that draw people towards Antarctica.
Welcome to the Ross Sea adventure with Swan Hellenic.