SOUTH SHETLAND Islands 

The South Shetland Islands are a string of islands running parallel to the north west coast of the Antarctic peninsula and they are not administered by any one nation but currently covered by the Antarctic Treaty where all territorial claims are suspended. The South Shetlands are almost completely ice covered. About 2-3 percent is ice free, usually along the coast, where all life is found whether penguins, seals, or the human inhabitants of the various bases.

The South Shetlands are usually visited as a part of a trip to the Antarctic Peninsula as they are directly on the sailing path from South America.