{"id":7172,"date":"2025-10-14T15:47:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T07:47:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.letsgotoantarctica.com\/?p=7172"},"modified":"2025-12-22T16:25:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T08:25:44","slug":"weddell-sea-and-emperor-penguin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/antarctica\/traveltips\/weddell-sea-and-emperor-penguin\/","title":{"rendered":"Single-Island Series (Part 3): Weddell Sea and Emperor Penguins"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"7172\" class=\"elementor elementor-7172\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-134f7a3b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"134f7a3b\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd71a23 elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"fd71a23\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><div class=\"about-antarctica-category-tag-container\"><span class=\"about-antarctica-tag\">Antarctica Itinerary<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24393ea1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"24393ea1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Single-Island Series (Part 3): Weddell Sea and Emperor Penguins<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5808c97 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5808c97\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>&quot;Ah! So this isn&#039;t a king penguin!&quot;<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-36fabb71 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"36fabb71\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"818\" src=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-slide-weddell-sea-antarctica-emperor-penguins-chicks-pano.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-7174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-slide-weddell-sea-antarctica-emperor-penguins-chicks-pano.webp 1500w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-slide-weddell-sea-antarctica-emperor-penguins-chicks-pano-300x164.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-slide-weddell-sea-antarctica-emperor-penguins-chicks-pano-1024x558.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-slide-weddell-sea-antarctica-emperor-penguins-chicks-pano-768x419.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-slide-weddell-sea-antarctica-emperor-penguins-chicks-pano-18x10.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f4b61af elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f4b61af\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>credit: wildernesstravel.com<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-34385b8c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"34385b8c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">While single-island itineraries to Antarctica primarily focus on the western side, some other voyages explore the eastern Weddell Sea each year. This region boasts a rich ecosystem, including emperor penguin chicks, humpback whales, and Weddell seals, as well as magnificent tabular icebergs. The region is also closely associated with the renowned adventurer Sir William Shackleton and his ship, the HMS Endurance.<\/p><p class=\"\">Where, actually, is this magical area where you can see emperor penguin babies without going deep into the South Pole?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6eb81667 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6eb81667\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"#titleone\">1. About the Weddell Sea<\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"#titletwo\">2. Emperor Penguin Itinerary Selection in the Weddell Sea<\/a><\/p><p><a href=\"#titlethree\">3. Weddell Sea Itinerary Highlights<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-229c6bd7 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"229c6bd7\" data-element_type=\"container\" id=\"titleone\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-412b5bc6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"412b5bc6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. About the Weddell Sea\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-885bc85 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"885bc85\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"block-yui_3_17_2_1_1675327308045_5617\" class=\"sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html\" data-block-type=\"2\" data-border-radii=\"{&quot;topLeft&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:0.0},&quot;topRight&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:0.0},&quot;bottomLeft&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:0.0},&quot;bottomRight&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;value&quot;:0.0}}\" data-sqsp-block=\"text\"><div class=\"sqs-block-content\"><div class=\"sqs-html-content\" data-sqsp-text-block-content=\"\"><p class=\"\">The Weddell Sea is named after British navigator James Weddell, who, during his 1823 expedition, successfully reached the 74th parallel south of the Arctic Circle. The Weddell seal, a seal species of the same name found along the coast of Antarctica, is also associated with this navigator.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"block-yui_3_17_2_1_1675514542764_18352\" class=\"sqs-block image-block sqs-block-image sqs-text-ready\" data-block-type=\"5\"><div id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1760427213400_198\" class=\"sqs-block-content\"><div id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1760427213400_197\" class=\"image-block-outer-wrapper layout-caption-below design-layout-inline combination-animation-site-default individual-animation-site-default individual-text-animation-site-default animation-loaded\" data-test=\"image-block-inline-outer-wrapper\"><figure id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1760427213400_196\" class=\"sqs-block-image-figure              intrinsic\"><div id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1760427213400_195\" class=\"image-block-wrapper\" data-animation-role=\"image\"><div id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1760427213400_194\" class=\"sqs-image-shape-container-element                                              has-aspect-ratio\">\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2793c205 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2793c205\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WEDDELLSEAANDANTARCTICA.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-7175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WEDDELLSEAANDANTARCTICA.