Quark Expeditions®

In the realm of the emperor penguins

Good news for the adventurous:

Quark Expeditions®, the leading expedition cruise innovator, is returning to the legendary Emperor Penguin colony at Snow Hill - and taking 150 guests on board.


Thousands of penguins,
gliding across the ice into the sea. Most people have only seen this breathtaking sight in documentaries. As well made as these films are, they cannot compete with the experience of observing one of the famous bird colonies up close. Adventure-seekers have the chance to do just that with Quark Expeditions, which has announced a trip to the rarely visited emperor penguin colony on Snow Hill Island in the Antarctic Weddell Sea. The 14-day trip "Emperor Penguin Quest: Expedition to Snow Hill" will take place on two dates in November.

"The legendary emperor penguin colony
on Snow Hill Island has a special place in our hearts," says Andrew White, President of Quark Expeditions, who made polar history with their first visit in 2004: Driven by true expedition spirit and guided by years of polar expertise, the team cruises past masses of dense ice to experience the legendary breeding colony, which today numbers 8,000 breeding pairs of emperor penguins.




This year's participants can also look forward to a unique experience.
can look forward to a unique experience. In addition to amenities such as a spa, sauna and more, the new Ultramarine ship is also equipped with two twin-engine H145 helicopters, which can be used to get close to the rarely visited breeding site. "From there, you can walk across the thick sea ice until you are just a few meters away from the penguins." Another part of the expedition is the daily educational program by penguin researchers, ornithologists, biologists and polar historians. "To make this trip even more intimate," says McNeil, "we have reduced the guest capacity to 150 and increased the number of expedition staff so that there is one expedition staff member for every four guests. And they really will experience the expedition of a lifetime!"

www.quarkexpeditions.com