Emperor Penguin Quest: Expedition to Snow Hill

After an early breakfast at the hotel, take the group transfer to the airport and board a private charter flight to Ushuaia, Argentina. Upon arrival, be transferred from the airport to a central downtown location to enjoy free time to explore quaint Ushuaia—the world’s southernmost city—before making your way to the pier. After a late afternoon embarkation, sail along the historic Beagle Channel, which transects the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the extreme south of South America. Enjoy the air of anticipation as the ship departs—the next land will be the Antarctic!

The storied Drake Passage, the roughly 400-mile (800km) waterway between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica, is an adventure unto itself. Its position at the confluence of the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Southern oceans can mean either a turbulent or calm passing. While under the attentive care of the expert staff and expedition team, you’ll have plenty of time to gaze out at the expansive ocean waters, photograph seabirds as they swoop down around the ship, and get to know your Expedition Team and fellow travelers.

Begin your passage through the Antarctic Sound. This stretch of water separates the northern tip of the peninsula from the Weddell Sea. This historic sound is notorious for being filled with massive ice chunks which originate from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf—so have your cameras and binoculars ready. The onboard team will teach you everything about ice, as the Weddell Sea boasts the world’s most impressive floes and tabular icebergs. The captivating flat-topped icebergs you’ll see on this eastern side of the Peninsula are known to be exponentially bigger and more visually impressive than those observed off the western coast.

Onboard experts will enrich your polar quest during daily presentations. You’ll hear what it was like a century ago for the brave polar heroes who embraced the unknown. Expect a fascinating deep-dive into the world of ice-dwelling Emperor penguins.

The journey toward Snow Hill Island will put you in explorer mode as the captain and expedition leader keep you updated through weather briefings, meteorological and sea ice condition reports. The thickness of ice will determine how close the ship can get to Snow Hill Island, then the ship’s twin-engine helicopters will take over. Like summitting a mountain from base camp, parties will set out from the ship towards the emperor penguin colony.

The adventure begins with an extended helicopter transfer that will reveal a landscape of snow-capped peaks and apartment-building-sized tabular icebergs. The rookery itself is located on the sea ice off the south coast of Snow Hill Island and the landing will be as close to the penguins as possible, yet at a safe distance to avoid disturbing the birds. Upon landing, your party will walk across the ice to the fabled emperor penguin colony. Your auditory senses will be on high alert: the non-stop Antarctic wind, the crunch of the ice beneath your feet and, of course, the chatter of thousands of emperor penguins.

On your guided walk to the colony, you may be surprised to find yourself walking next to paths in the snow carved by penguins that waddled by before. As with all of your off-ship excursions, native wildlife and their habitat always take priority. The singular sounds of the flightless birds gets louder as you march toward one of the rarest wildlife scenarios on the planet: the colony of 8,000 rarely seen emperor penguins.

The goal of the expedition is to get every guest to the remote colony at least once. The expedition team and special experts will be close by to answer your questions and ensure you take in everything there is to see. The emperor penguins behave as a tight-knit community, they care for their young, and they body surf across the ice in a way that can only be described as quirky yet efficient. The helicopter expedition in search of the emperor colony might just be the adventure of a lifetime!

And while at base on the ship with your attentive expedition team, you’ll be immersed each day in the polar experience of the Weddell Sea. Daily activities can include Zodiac cruising among the icebergs, paddle-on-top
kayaking, or working with the team to observe the weather forecasting and ship operations up close.

Each day your polar experts, who include penguin scientists, glaciologists, biologists and polar historians, will present on various aspects of emperor penguins and their behaviors, ice formations such as the breathtaking tabular icebergs visible from the deck of the ship, and the experiences of polar explorers who braved the Weddell Sea over a century ago.

Or you might, on one of these days, decide to take the polar plunge, or test your balance on a stand-up  paddleboard. Then again, maybe you’ll enjoy a little pampering. If so, you can choose from the ship’s excellent onboard amenities, including the spa, sauna and fitness room.

The emperor penguin colony at Snow Hill is the goal of this expedition. However, if weather or ice conditions prevent you from visiting the colony or shorten the duration of your visit, then you may explore some other sites. Your possible landings in Antarctica will take place on the eastern side of the Peninsula, which is an extension of the Transantarctic Mountains and is the most northern stretch of Antarctic land.

Unlike the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, few operators explore along the eastern coast. We’ll set our sights on visiting Paulet Island, located in the Weddell Sea. This small, circular island is home to a large Adélie penguin colony. The volcanic cone rising up 1,158 feet (353m) is a reminder that Paulet Island was once home to active volcanoes.

In addition to penguins, you may be interested in visiting a historic hut built by members of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901-04. A cross marks the grave site of Ole Wennersgaard, a member of the crew. Also plan to explore Brown Bluff, believed to be an exposed volcano. This imposing feature towers 2,225 feet (745m) above Adélie and gentoo penguin rookeries, which number in the thousands. Expect the penguins to greet you with a symphony of background noise while you explore the bluff.

Time is scheduled at both Paulet Island and Brown Bluff to offer a variety of off-ship excursions, such as Zodiac cruising, landing and paddling—all weather permitting, of course. After exploring these natural wonders along the eastern coast, your ship will round the top of the peninsula and ultimately head south to the western side.

Now make your way along the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, robust with glaciers, gentoo penguins, friendly seals and breaching humpback whales. There’s a chance you’ll also encounter crabeater and Weddell seals, which are fascinating aquatic mammals.

Each day, you will take Zodiac excursions to explore glaciated bays, channels and landing sites, including Cierva Cove, which boasts jaw-dropping icebergs, brash ice and opportunities to photograph seals on top of ice floes. Also hope to visit Damoy Point, site of a historic ice runway established by the British Antarctic Survey in 1975. The point, home to a penguin colony, allows for spectacular views of the mountains on Anvers Island.

A Zodiac cruise to Enterprise Island, located in Wilhelmina Bay, is where you can see the rusting remains of a whaling ship. Keep your eyes peeled for humpback whales. Also on the list: Melchior Islands, a group of glaciated islands in Dallmann Bay, where male fur seals retreat at the end of the breeding season; and Mikkelsen Harbor—which is surrounded by stunning ice cliffs—where you’ll explore by Zodiac or, if weather allows, attempt a landing at D’Hainaut Island, where one hopes to see gentoo penguins and Weddell seals, and visit a long-abandoned Argentine refuge hut.

Your expedition team will take care of you at each landing, whether you are hiking the Antarctic landscape or enjoying a Zodiac cruise. Keep an eye out for Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as curious whales, such as humpbacks, minkes, or perhaps orcas. Each excursion will present a new array of creatures to fascinate you and keep your camera busy. Amidst the serenity of Antarctica, noisy interludes become indelible memories, such as penguins squabbling over prized pebbles, or the boom and crack of calving glaciers. Each day is carefully crafted by your expedition team to inspire and educate you about this magnificent polar domain.

The journey back across the Drake Passage provides a final opportunity to enjoy the invigorating Southern Ocean air. Spend time on the deck watching for seabirds and scouting for whales, enjoy presentations by the expedition team, and celebrate the experiences shared getting off the beaten track in the remarkable world of Antarctica.

Arrive in Ushuaia in the morning and disembark after breakfast. The mandatory transfer package includes a tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park for a taste of Patagonia, after which be transferred to the airport for the return group charter flight to Buenos Aires.