Quark Expeditions Lands at Snow Hill, Giving Guests Rare Access to Remote Emperor Penguin Colony

Quark Expeditions - the polar expedition cruise specialist - has once again reached the emperor penguin colony at Snow Hill, giving 137 guests the rare opportunity to stand among more than 4,000 breeding pairs and their chicks in one of the world’s most extraordinary wildlife encounters.

The successful landing, led by Expedition Leader Ryan McDevitt, came just one day after Quark marked 22 years since a team under former Expedition Leader Susan Adie made polar history as the first operator to bring guests to the remote rookery.

Located on the sea ice off the south coast of Snow Hill Island in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, the emperor penguin colony is one of the most challenging locations on the continent to reach. Weather, visibility and sea-ice conditions all determine access, with Quark’s polar-only expedition team monitoring conditions around the clock for an opportunity to reach the colony.

Over the course of two days, guests on Emperor Penguin Quest: Expedition to Snow Hill departed Ultramarine in small groups aboard its two twin-engine helicopters. Flying over the vast expanse of the Weddell Sea and past immense tabular icebergs, guests landed on the sea ice before making the final approach on foot to the emperor penguin colony.

Julie Chen, a guest from Sacramento, California, described seeing Emperor penguins in Antarctica as the final item on her bucket list:  “As soon as [we arrived at Snow Hill], I was just so excited. There were so many [Emperor penguins]. And they are just beautiful, beautiful, beautiful little penguins. And they all have these little personalities when you start looking at each one of them. It’s almost indescribable.”

For Takaaki Iwaasa, Sales Director, Cruise Life Co, who has travelled extensively in Antarctica, Snow Hill stood apart from his previous experiences on the continent: “The moment I actually arrived at Snow Hill and stood face-to-face with [the emperor penguins]... I was overcome by an emotion so profound, words cannot do it justice. Their sheer size—and the chicks, whose cuteness is in a league of its own! Standing within the Emperor penguin colony on Snow Hill felt like a dream; I was so entranced that I can barely even recall what I was doing while I was there. It was unlike any other place I have visited in Antarctica!”

Behind the experience was a complex operation led by Expedition Leader Ryan McDevitt alongside a polar-specialized Ultramarine team including Captain Roy Laud, Lead Pilot Jonathan Mutch, and Head Mountain Guide Phil Wickens. 

“It’s a huge operation, logistically challenging, and to do it safely is gratifying," said Mr McDevitt. “[I’m] just super proud of the whole crew of Ultramarine for making it all happen”