Inaccessible Island St Helena UK
United Kingdom

17 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Seabourn Cruise Line (17 Cruises)


Frequently Asked Questions

No. Access ashore is strictly controlled: apart from a few permit-holding scientists and Tristan da Cunha islanders coming for traditional activities, nobody sets foot on these slopes. The island is seen from the sea and from zodiacs, when the swell allows.
In the South Atlantic, next to Tristan da Cunha, the most isolated inhabited community on the planet, thousands of kilometres from any continent. It is a volcanic plateau ringed by cliffs, with no quay, no residents and no infrastructure at all.
Because since 2004 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site, together with neighbouring Gough, as one of the least disturbed temperate island ecosystems in the world. Ships follow strict biosecurity protocols: nothing may be brought ashore, not even a seed lodged in the sole of a boot.
Zodiac cruising at water level, when the swell allows, along the walls where Northern rockhopper penguins, petrels, albatrosses and fur seals breed. The ship's naturalists commentate from the boats. The dark cliffs rise in a single sweep to the plateau, capped by clinging cloud.
The smallest flightless bird in the world: thirteen to fifteen centimetres, the weight of a handful of coins, and an entire existence confined to these few square kilometres of tall grass. You are unlikely to see it from the sea, but its presence alone sums up the place.
Almost never. Human history here comes down to a few failed attempts: two German brothers are said to have tried to settle in the 1870s to live off sealing, lasting two years before asking to be taken off. The island gave up nothing.
No. Only small expedition vessels approach, and the weather sets the programme, never the other way round. Operators present this approach as a possibility, not a promise.
Northern rockhopper penguins with their yellow crests, petrels, albatrosses and fur seals. The noise of the colonies carries far, mixed with the surf. The island group holds seabird colonies numbering in the millions.
Not really. This is expedition sailing in the South Atlantic, with no landing, long days at sea before and after and often heavy conditions. It suits passengers passionate about birds and untouched wilderness.
Binoculars and waterproof, windproof clothing for zodiac cruising and long spells on deck. Plan to protect your camera from spray as well: the outing happens at water level and you rarely come back dry.