
An intrepid photographer has sailed across the world's most dangerous sea to Antarctica to capture the beauty and wilderness of the White Continent.

Massimo Rumi, from Reggio in Italy, photographed icebergs, penguins and the remote polar landscape during a three week sailing expedition at the end of last year.

'Antarctica switched off completely the noise in my mind and I could feel every moment with overwhelming intensity,' Mr Rumi said.

Massimo Rumi, from Reggio in Italy, sailed across the world's most dangerous sea to Antarctica to capture the beauty and wilderness of the White Continent

Gorgeous sunsets and endless sunlight: Mr Rumi photographed icebergs, penguins and the remote polar landscape during a three week sailing expedition at the end of last year

The Sydney-based photographer fulfilled a lifelong dream by visiting Antarctica on the nine-man, 50ft sailing yacht.

'I had been to more than 100 countries but what I was really missing was a remote and almost unexplored place, where you can experience true isolation, where everything is untouched and unique and I immediately thought of Antarctica,' he said.

'I did some research, looking for something different than the big cruise-ships where you find yourself with hundreds of people and you do not have much flexibility and freedom of movement.'

He then found a photographer who was organising a photo tour on board a small sailing yacht for only nine people, including the crew.

The view on the sailing yacht which Massimo and eight others slept in for three weeks, taken in November- December 2015 in Antarctica

Mr Rumi captures on camera three Gentoo penguins in their natural habitat

Mr Rumi was the only passenger who managed to avoid motion sickness during the crossing of the Drake Passage - deemed 'the world's most dangerous sea'.

'But being claustrophobic I did struggle to sleep in the bunk,' he said.

'It took me some time to adapt to the small confined place of a sail boat as my only sailing experience was in larger boats, in warm weather, and for only few days.

'In this situation we were nine people, in freezing cold weather, with no shower for three weeks, with almost 20 hours of sunlight, strong winds and big waves.'

Mr Rumi said that no photographs can prepare the mind for the spectacle of seeing an iceberg for the first time

The Sydney-based photographer fulfilled a lifelong dream by visiting Antarctica on the nine-man, 50ft sailing yacht

Antarctica has never been permanently occupied by man and is only accessible from November to March. It has no towns, no villages, no habitation - bar the odd research station.

'Every single day was overwhelming. The mindfulness I have experienced in Antarctica was nothing like any other trip in my life,' Mr Rumi said.

'I guess our mind is not prepared for what you see there. It has a way of changing you. It's a place of incredible beauty and teeming wildlife.

Electric blue to dazzling white, the icebergs come sculpted by the sea and the sun into an amazing variety of shapes

Mr Rumi captures a stunning image as the sunsets over the icy waters of Antarctica

'A special moment was when we crossed the Polar Front and we started to see our first icebergs. No photographs can prepare the mind for this spectacle.

'Electric blue to dazzling white, the icebergs come sculpted by the sea and the sun into an amazing variety of shapes.'

With temperatures dipping to a -10 degrees celsius even during Antarctica's summer season, Mr Rumi's main concern was having equipment capable of withstanding the harsh conditions.

Mr Rumi said the Gentoo penguins were friendly and inquisitive. He pictured them in the glistening sunlight

With its disorientating conditions of endless daylight and dizzying blizzards, Antarctica remains one of the least known and yet most intriguing destinations in the world

'As a photographer my main worry was about having the right photo equipment with plenty of memory cards and batteries, and more than one camera body.

'You don't want to take any risks when you go on a once in a lifetime trip.

'I took with me three camera bodies and unfortunately on my first landing my Canon 70-200 lens fell off a rock and I could not use it anymore. It was the only tele lens I had with me.

'What started off as a disaster ended up actually being a good thing. I was able to take more intimate and closer shots of the wildlife and I was able to capture the mood and atmosphere of Antarctica.'

To see more of Mr Rumi's Antarctic adventures, visit his website.

Despite the stunning scenery, Mr Rumi had to endure freezing cold weather, with no shower for three weeks, with almost 20 hours of sunlight, strong winds and big waves

Mr Rumi was the only passenger who managed to avoid motion sickness during the crossing of the Drake Passage - deemed 'the world's most dangerous sea'

March of the penguins: He pictured Gentoo penguins climbing to the top of a slope in Antarctica

Massimo's images show a journey at the bottom of the Earth, in one of the last true wilderness areas in the world, largely unchanged since the early explorers

The series of stunning images were taken by professional photographer, Massimo Rumi during a three week sailing expedition

Mr Rumi wraps up warm in winter clothing as he takes pictures of his surroundings

This frozen continent at the end of the Earth has never been permanently occupied by man and is only accessible from November to March

Penguins atop of an iceberg

A baby penguin stands alone as Rumi takes his picture with the sun setting behind

Having travelled to over a hundred countries, the explorer realised that he had never visited a remote place and this led to his research for a trip to Antarctica

A giant, lone iceberg floating in the Antarctic ocean with electric blue and pure white tones

A colony of penguins: Mr Rumi travelled across the world's most dangerous sea, the Drake Passage

'A special moment was when we crossed the Polar Front and we started to see our first icebergs. No photographs can prepare the mind for this spectacle'