15 Nov 2025 - 28 Nov 2025 (14 days)
USD28,495 - Spaces Available
Pricing notes : Mandatory Transfer Package US$995
Tour price (Per person): GBP22,753 * EUR27,431 * USD28,495 * AUD45,757
In 2004, Quark Expeditions made polar history when they conducted the first-ever ground visit to the remote emperor penguin colony near Snow Hill Island, Antarctica. Driven by a true expeditionary spirit—and guided by years of polar expertise—our team sailed past masses of dense ice and thick, tabular icebergs in the Weddell Sea to experience the legendary rookery, which now numbers 8,000 breeding pairs of emperor penguins.
Today, it is one of the most exclusive wildlife viewing experiences on the planet. We invite you—almost two decades after our milestone visit of 2004— to embrace the thrill of the search as we once again set out to visit to the emperor penguins at Snow Hill Island.
Experience a true polar quest as we journey on our new ship, Ultramarine, which is equipped with two twin-engine helicopters that will fly guests to the vicinity of this rarely-visited rookery, whereupon they will walk across the thick sea ice to stand within meters of the most coveted penguin species on the planet. Anticipate scenes reminiscent of “March of the Penguins” and BBC’s “Frozen Planet.” Just imagine the penguins tobogganing across the ice towards the sea. Such wildlife moments are too precious for words!
This will be Marius Coetzee's and Dale Morris's combined 8th expedition to Antarctica and they simply cannot wait to guide you on this once-in-a-lifetime photo expedition. Join ORYX on a voyage where the extraordinary becomes the every day, and let the awe-inspiring beauty of Antarctica overwhelm your senses and provide your cameras with full memory cards!
Photographic Topics Covered
Equipment setup – camera body, lenses, tripods etc
Discussing envisaged photographic subjects and how to photograph them
Learning to use light
Composition – classic rule of thirds, and when to break the rules
Story telling with your images – what are you wanting to portray and what message does your photograph deliver
Processing of images
Wildlife subjects – discussing animal behaviour in order to anticipate ‘the shot
Bird photography and specifically birds in flight
Panning
Animal-in-environment and landscape shots
Photo critique, your ORYX Photo Leader provides insightful feedback for photography growth
Emperor Penguin; Chinstrap, Gentoo & Adelie Penguins; Wandering & Light-mantled Albatrosses; Snow & Antarctic Petrels; Snowy Sheathbill.
South American & Antarctic Fur Seals; South American Sea Lion; Leopard, Weddell, Crabeater & Southern Elephant Seals; Burmeister's Porpoise; Southern Bottlenose, Long-finned Pilot, Killer, Antarctic Minke, Sei, Fin & Humpback Whales; Peale's, Hourglass & Commerson's Dolphins.
coastal and pelagic waters, sub-Antarctic islands & Antarctic Peninsula, pack ice
temperate to subzero, sunny and calm to gale force conditions can be expected
30 with 2 Oryx Photo Tour Leaders (this is an allotment group size, not a charter)
easy pace, mostly undemanding walks
comfortable expedition cruise ship
easy
spectacular sub-Antarctic scenery, the most remote continent, icebergs and pack ice, Emperor Penguins
phenomenal
We had the most incredible trip, with perfect attention to every possible detail, and to have the added trip to the Penguin Colony on the Falklands was a cherry on the top. The guides were both attentive, and engaging at all levels with every member of the group, as well as helpful to non Rockjumper guests, which made a great impression on them too. Thank you for an overwhelmingly awesome tour.
Your team was exceptional! So friendly and accommodating! So open to answer questions and share their knowledge. ALWAYS so happy! It was joy being around your team.
Dusan was a big hit with most of the people onboard. The obsessed birders appreciated having a bird expert on board who would lead the quest to see everything. I'm certain everyone knew him by the 5th day. He even volunteered to do a presentation on the Galapagos that was very well attended and very professionally done.
This long-awaited culmination of the cruise-that-first-failed satisfied everything I had hoped to experience. The Quark staff did a fantastic job (after that first sit-down meal), and the Rockjumper guides were always around and available to point out birds and things of interest. I am so happy to have this one "under-the-belt" so I now feel more free to make other plans. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know all the Rockjumper guides in a more personal and relaxed mode than we seem to have on regular tours. They all continue to amaze me with their knowledge, wide interests, and willingness to share this lore with others.
This long-awaited culmination of the cruise-that-first-failed satisfied everything I had hoped to experience. The Quark staff did a fantastic job (after that first sit-down meal), and the Rockjumper guides were always around and available to point out birds and things of interest. I am so happy to have this one "under-the-belt" so I now feel more free to make other plans. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know all the Rockjumper guides in a more personal and relaxed mode than we seem to have on regular tours. They all continue to amaze me with their knowledge, wide interests, and willingness to share this lore with others.
Antarctica - Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctica 2023 - November 2023
Rockjumper Cruise - Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctica 2022 - November 2022
Rockjumper Cruise - Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctica II 2022 - November 2022
Antarctica - Classic: Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica II 2017 - November 2017
Antarctica - Classic: Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica I 2016 - November 2016
Antarctica - Classic: Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica II 2014 - December 2014
Antarctica - Classic: Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica II 2014xxxx - December 2014
Antarctica - Classic: Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica II 2014 - December 2014
Antarctica - Classic: Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctica II 2011 - December 2011