The remote continent of Antarctica is the coldest, highest and windiest place on Earth. With more than 90% of the world's ice and almost no precipitation, it is a frozen desert spanning an area larger than Europe. Winter temperatures plummet as low as -90C, making Antarctica the only uninhabited continent, without ownership or government. Yet a select few plants and animals are able to survive in this hostile environment, including millions of penguins, amongst them the Emperor penguin, which breeds during the Antarctic winter.

Tourism in the region is governed by strict environmental guidelines. Most visitors approach from Chile and head for the Antarctic Peninsula with its huge penguin colonies and abundant marine life, attracting large marine predators such as the leopard seal and killer whale.

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