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WEDDELLSEAANDANTARCTICA-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WEDDELLSEAANDANTARCTICA-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WEDDELLSEAANDANTARCTICA-12x12.webp 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-746ab894 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"746ab894\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>credit: chimuadventures.com<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78742ac8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"78742ac8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>As you can see from the image above, the Weddell Sea is located to the right of the Antarctic Peninsula. Especially the area south of Elephant Island that is frozen year-round.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3901c423 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3901c423\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"725\" height=\"423\" src=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Weddell-Sea-Tabular-Icebergs.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-7176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Weddell-Sea-Tabular-Icebergs.webp 725w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Weddell-Sea-Tabular-Icebergs-300x175.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Weddell-Sea-Tabular-Icebergs-18x12.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 725px) 100vw, 725px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-37a311c elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"37a311c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>credit: antarcticatravelcentre.com<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5bde112e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5bde112e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Even in the warmer, more northerly regions, tabular icebergs abound. These icebergs are also the most dangerous part of this sea. In summer, these undulating icebergs resemble towering walls, forcing cruise ships to squeeze through them, a real test of the captain&#039;s skill.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a2341bf e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7a2341bf\" data-element_type=\"container\" id=\"titletwo\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6ec284f1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6ec284f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. Emperor Penguin Itinerary Selection in the Weddell Sea<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6da81a14 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6da81a14\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">The most alluring aspect of a Weddell Sea itinerary is the opportunity to encounter emperor penguins face to face. Currently, only four cruise lines offer this type of itinerary. Below, we'll introduce two categories based on transportation options:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-006cb53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"006cb53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><strong>1. Helicopter<\/strong><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ea4bf55 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ea4bf55\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-rte-list=\"default\"><li><p class=\"\"><strong>Cruise lines that employs this method<\/strong>\uff1aOceanwide, Quark, Scenic<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\"><strong>Emperor Penguin Destination<\/strong>: Snow Hill Island<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\"><strong>Pros<\/strong>: The price is relatively economical<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\"><strong>Cons<\/strong>: May not be able to land smoothly due to weather conditions<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p class=\"\">After entering the Weddell Sea, take a helicopter to Snow Hill Island, home to approximately 2,000 to 10,000 pairs of emperor penguins (and their chicks). The one-way flight takes approximately 20 minutes, followed by a 45-minute walk to the colony, where you&#039;ll enjoy approximately 1.5 hours of precious time together. The length of this time depends on the maximum passenger capacity of the helicopter and cruise ship. Furthermore, to protect the emperor penguins, the social distance between visitors and the birds has been increased from the standard 5 meters to 30 meters.<\/p><p class=\"\">Of the three cruise lines companies, Oceanwide is undoubtedly the most popular and experienced. It has scheduled itineraries to Snow Hill Island from 2012 to 2019, and again in 2022. Although earlier it only successfully landed in 2013, later on, excluding the two-year suspension during the pandemic, it has a 100% success rate in the four quarters since 2017 (2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022).<\/p><p class=\"\">Quark&#039;s cruise ship will also reduce passenger capacity from 199 to 150 for this itinerary, improving efficiency in getting to and from Snow Hill Island. Scenic will also offer a helicopter tour of Snow Hill Island as an additional activity, priced at US$1,750 per person. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d795a58 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d795a58\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><strong>2. Icebreaker<\/strong><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dbaad36 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"dbaad36\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-rte-list=\"default\"><li><p class=\"\"><strong>Cruise lines that employs this method<\/strong>\uff1aPonant<\/p><\/li><\/ul><ul data-rte-list=\"default\"><li><p class=\"\"><strong>Pros<\/strong>: The price is relatively economical<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\"><strong>Cons<\/strong>: May not be able to arrive smoothly due to weather conditions<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p class=\"\">Want to spend more time with emperor penguins without being restricted by helicopter passenger capacity?<\/p><p class=\"\">Unlike the three aforementioned cruise lines, which rely on helicopters to transport passengers to Snow Hill Island for a chance to see emperor penguins, Ponant operates the Le Commandant Charcot, the only icebreaker-class vessel currently in Antarctica. Therefore, for example, on last November's itinerary, the captain sailed directly to Snow Hill Island, allowing passengers to walk there. Furthermore, leveraging the advantages of an icebreaker, last year's expedition leader even arranged a second visit to Snow Hill Island on the return trip, at the request of passengers, allowing them to enjoy the bliss of being surrounded by emperor penguins.