For months, our team had been preparing for the moment the Malizia Explorer would make landfall on the Danger Islands, which are seven small islands spanning just 5 km² off the Antarctic Peninsula. It’s a place recently designated as an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA 180), and, following Germany’s commitment to protect it, a team of scientists and the Malizia Explorer crew set sail towards these untouched islands. On the 19th of November 2025, the crew of 14, composed of scientists, media representatives, sailors, and a cook, made their way to the end of the world on the 26-metre sailing vessel to study penguins and seven small yet ecologically valuable islands. Their dual mission: gathering data on this newly protected area on land, and collecting evidence that may support the expansion of the protected zone into the marine environment if necessary.

by Remy Johannsen