Exploring the boundless Southern Oceans is one of the earth's great wildlife adventures. Experiences range from marvelling at vast breeding colonies of King Penguins to soaking up the sheer beauty and drama of Antarctic itself, or simply enjoying the deep blue of these immense oceans. Crossing these vast stretches of open water is by no means uneventful, and it is only once you leave the security of land that one encounters the true denizens of this wild and seemingly inhospitable habitat.

Almost exclusively seen far from land, the beautifully patterned Hourglass Dolphin is one such creature. This diminutive dolphin, at just over 5 feet in length, is found only in the polar regions of the Southern Ocean and, whilst it may be prone to bow riding, it is infrequently seen and nowhere common. On a recent cruise Indri guide David Shackelford was fortunate enough to capture this superb image as he approached South Georgia. On this cruise our guests also enjoyed great sightings of Orca and the very rare Arnoux's Beaked Whale (the latter known mostly to science from beached specimens!)

For an opportunity to experience this region's incredible wildlife, join Indri on one of our 2010 departures to the Antarctic and the islands of the Southern Ocean.