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f816267 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7f816267\" data-element_type=\"container\" id=\"titlethree\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7fbfafd9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7fbfafd9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. Weddell Sea Itinerary Highlights<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f3e8076 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f3e8076\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Next, let\u2019s talk about the highlights of the Weddell Sea itinerary.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd11343 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cd11343\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><strong>1. Emperor Penguin<\/strong><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-57a3a4f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"57a3a4f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/penguins_thumb_16x9.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-7177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/penguins_thumb_16x9.webp 1280w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/penguins_thumb_16x9-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/penguins_thumb_16x9-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/penguins_thumb_16x9-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/penguins_thumb_16x9-18x10.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5e2fcefb elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5e2fcefb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>credit: science.org<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-21650f5c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"21650f5c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">These gray cuties are mistaken for other penguins by readers several times a month. They grow up to be the largest penguins on Earth and are found only in Antarctica.<\/p><p class=\"\">It is not easy to see them on a normal single-island trip. They can only be seen in coastal areas during a trip to the Weddell Sea in November each year. In 2022, scientists discovered 61 new emperor penguin colonies on the Antarctic continent following the excrement of emperor penguins.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5e3b1f8d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5e3b1f8d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"998\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Quark-Expeditions-Snow-Hill-Emperor-Penguins-Credit-Carlos-Miranda16x9.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-7178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Quark-Expeditions-Snow-Hill-Emperor-Penguins-Credit-Carlos-Miranda16x9.webp 998w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Quark-Expeditions-Snow-Hill-Emperor-Penguins-Credit-Carlos-Miranda16x9-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Quark-Expeditions-Snow-Hill-Emperor-Penguins-Credit-Carlos-Miranda16x9-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Quark-Expeditions-Snow-Hill-Emperor-Penguins-Credit-Carlos-Miranda16x9-18x10.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 998px) 100vw, 998px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e4ae409 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7e4ae409\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>credit: maritime-executive.com<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d9bc505 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5d9bc505\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Snow Hill Island, located north of the Antarctic continent, is the northernmost breeding ground for emperor penguins. This is why the annual Weddell Sea Emperor Penguin Hunting Tour takes place here in November. The number of emperor penguin pairs seen in this area ranges from 2,000 to 10,000.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c1f1e3a elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c1f1e3a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1216\" src=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PENGUIN_LIFECYCLE_H.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-7179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PENGUIN_LIFECYCLE_H.webp 1800w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PENGUIN_LIFECYCLE_H-300x203.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PENGUIN_LIFECYCLE_H-1024x692.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PENGUIN_LIFECYCLE_H-768x519.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PENGUIN_LIFECYCLE_H-1536x1038.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PENGUIN_LIFECYCLE_H-18x12.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b59c0de elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b59c0de\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>credit: wildlifesustainablelifestyle.com<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e2f9ef3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e2f9ef3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">Emperor penguins are the only penguin species that breed during the Antarctic winter. The diagram above illustrates the life cycle of an emperor penguin, as follows:<\/p><ul data-rte-list=\"default\"><li><p class=\"\">January to March: Feeding season<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\">April: Heading to the breeding grounds<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\">May: Mating season<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\">June to July: Incubation period (male penguins take care of the eggs while female penguins go out to forage for food.)<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\">August: Penguin babies are born (male and female penguins swap jobs)<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\">September to October: Male and female penguins take turns as guardian<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\">November: Emperor penguin chicks begin to grow gray feathers<\/p><\/li><li><p class=\"\">December: Returns to sea and the breeding cycle begins again.\u00a0<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p class=\"\">Therefore, if you want to see these little grey cuties, November is the best time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fb3a87d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fb3a87d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><strong>2. Tabular Iceberg<\/strong><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d33f3e2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d33f3e2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">The most stunning sight for tourists in the Weddell Sea is the massive, wall-like icebergs. These icebergs, carried by the ocean currents, present numerous challenges for captains in maneuvering their ships.