SEATTLE, WA – February 4, 2025
Quark Expeditions is thrilled to announce Snow Hill to the Peninsula: Shackleton’s Emperors, a captivating expedition for those yearning to encounter the fabled Emperor penguin colony at Snow Hill Island via the spectacular and historical Weddell Sea on the less visited eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The Emperor penguin colony at Snow Hill Island was first confirmed by Quark Expeditions in 2004, and is home to over 4,000 breeding pairs and their fluffy grey chicks. Emperors, the largest and most elusive of the penguins, captivated early explorers such as Sir Ernest Shackleton and continue to win the hearts of modern-day adventurers with their striking appearance, elite diving skills, and fascinating colony dynamics. Snow Hill to the Peninsula: Shackleton’s Emperors, an 18-day itinerary, departs on October 30, 2025, with a charter flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, where guests will board Ultramarine and begin their expedition.
Another special feature of this voyage is the chance for guests to hone their photography skills under the expert guidance of renowned wildlife photographer and guide Paul Goldstein. The Sunday Times described Paul Goldstein as ‘preposterously vivacious’ with ‘psychotic gusto,’ adding that ‘no-one will drag you up the photographic ladder quicker.’ Winner of the Black & White category in the Nature Photographer of the Year Awards in 2024 and countless other awards, Paul has led over 30 exclusive photographic charters in his extraordinary career, one which has taken him across six continents. Throughout the voyage, photographers of all levels—beginners to seasoned professionals — will have hands-on opportunities to learn from him in their medium of choice. Paul has insatiable levels of energy and is an accomplished, eloquent, and charismatic presenter with over three decades of travel experience at his back.
“Of all the expeditions I’ve led over the past 23 years, my two Emperor quests with Quark remain the most memorable,” said Paul. “After all these years in the industry, I can confidently say the Weddell Sea and Snow Hill Island is the most captivating wilderness I’ve encountered. Witnessing intricately sculpted icebergs adorned with chinstraps and Adélies is close to polar nirvana—but seeing Emperors on pristine ice is another level. With endless daylight in this remote wilderness, I’m thrilled to join the Quark Expeditions team again to ensure every moment counts.”
Equipped with two onboard helicopters, the state-of-the-art Ultramarine provides unparalleled access to the continent’s jewels: seamlessly combining travel by ship, helicopter, and Zodiac to showcase Antarctica’s iceberg-choked remote paradise from all possible vantage points. This early November itinerary sees the ice at its most alluring, with penguins scaling the cobalt-blue bergs before cascading into the depths in their insatiable hunt for food. Guided by Quark’s expert expedition team, guests can marvel at massive tabulars calved from some of the continent’s largest ice shelves, visit Adélie penguin colonies on Brown Bluff, Devil Island, or Paulet Island, and search for marine mammals among the floating ice. This is the only itinerary in the polar industry that enables guests to spend this amount of time immersed in the spell-binding wonders of the eastern peninsula.
Whether traveling by sea, land, or air, the Quark Expeditions field team, alongside Paul Goldstein, will make the most of this magical playground. With an unmatched guide-to-guest ratio, Quark’s team—comprised of Ornithologists, Marine Biologists, Historians, Glaciologists, Photographers, and other elite polar guides—seamlessly adapts plans to make for the best possible experience, capturing extraordinary moments as they unfold. Anyone serious about Antarctica, dreaming of seeing Emperor penguins up close, and looking to hone their photography skills should consider this spellbinding itinerary.
For more information about traveling to the Polar Regions Quark Expeditions or to meet our polar-obsessed expedition team, please visit www.quarkexpeditions.com. To learn more about Paul Goldstein, visit http://paulgoldstein.co.uk.
Media Contact: Ainsley Gilkinson, Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Ainsley.Gilkinson@quarkexpeditions.com
About Quark Expeditions: The global leader in polar adventures for more than 30 years. The most passionate and seasoned team in the industry, taking explorers to the ends of the earth. Going where few ever dream, and setting foot where few ever will. Delivering extraordinary experiences and enriching lives through travel, Quark Expeditions is a Travelopia specialist company.