Hannah Point | The Most Species-Rich Landing on Livingston Island
Hannah Point at a glance
Location: South coast of Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. Coordinates 62°39′S 60°37′W.
Size: Around 122 hectares (300 acres) of ice-free ground, surmounted by Ustra Peak with Liverpool Beach running below.
Discovery and history: Used by 19th-century sealers working from nearby Johnsons Dock. The British Antarctic Survey ran a winter station here in 1957, known as Station P.
Wildlife: One of the most species-diverse landings on the Peninsula. Chinstrap, gentoo, and breeding macaroni penguins. Southern elephant seals, Antarctic fur seals, southern giant petrels, blue-eyed shags, snowy sheathbills, kelp gulls, skuas, Antarctic terns, and Wilson's storm petrels.
Geology: The Jasper Dyke, a vein of red jasper cutting through the cliffs. Cretaceous volcanic-sedimentary geology with fossilised subtropical flora dating to around 97.5 million years ago.
Access: Strict capacity restrictions. Ships carrying 200 or fewer guests only, one ship at a time, with a six-hour visit cap and limited visitor numbers ashore.
Where is Hannah Point in the South Shetland Islands?
Hannah Point sits on the south coast of Livingston Island, the second-largest island in the South Shetlands. It forms the eastern boundary of Walker Bay and the western boundary of South Bay, with Ustra Peak rising directly behind. Liverpool Beach runs between the peak and the tip of the Point. The cliffs climb steadily to knife-edged ridges more than 160 feet above sea level, and rock falls are frequent.
For most Antarctic voyages, Hannah Point is part of a South Shetland landing day, often paired with Half Moon Island or Deception Island as the ship works its way toward the Antarctic Peninsula proper.
Why visit Hannah Point on an Antarctic Micro Cruise?
Hannah Point is one of the most species-rich landings in the South Shetlands, and that is the simple answer. The site holds three penguin species in one location: chinstrap and gentoo colonies on the slopes, with a small number of breeding macaroni penguins mixed in. Macaronis are the standout. They are uncommon on most Peninsula itineraries, and Hannah Point is one of the most reliable places to see them on a single voyage.
Beyond the penguins, the wildlife layers up. Southern elephant seals haul out on the beach and at a clifftop wallow pool above the landing, where they can lie at full weight and watch the bay below. Antarctic fur seals work the shoreline. Southern giant petrels nest on the higher ground (a 50-metre distance is required). Blue-eyed shags, brown skuas, Antarctic terns, and Wilson's storm petrels round out the bird life.
The site also rewards a slower kind of attention. The Jasper Dyke, a vein of red mineral cutting through the cliffs, is one of the more striking geological features on the South Shetlands. Fossil specimens from a Cretaceous subtropical forest, more than 97 million years old, can be observed in the rock around Walker Bay. Antarctica's two native flowering plants, Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis, grow alongside extensive moss beds.
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How Secret Atlas reaches Hannah Point
Hannah Point operates under some of the strictest visitor restrictions on the Antarctic Peninsula. The site is closed entirely during the early breeding season, and ships carrying more than 200 guests are not permitted to land here at any time. For the operators who do qualify, the rules tighten further: one ship at a time, a maximum of 100 visitors ashore, no more than 50 on the Point itself, a six-hour visit cap, and a strict guide-to-guest ratio.
This is the kind of site where small-ship voyaging is not a preference. It is a requirement.
Comfortably within the 200-guest cap. With 36 guests, an Expedition Micro Cruise sits well under the maximum vessel size permitted at Hannah Point.
All guests ashore in one go. The 50-visitor limit on the Point itself is not a constraint for a 36-guest ship. The whole group can land together without splitting into rotations.
More guides per guest than required. Our five guides on a Peninsula voyage give a 1-to-7 ratio, well below the regulatory minimum of one guide per twenty visitors.
More time at the site. A small group within the six-hour visit cap can spend the full window on the ground, rather than burning time on rotations and re-embarkation.
Frequently asked questions about Hannah Point
Where is Hannah Point located?
Hannah Point sits on the south coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. It forms the entrance to Walker Bay on the west and South Bay on the east, with Ustra Peak rising directly behind.
Why is Hannah Point restricted to smaller ships?
Hannah Point is a small site, around 122 hectares, with concentrated wildlife and limited landing space. Antarctic Treaty management rules restrict visits to ships carrying 200 or fewer guests, one ship at a time, with a maximum of 100 visitors ashore and 50 on the Point itself at any one moment. The site is also closed during the early breeding season from October until after mid-January, when penguin incubation is most vulnerable to disturbance.
What wildlife will I see at Hannah Point?
Three penguin species: chinstrap, gentoo, and a small breeding population of macaroni penguins. Southern elephant seals on the beach and at a clifftop wallow pool. Antarctic fur seals. Southern giant petrels nesting on higher ground. Blue-eyed shags, brown skuas, snowy sheathbills, kelp gulls, Antarctic terns, and Wilson's storm petrels round out the bird life.
When is the best time to visit Hannah Point?
The site is closed from the start of the breeding season in October until after mid-January, when penguin chicks are past the most vulnerable phase. From mid-January through March, the landing is open. Late January and February typically offer the strongest combination of chick activity, macaroni penguin visibility, and seal behaviour.
Visit Hannah Point on a Secret Atlas Expedition Micro Cruise
Hannah Point is the rare site where the rules themselves favour small ships. A 36-guest Expedition Micro Cruise sits well within every capacity restriction, lands as a single group, and spends the time on the ground that the site actually allows.
If a voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetlands is on your radar, get in touch. The team will walk you through current availability, what the routing involves, and the realistic expectations for landings at protected sites like Hannah Point.
Enquire about Antarctic Peninsula Expedition Micro Cruises
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