Snow Hill Emperor Penguins Expedition

Your itinerary begins in unforgettable Buenos Aires, where after having arrived independently, you will transfer to the hotel for your overnight stay. We recommend taking some time to soak up the sights, sounds and delicacies of this splendid city.

After a good night’s rest and breakfast in the hotel, you will join your transfer to the airport for your private charter flight to Ushuaia, where upon arrival you will have some time to explore around the world’s southernmost city before making your way to the port where your polar expedition ship awaits you. Embarkation will begin in the late afternoon and after meeting your expedition team and settling into your comfortable cabin, you can spend some time exploring your new surroundings and watching from deck as we sail through the scenic and historic Beagle Channel, leaving civilisation far behind as we start our journey to the Antarctic wilderness.

We will spend 2 days at sea sailing through the famously unpredictable Drake Passage. Over the course of these 2 days there may potentially be some rough waters, but your polar expedition ship has been designed to navigate these waters with ease. We hope for a smooth sailing that will allow us to spend some time on deck enjoying searching for the abundant seabirds that are likely to be following the ship. Your expedition team will begin their exciting programme of informative lectures and presentations covering everything from the wildlife and geology of Antarctica to historic polar exploration. There will also be safety and bio-environmental briefings to prepare you for your time in Antarctica.

Continuing our southward cruise, we now push forward into the incredible Weddell Sea area. Your programme of presentations delivered by world-respected experts will continue, with a focus on the ice-dwelling emperor penguins that we are preparing to meet. You will want to spend some time on deck as we sail through the ice-clogged waters surrounded by huge tabular icebergs and breathtaking scenery.

The pinnacle of your adventure is about to begin! Deep within the astounding Weddell Sea area, we will now spend 5 days attempting to reach the fabled Snow Hill Emperor Penguin colony in exciting expedition style. The thickness of the ice will determine how close your vessel can get to Snow Hill Island, then the twin-engine helicopters will take over.

Like summitting a mountain from base camp, parties will take turns to set out from Ultramarine towards the emperor penguin colony, beginning with an extended helicopter transfer that will reward in incredible views of the humungous tabular icebergs and icescapes below. The helicopter will land as close as possible to the rookery, which is located on the sea ice off the south coast of Snow Hill Island, without disturbing the penguins. You will then set out on foot through the wind and ice to experience one of the rarest wildlife opportunities on the planet. Here you will get to observe them up-close, whilst learning all about their behaviours and ways of life. The sights and sounds of this colony of thousands and thousands of rarely-seen emperor penguins are likely to live forever in your memory!

The goal is to make sure that every passenger gets to visit the rookery at least once, but whilst back at base (the ship) the adventures will be no less exciting. Each day you will be able to immerse yourself fully in the wonders of the Weddell Sea, enjoying thrilling Zodiac cruises amongst towering icebergs, shore walks and unforgettably “refreshing” polar plunges. Your Polar experts will offer insights and hands-on opportunities for learning all about this fascinating region. You may also wish to join kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding excursions to discover this remote wilderness from another perspective. (Please note: kayaking/paddling and stand-up paddleboarding excursions incur an additional fee).

Although the goal of this expedition is to reach the colony on Snow Hill Island, as with every Polar expedition, owing to ice and weather conditions, nothing can be guaranteed. Should the conditions prevent us from reaching the colony or requiring us to shorten our stay in the area, there are a number of fascinating areas we will visit instead. These may include Brown Bluff where rookeries of Adélie and gentoo penguins abound, Devil Island, Hope Bay, Paulet Island and Seymour Island.

As your thrilling adventure nears its conclusion, it’s time to head back towards South America as we sail back across the Drake Passage. These 2 days offer us some further opportunities for attending the informative lectures and talks presented by your team of Antarctica experts and we recommend spending some time on deck looking for your final seabird and whale sightings. This is also a great chance to spend some time collating all of the many pictures you will have taken and sharing tales of your adventures with your fellow passengers.

After having sailed through the Beagle Channel overnight you will arrive back into the port of Ushuaia in the early morning, where you will disembark for a tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park. After your Taste of Patagonia experience you will then transfer to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires.