In recent seasons, the ice conditions have often thwarted access to the Emperor Penguin rookery, but the most recent attempt, in November 2017, was a success. Whatever the outcome, the beauty and emptiness of the relatively unvisited Weddell Sea, with its striking tabular icebergs and abundant wildlife make this a memorable expedition. If the ship doesn't make it as far as Snow Hill island, it will position itself on the edge of the ice to try and spot lone Emperors - the largest and most striking of all the penguin species - heading out to open water, and there may be trips by helicopter to search for individual birds.