<\/p><p class=\"\">In recent years, there has been an internet celebrity iceberg, A68 (as shown in the picture below), which was born from the Larsen Ice Shelf in the Weddell Sea in 2017.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1804972 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1804972\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/116231754_1873.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-7180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/116231754_1873.webp 976w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/116231754_1873-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/116231754_1873-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/116231754_1873-18x10.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 976px) 100vw, 976px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c83c15 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6c83c15\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>credit: bbc.com<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-655930d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"655930d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">The Larsen Ice Shelf is so huge that it can be divided into three areas: A, B, and C. A68 was formed by the collapse of area A.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd58bf0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"fd58bf0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?time_continue=54&amp;v=171qMEvQBuU&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.letsgotoantarctica.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=Mjg2NjQsMjM4NTE&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c9c0f2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3c9c0f2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">Just how massive is A68? Its area is larger than 21 Taipei cities. Therefore, when it turned one year old and began drifting northward on ocean currents toward South Georgia Island, scientists were deeply concerned for the penguins and seals. They calculated that if A68 remained stuck on South Georgia Island, such a massive object would take at least 10 years to melt. Not to mention the impact on the surrounding environment of the millions of tons of freshwater released by A68&#039;s melt, if the penguin and seal chicks&#039; parents were unable to return home in time to care for them, it could lead to a tragedy for the animal ecosystem.<\/p><p class=\"\">Fortunately, by the end of the story, A68 had already split into three smaller units\u2014A, B, and C\u2014before reaching South Georgia Island. Assuming there would be no impact, the onlookers dispersed.<\/p><p class=\"\">In April 2021, the internet celebrity Bingberg passed away.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-655be17 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"655be17\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"694\" src=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20181016_6d_mg_1035-x4.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-7181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20181016_6d_mg_1035-x4.webp 1041w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20181016_6d_mg_1035-x4-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20181016_6d_mg_1035-x4-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20181016_6d_mg_1035-x4-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20181016_6d_mg_1035-x4-18x12.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9af93b5 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9af93b5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Just one year after A68 left us, NASA photographed the incredibly square flowing iceberg in the Larsen C area as shown above. <br \/>(credit: nasa.gov)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ccdb5e7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ccdb5e7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><strong>3. Sir Shackleton and the Endurance<\/strong><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2343b9f elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"2343b9f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=Syg1IxOvbqU&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.letsgotoantarctica.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7230412 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7230412\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">Besides the emperor penguins, another recent event that has brought the Weddell Sea back to prominence is the news that the Endurance, once aboard the renowned explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton a century ago, was rediscovered by scientists in March 2022 at a depth of 3,008 meters. The Endurance&#039;s destruction also spurred the historic 1,300-kilometer rescue mission. For related stories, please refer to this previous article:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/antarctica\/traveltips\/shackleton-and-endurance\/\">How did people travel to Antarctica 100 years ago?<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a11ebe9 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a11ebe9\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a1645eb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a1645eb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">In summary, whether you are attracted by the cute figure of emperor penguin babies or the magnificent flat icebergs, the charm of the Weddell Sea is worth experiencing and witnessing with your own eyes.<\/p><p class=\"translation-block\">To know more about different Antarctic itineraries, contact us through our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/letsgotoantarctica\" target=\"_self\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/letsgotoantarctica\/\" target=\"_self\">Instagram<\/a>, or <a href=\"mailto:info@letsgotoantarctica.com\" target=\"_self\">Email<\/a>.<\/p><p class=\"\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\">\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"\">Set foot on Antarctica. It's no longer out of reach.<\/p><p class=\"\">Let&#039;s go to Antarctica!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Antarctic Single Island Trip Series (Part 3): Weddell Sea and Emperor Penguins \u201cOh! So this isn\u2019t a king penguin!\u201d cred [\u2026]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[67],"class_list":["post-7172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-64","tag-about-antarctica","about_antarctica_category-106"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7172"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8446,"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7172\/revisions\/8446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.letsgotoantarctica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}