Snow Hill Island is home to a colony of around 4,000 pairs of breeding emperor penguins and their offspring, amounting to around 10,000 penguins, in one relatively small space.
This snow-capped island, lying off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, is remote and rarely visited. In addition to crossing the Drake Passage, you must navigate the icy Weddell Sea, and then take a helicopter flight before completing the final traverse on foot to the emperor penguin rookery.
The survival and breeding habits of emperor penguins have long fascinated wildlife enthusiasts. Emperor penguins thrive in bitterly cold temperatures and are the only penguin species to breed and incubate their eggs on ice, rather than on shore. Swedish explorer Otto Nordenskjöld spent three winters at Snow Hill Island and found the largest-ever penguin fossil here. Reaching Snow Hill Island today is an experience achieved by only a handful of travellers.
This voyage to the Weddell Sea offers a unique highlight - three days are reserved to visit, by helicopter, an emperor penguin colony, situated south of Snow Hill Island. Getting close to these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat is a unique and memorable once in a lifetime experience.
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The ice-strengthened Ortelius is an excellent vessel for expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic. With the highest ice-class notation, it offers possibilities to travel to remote locations such as the Ross Sea and Franz Josef Land. Flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities.
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Equipped with two twin-engine helicopters plus 20 quick-release Zodiac boats, Ultramarine offers passengers the next level in polar exploration. The opportunity to view frozen landscapes from above and to take impromptu wildlife viewing excursions speedily and efficiently, set it apart from other polar vessels.
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