Snow Hill to the Peninsula: Shackleton’s Emperors with special guest Paul Goldstein

About this Cruise

We created our 18-day “Snow Hill to the Peninsula: Shackleton’s Emperors” itinerary for those who dream of witnessing the legendary Emperor penguin colony at Snow Hill Island—and are also drawn to the austere beauty of the remote Weddell Sea, as well as the rarely visited east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.

The crown jewel of this unique expedition, of course, is the rare opportunity to visit the storied colony of approximately 4,000 pairs of breeding Emperor penguins and their adorable chicks at Snow Hill. These ice-dwelling penguins—which captivated early explorers like Sir Ernest Shackleton—thrive in temperatures as low as-50C. They’re the largest and most beautiful of all penguin species. On this expedition, you will spend five days exploring this iceberg-choked paradise by ship, helicopter and Zodiac before exploring along the east coast of the Peninsula.

This is the only itinerary in the polar industry that enables guests to spend this amount of time totally immersed in the spell-binding wonders of the eastern coast—vast stretches of which resemble the planet Mars. A special feature of this voyage: we’ll be joined by Paul Goldstein, winner of the Black & White category in the 2024 Nature Photographer of the Year Awards, who has shared his passion for polar photography on 30 expeditions to the Antarctic and Arctic. Goldstein, who first explored the Weddell Sea in 2005, considers his two previous Emperor expeditions to be among the top highlights of his 40 years of travel (see his biography, page 7). Guests will have hands-on opportunities to hone their wildlife photography skills throughout the voyage.

You will sail on the technologically-advanced Ultramarine—the same ship that brought our guests to Snow Hill on two separate voyages in 2023. Ultramarine’s two helicopters will enable you to explore in ways no one else can. And, with a maximum of 150 guests, you can expect an intimate on-ship experience.

Prepare to be captivated—just as Shackleton and his companions Worsley, Crean and Wild were a century ago—by the sight of Emperors as they scale the cobalt-blue icebergs before plunging into the depths of the Weddell Sea in their relentless hunt for food.

Embrace the expeditionary spirit on a quest to reach the legendary 8,000-fold Emperor penguin colony at Snow Hill.
Explore the snow-and-ice-covered realms of Antarctica.
Travel safely and comfortably aboard our ice-strengthened Ultramarine.
Enjoy helicopter flightseeing and Zodiac cruising for unique perspectives of Antarctica.
Learn about Antarctic wildlife, history, glaciology and geology during presentations by polar experts.
Witness abundant wildlife, such as penguins, seals and whales.

Special Guest: Paul Goldstein
Snow Hill to the Peninsula: Shackleton’s Emperors
Award-winning photographer, seasoned wilderness guide, and unabashedly vocal conservationist Paul Goldstein was first seduced by the Weddell Sea in 2005. He instantly became smitten with what he calls “the ice-choked paradise of Antarctica.” Goldstein, winner of the 2024 Nature Photographer of the Year (B&W category), has shared his camera skills with nature aficionados on 30 photography-focused expeditions to the Antarctic and Arctic over the last two decades. He considers his two previous Emperor expeditions to be among the top highlights of his 40 years of global travel.

Goldstein will share photography tips throughout the expedition. Hands-on opportunities will address:

Composition and light: how to make the most of various lighting and weather situations
Camera settings
Informal image critiques

1 Departure between October 2025 to November 2025