Ponant: an exclusive experience on Snow Hill Island
Le Commandant Charcot offered guests one of the most unique wildlife viewing experiences on the planet by reaching the emperor penguin colony on Snow Hill Island in the Weddell Sea on two unique trips.
The first visit took place on November 21 under the captaincy of Stanislas Devorsine and the second was on December 3 with Captain Etienne Garcia, with the expedition team led by Ryo Ijichi as expedition leader on both occasions.
le-commandant-charcot
For many, it was the trip of a lifetime, where PONANT guests had the opportunity to see emperor penguin chicks hatched last July, experiencing a true spectacle of nature.
Snow Hill Island is not only renowned for its colony of emperor penguins, but also for being a notoriously difficult destination to reach except by helicopter, but thanks to unique techniques and specialized ice navigation systems, Le Commandant Charcot was able to find a route through the ice. In addition, the visit to Snow Hill was managed while adhering to IAATO and Antarctic Treaty member guidelines, which are designed to ensure that the environment and wildlife are protected at all times.
Le Commandant Charcot
Surrounded by ice and small icebergs on a flat, calm sea, the expedition team led a 2 nautical mile (about 5 kilometers) hike from the ship to the colony, an adventure in itself. While maintaining adherence to IAATO guidelines, guests were able to witness something quite incredible, encountering more than 10,000 pairs of emperor penguins and their chicks.
Ponant Snow Hill Island
“… this is a turning point in terms of both exploration, guest experience and more sustainable tourism,” said Ryo Ijichi, PONANT expedition leader.
For all who witnessed it, it was an incredible trip, creating lifelong memories with a team of experts who handled all the challenges of safety, navigation and logistics perfectly. A “WOW” trip as wildlife photographer Cindy Miller Hopkins put it.
So, a story of a unique connection with nature.
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