About Atka Bay
Atka Bay, on the ice shelf edge of Queen Maud Land, hosts one of Antarctica's great wildlife spectacles: an emperor penguin colony some ten thousand breeding pairs strong. Emperors are the largest, most storied penguins on earth — the species that incubates eggs through the polar night — and Atka Bay is one of the only places a traveler can stand quietly on the sea ice among them, without another tourist in sight.
White Desert guests fly in from Wolf's Fang for hours with the colony at its most endearing season, when fluffy gray chicks huddle in crèches, beg meals from returning adults, and — with the fearless curiosity emperors are famous for — often waddle right up to their visitors for a look. Around the colony rise sculpted ice cliffs and grounded icebergs in electric blue, a backdrop that turns every photograph into a documentary still. It is, by wide agreement among those who've been, one of the most moving wildlife encounters on the planet.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Atka Bay.
Sit still and let them come
Emperors have no land predators and no fear of people. Kneel quietly at the colony's edge and the curious — especially the chicks — will come to inspect you.
Photograph the crèches
Hundreds of gray-down chicks huddled between guardian adults, trumpeting parents finding their own by voice alone — bring more camera battery than you think you need; the cold and the photo ops both run long.
Take in the ice cliffs
The colony lives beneath the ice shelf's sculpted ramparts and stranded bergs glowing turquoise — a setting as extraordinary as the birds themselves.
Tours That Visit Atka Bay
| Tour | Tour Partner | Days | Next Departure | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Penguins & Blue Tunnels | White Desert | 7 | Nov 19, 2026 | $65,000View & Get Price |
| South Pole & Penguins | White Desert | 7 | Dec 1, 2026 | $95,000View & Get Price |
Book any of these through Pavlus and pay less — never a service fee. Browse the full catalog → or call 800-528-9300 for your unadvertised Pavlus price.