Snow Hill to the Peninsula: Emperor Penguins and the 7th Continent

Day 1: Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Upon arriving in this fascinating city, known for its architecture and rich European heritage, you will independently transfer to your group hotel (pre-expedition hotel night included in mandatory transfer package).

Day 2: Fly to Ushuaia and Embark
After an early breakfast at the hotel, your group will transfer to the airport and board our private charter flight to Ushuaia, Argentina. Upon arrival, you will be transferred from the airport to a central downtown location to enjoy time on your own to explore quaint Ushuaia—the world’s southernmost city—before making your way to the pier. After a late afternoon embarkation, you will sail along the historic Beagle Channel, which transects the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the extreme south of South America. Enjoy the air of anticipation as you depart—the next land you see will be the Antarctic!

Day 3-4: Crossing the Drake Passage
The storied Drake Passage, the 800-kilometer waterway between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica, is an adventure unto itself. Its position at the confluence of the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Southern oceans can mean either a turbulent or calm passing. While under the attentive care of our expert staff and expedition team, you’ll have plenty of time to gaze out at the expansive ocean waters, photograph seabirds as they swoop down around the ship, and get to know your Expedition Team and fellow travelers.

Day 5: Navigating into the Weddell Sea
We begin our passage through Antarctic Sound. This stretch of water separates the northern tip of the peninsula from the Weddell Sea. This historic sound is notorious for being filled with massive ice chunks which originate from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf—so have your cameras and binoculars ready. The onboard team will teach you everything about ice, as the Weddell Sea boasts the world’s most impressive floes and tabular icebergs. The captivating flat- topped icebergs you’ll see on this eastern side of the Peninsula are known to be exponentially bigger and more visually impressive than those observed off the western coast. Onboard experts will enrich your polar quest during daily presentations. You’ll hear what it was like a century ago for the brave polar heroes who embraced the unknown. Expect a fascinating deep-dive into the world of ice-dwelling Emperor penguins.

Days 6 – 10: Quest to Land at Snow Hill Island: Emperor Penguin Colony
The journey toward Snow Hill Island will put you in explorer mode as the captain and Expedition Leader keep you updated through weather briefings, as well as meteorological and sea ice condition reports. The thickness of ice will determine how close Ultramarine can get to Snow Hill Island, at which point the ship’s twin-engine helicopters will take over. Like summitting a mountain from base camp, parties set out from Ultramarine towards the Emperor penguin colony. As experienced by all of our guests who visited Snow Hill Island with us in November 2023, the adventure begins with an extended helicopter transfer that will reveal a landscape of snow-capped peaks and apartment-building-sized tabular icebergs. As seasoned polar explorers can attest, these mammoth, flat-topped icebergs will captivate you with their majesty. 

The colony itself is located on the sea ice off the south coast of Snow Hill Island, and we will land as close to the penguins as possible, yet at a safe distance to avoid disturbing the birds. Upon landing, your party will walk across the ice to the fabled Emperor penguin colony. Your auditory senses will be on high alert: the non-stop Antarctic wind, the crunch of the ice beneath your feet, and, of course, the chatter of thousands of Emperor penguins. On your guided walk to the colony, you may be surprised to find yourself walking next to paths in the snow carved by penguins that waddled by before. As with all of our off-ship excursions, native wildlife and their habitat always take priority. We do everything possible to minimize any disturbance to their environment. The singular sounds of the flightless birds gets louder as we march toward one of the rarest wildlife scenarios on the planet: the colony of 8,000 rarely seen Emperor penguins. Our plan is to ensure that every guest visits the remote colony once during the voyage. The Expedition Team and special experts will stay close so they can answer your questions and help you take it all in. You’ll observe how the Emperors behave as a tightknit community, how they care for their young—with male and female adults sharing parental duties—and how they body surf across the ice in a way that can only be described as quirky yet efficient.

While at base on Ultramarine—in the heart of the Weddell Sea—you can look forward to Zodiac cruising among the icebergs and kayaking. We also plan to offer each guest a heli-flightseeing adventure—included in the cost of the voyage—during this segment of the itinerary. Each day our polar experts, who include penguin scientists, glaciologists, biologists and polar historians, will present on various aspects of Emperor penguins and their behaviors, ice formations such as the breathtaking tabular icebergs visible from the deck of the ship, and the experiences of polar explorers who braved the Weddell Sea over a century ago. Or you may, on one of the days, decide to take the polar plunge, or test your balance on a stand- up paddleboard. Or pamper yourself at Ultramarine’s Tundra Spa, the sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows, fitness room, or yoga space. However you spend your time immediately following your visit to the legendary colony, we invite you to take some time to reflect on everything you’ve witnessed, and appreciate that you are one of the few humans to have experienced the rare wildlife spectacle at Snow Hill.

