IAATO announced on World Oceans Day that it will establish a voluntary geofenced whale area around the South Orkney Islands beginning in the 2026-27 Antarctic season. Member vessels inside the designated area will voluntarily observe a 10-knot speed restriction, measured as Speed Over Ground, from November 1 to May 30. The measure will remain in place for an initial two-year period or until further review by the IAATO Marine Committee.
The South Orkney Islands are a group of islands roughly 370 miles, or 600 kilometers, northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The new area is the latest addition to IAATO's network of Geofenced Whale Areas, first introduced in 2019 in the Gerlache Strait and Crystal Sound. The program has since been expanded with mandatory whale protection areas around the South Shetland Islands and Elephant Island, and with an Acoustic Awareness Zone in the Gullet. The South Orkney measure is voluntary, which sets it apart from the mandatory South Shetland and Elephant Island areas.
The decision follows survey evidence
IAATO members approved the measure at the association's annual meeting in April. The decision follows increasing scientific evidence of high whale occurrence in the region. IAATO's Voluntary Cetacean and Pinniped Sightings program, known as V-CaPS, recorded 203 whale observations across four Antarctic seasons from vessels operating near the islands. That total includes 82 humpback whales and 76 fin whales, with sei whales and killer whales also observed.
A research expedition from February to March 2026 provided an important driver for the initiative. Led by longtime Antarctic expedition leader and whale scientist Ted Cheeseman, the expedition recorded 1,468 individual whales of six species in the area over an 18-day survey. Large concentrations of humpback and fin whales appeared in nearshore waters north of the islands and in offshore areas to the south. Southern right whales have also been documented through dedicated surveys and community science platforms including Happywhale and iNaturalist. Cheeseman is the founder of Happywhale.
IAATO described the findings as underscoring the ecological significance of the area for multiple whale species. Maureen Lynch, IAATO's Science and Monitoring Senior Manager, said the decision reflects the association's focus on evidence-based operations. The announcement comes as global attention turns to the importance of healthy oceans and marine biodiversity.
Data collection is built into the program
IAATO launched V-CaPS in 2022 to better understand marine mammal distribution in Antarctic waters and to monitor the effectiveness of whale protection measures. Through a partnership with the marine conservation charity ORCA, IAATO members use ORCA's OceanWatchers survey platform to collect standardised marine mammal observations during Antarctic voyages. Data from partners such as Happywhale is combined with those observations to build a clearer picture of whale recovery and habitat use throughout the Southern Ocean.
The Elephant Island data shows why the slow-down measures matter. Observations gathered around Elephant Island have consistently documented large numbers of fin whales, reinforcing the value of vessel speed reductions in areas of high whale density. The South Orkney measure applies the same logic to a less-publicised habitat.
IAATO has worked within the Antarctic Treaty System since its founding in 1991 to promote safe and environmentally responsible private-sector travel to Antarctica. The new area is part of that science-based operational approach. For a reader planning a 2026-27 voyage that includes the South Orkney Islands, the relevant question for an operator is whether it will voluntarily observe the 10-knot restriction inside the area, and how that affects routing and time in the area.