Snow Hill Island

Snow Hill Island

Snow Hill Island is a 33 km long and 12 km wide, almost completely snow-covered island off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The extreme climate of Snow Hill Island, with temperatures often dropping below -40°C in the winter months and averaging around -12°C in the summer, makes it an ideal location for the study of glaciology, climate science, and biological adaptations to extreme environments. A 263-hectare area of sea ice on the southwestern tip of the island, near the coast, has been designated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for supporting a breeding colony of approximately 4000 pairs of Emperor Penguins. Compared to more southern breeding sites, this colony is also unique in its breeding cycle. Unlike more southerly populations, incubating males do not feel the darkness of the sky during the winter. The development of Emperor chicks is slightly delayed because the ice on which the colony is built is exposed to the sun much later in the year than other colonies. This gives the chicks at Snow Hill a lot more time to shed enough of their fluffy down to make their way to the sea, as opposed to other populations whose chicks arrive at the sea mostly covered in down to the point where they are unable to swim. This delayed development also allows tourists to visit while the chicks are still cared for by the adults. Furthermore, the island is home to species such as the Adelie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap Penguins, as well as Weddell Seals and Antarctic Petrels.