Day 11: Eastern Peninsula: Paulet Island and Brown Bluff
Unlike the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, few operators explore along the eastern coast. We’ll set our sights on visiting Paulet Island, located in the Weddell Sea. This small, circular island is home to a large Adélie penguin colony. The volcanic cone rising up 1,158 feet (353 meters) is a reminder that Paulet Island was once home to active volcanoes. In addition to penguins, you may be interested in visiting a historic hut built by members of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901- 04. A cross marks the grave site of Ole Wennersgaard, a member of the crew. We also plan to explore Brown Bluff, believed to be an exposed volcano. This imposing feature towers 745 meters (2,225 feet) above Adélie and gentoo penguin rookeries, which number in the thousands. Expect the penguins to greet you with a symphony of background noise while you explore the bluff. We’ve scheduled our time at both Paulet Island and Brown Bluff to offer a variety of off-ship excursions, such as Zodiac cruising, landing and paddling—all weather permitting, of course. After exploring these natural wonders along the eastern coast, our ship will round the top of the peninsula and ultimately south to the western side.

Days 12-15: Exploring the Western Coast of the Peninsula
Now we make our way along the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, robust with glaciers, gentoo penguins, friendly seals and breaching humpback whales. There’s a chance you’ll also encounter crabeater and Weddell seals, which are fascinating aquatic mammals. Each day, you will take Zodiac excursions to explore glaciated bays, channels and landing sites, including Cierva Cove, which boasts jaw-dropping icebergs, brash ice, and opportunities to photograph seals on top of ice floes. We also hope to visit Damoy Point, site of a historic ice runway established by the British Antarctic Survey in 1975. The point, home to a penguin colony, allows for spectacular views of the mountains on Anvers Island. We’ve also planned a Zodiac cruise to Enterprise Island, located in Wilhelmina Bay, where you can see the rusting remains of a whaling ship. Keep your eyes peeled for humpback whales. Also on our list: Melchior Islands, a group of glaciated islands in Dallmann Bay, where male fur seals retreat at the end of the breeding season; and Mikkelsen Harbour—which is surrounded by stunning ice cliffs—where we’ll explore by Zodiac, or, if weather allows, attempt a landing at D’Hainaut Island, where we hope to see gentoo penguins and Weddell seals, and visit a long-abandoned Argentine refuge hut. Your Expedition Team will take care of you at each landing, whether you are hiking the Antarctic landscape or enjoying a Zodiac cruise. Keep an eye out for Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as curious whales, such as humpbacks, minkes, or perhaps orcas. Each excursion will present a new array of creatures to fascinate you and keep your camera busy. Amidst the serenity of Antarctica, noisy interludes become indelible memories, such as penguins squabbling over prized pebbles, or the boom and crack of calving glaciers. Each day is carefully crafted by your Expedition Team to inspire and educate you about this magnificent polar domain.

Days 16-17: At Sea in the Drake Passage
The journey back across the Drake Passage provides a final opportunity to enjoy the invigorating Southern Ocean air. Spend time on deck watching for seabirds and scouting for whales, enjoy presentations by your Expedition Team, and celebrate the experiences you’ve shared off the beaten track in remote Antarctica.

Day 18: Disembark in Ushuaia and Fly to Buenos Aires
You will arrive in Ushuaia in the morning and disembark after breakfast. The mandatory transfer package includes a tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park for a taste of Patagonia, after which you’ll transfer to the airport for the return group charter flight to Buenos Aires.

EXPEDITION SPIRIT: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy—and excitement—of expedition travel. When traveling in extremely remote regions, your Expedition Team  must  consider  the sea, ice and weather to guide the route and itinerary details. This itinerary is a tentative outline of what you may experience on this voyage; please  be  aware  that  no  specific  itinerary can be guaranteed. By the same  token,  wildlife  encounters  as  described  are  expected,  but  not  guaranteed.  Your  Expedition  Team  will  use  their  considerable  experience to seek out wildlife in known habitats, but the presence of any particular species of bird or marine wildlife is not guaranteed.