Quark Expeditions will return to Snow Hill in 2018, a destination off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula which is billed as one of the hardest to reach on Earth.
Situated at the bottom of the world, Snow Hill is home to the elusive emperor penguin colony off the coast of Snow Hill Island and the tours visit the colony early in the season while the chicks are still young and can be spotted grouped together in communal daycares.
Extreme weather and ice conditions means the journey involves sailing aboard Kapitan Khlebnikov, one of the world’s most powerful icebreakers, followed by a helicopter ride and a final trek on foot.
Quark conducted its first ground visit in 2004 and the last expedition was successfully completed eight years ago.
The area is capped in snow and ice almost all year round and the chance to visit is limited.
“Emperor penguins are geographically inaccessible birds and the window of opportunity for successful sightings is extremely narrow,” explained Malcolm Ellis, senior vice president of operations, Quark Expeditions.
“Our goal is to offer the most authentic experiences, and we believe that this expedition allows travellers to really capture the spirit of polar exploration at its best,” added Andrew White, president, Quark Expeditions.
The relaunched trip is offering four 14-day Legendary Snow Hill: March to the Emperor Penguins voyage departures in 2018 and is priced from $24,985pp.
