Quark Expeditions has announced that it once again reached the emperor penguin colony at Snow Hill, allowing 137 guests to stand among more than 4,000 breeding pairs and their chicks.

The landing, led by Expedition Leader Ryan McDevitt, came one day after Quark marked 22 years since a team under former Expedition Leader Susan Adie made polar history as the first operator to bring guests to the remote rookery.

Julie Chen, a guest from Sacramento, California, said: “As soon as [we arrived at Snow Hill], I was just so excited. There were so many [Emperor penguins]. And they are just beautiful, beautiful, beautiful little penguins. And they all have these little personalities when you start looking at each one of them. It’s almost indescribable.”

Located on the sea ice off the south coast of Snow Hill Island in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, the emperor penguin colony is one of the most challenging locations on the continent to reach, the company said in a press release.

Over the course of two days, guests on “Emperor Penguin Quest: Expedition to Snow Hill” departed the Ultramarine in small groups aboard its two twin-engine helicopters.

Flying over the vast expanse of the Weddell Sea and past immense tabular icebergs, guests landed on the sea ice before making the final approach on foot to the emperor penguin colony.

Behind the experience was an operation led by Expedition Leader Ryan McDevitt alongside a polar-specialized Ultramarine team including Captain Roy Laud, Lead Pilot Jonathan Mutch, and Head Mountain Guide Phil Wickens.

“It’s a huge operation, logistically challenging, and to do it safely is gratifying, said McDevitt. “[I’m] just super proud of the whole crew of Ultramarine for making it all happen.”