What are the best ships that visit Snow Hill Island?

Few vessels are constructed to navigate Antarctic pack ice, but two ships are up for the task: Ultramarine and m/v Ortelius. m/v Ortelius is operated by Oceanwide Expeditions. Nearly 300 feet long, she accommodates up to 108 passengers in 50 cabins and 52 staff. Accommodating 150 guests in 102 staterooms, Ultramarine is the newest ship in Quark Expeditions’ fleet.

Snow Hill Island – Bespoke Expedition Itineraries

On a frozen, wind-whipped shelf of fast ice in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, a colony of emperor penguins thrives in one of Earth’s darkest and bitterly cold places.

Traveling to the foreboding continent is a true adventure, but when the itinerary calls for a visit to Snow Hill Island, nothing is guaranteed. Only a few ice-strengthened ships attempt to call on it each year and whether passengers successfully reach the rarely visited rookery is a matter of good fortune. Having flown to South America’s furthest outpost and crossed the rough Drake Passage, some ships arrive at Snow Hill Island only to be met with inclement weather, pernicious ice and gusting winds that make the final helicopter shuttle unsafe to attempt. But when conditions permit, intrepid travelers are rewarded with an extraordinary experience: as many as ten thousand regal emperor penguins and their fuzzy gray chicks surviving in an environment that seems mystifyingly hostile to life. Emperor penguins’ remarkable feats of parenting, long-distance walks and heartburstingly-cute chicks—chronicled in the 2005 film March of the Penguins— are a few of the reasons travelers hedge their luck in attempting the expensive and arduous journey to Snow Hill Island.

Tabular iceberg floating in calm waters off Antarctica

Expedition cruise ship and kayakers near icebergs in Antarctica

Emperor penguin parents with chick on the ice in Antarctica

Why visit Snow Hill Island?

Snow Hill Island is the only place cruise passengers can visit an Antarctic emperor penguin rookery. Once there, travelers have a limited time to stay—visits last about an hour, plus the time it takes to walk to and from the helicopter drop-off point. (Consider that only a few guests can be shuttled via two helicopters at a time from ships containing 108 to 150 passengers.)

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Snow Hill Island is the only place cruise passengers can visit an Antarctic emperor penguin rookery. Once there, travelers have a limited time to stay—visits last about an hour, plus the time it takes to walk to and from the helicopter drop-off point. (Consider that only a few guests can be shuttled via two helicopters at a time from ships containing 108 to 150 passengers.)
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Snow Hill Island also features a historic site, Nordenskiöld House, where a Swedish Antarctic expedition of 1902-1903 wintered.
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Ultimately, when it comes to polar expeditions, nature writes the final itinerary. When a visit to the rookery is not possible, operators reallocate days to some of the 200 recognized points of interest that dot the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. After all, you’re still on an incredible journey to the Southern Ocean!

The best time to visit Snow Hill Island

The best time to visit Snow Hill Island is November, but without added context, this information erroneously suggests travelers have a range of options. In fact, the limited operators that attempt to visit the colony only do so in the month of November and typically only offer one or two departures.

Keep in mind that November is spring in Antarctica. Visiting any earlier means the Weddell Sea will be locked with heavy ice. Delaying any later means the ice of the rookery may begin to melt, and adult penguins will be departing for the open water.

Best

Nov

November - November

Good

Nov

November - November

Snow Hill Island travel FAQs

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