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Svalbard’s Texas Bar
Texas Bar is one of the historic areas we visit on certain Svalbard trips, and it always proves to be a cherished landing site among both our guides and guests. This might be surprising, however, given that its name can be a bit misleading.
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Antarctica Cities (and Five Other Things That Don’t Exist There)
Why write about what you won't find in Antarctica? Most travel blogs highlight what a destination offers, but many polar tourists visit Antarctica to experience a new world and escape their old one.
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16 Conversation-Starting Svalbard Facts
It might seem odd that an icy, snowy, bear-packed cluster of islands at the edge of the world could be such a hotspot (so to speak) of outdoor tourism.
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Arctic Mythology: Inuit, Saami, and the Ancient Greeks
The Arctic locations we visit aren’t merely made up of phenomenal landscapes, exotic wildlife, and more adventure than a Hardy Boys novel.
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Bouvet Island: The Most Remote Island in the World
On January 1, 1739, French Commander Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier made an extraordinary discovery: a volcanic island so remote that it lies 2,600 km (1,600 miles) from the nearest inhabited land.
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First to the North Pole: Five Failed but Brave Expeditions
Being first to reach the North Pole was seen by several nations as economically invaluable due to the open polar sea said to encircle it, but for the explorers themselves it was also a gloriously adventurous grab for immortality.
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Day and night in Antarctica
At the Concordia station, a French-Italian research facility situated 3,233 meters above sea level at Dome C on the Antarctic Plateau, European Space Agency (ESA) scientists are investigating the effects of extended space missions. The station is more isolated than the International Space Station, with the nearest humans located 600 kilometers away.
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Churches in Antarctica
'Below 40 degrees South there is no law; below 50 degrees South, there is no God', goes the old adage. When faced with a storm in the turbulent and freezing waters of the Drake Passage, one might think so.
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A Diving Dream Fulfilled
Last January, Mark Hatter achieved a dream he’d been training for over two years. Booking his berth aboard the m/v Ortelius and making the long flight to Ushuaia, Argentina, he and two of his friends sailed down the famous Drake Passage, bound for Earth’s southernmost continent. But their Antarctica trip was not just about shoreline walks and photographing penguins.
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Two for the Snow: Polar Cruises for Couples
Do you know the old saying, “Cold hands, warm heart”? In our opinion, that bodes well for couples who visit the polar regions.
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Large and in Charge: Antarctica’s Southern Elephant Seals
Southern elephant seals are the largest species of seal on the planet and a highlight among Antarctica cruise wildlife.
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A Day on m/v Plancius
Stepping aboard this long-running expedition vessel, it’s easy to forget that she’s been making voyages to the polar regions since “Afternoon Delight” by Starland Vocal Band was on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Taking a polar expedition cruise delivers no shortage of show-stopping highlights, but one of the most exhilarating is lifting off from the ship in a helicopter and taking flight over the incomparable Antarctic wilderness.
Embarking on a polar expedition cruise offers a plethora of breathtaking experiences, but one of the most thrilling is taking off from the ship in a helicopter and soaring over the stunning Antarctic wilderness.
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Freshwater ecosystems in the Arctic
The Arctic, surprisingly, hosts a rich and varied array of freshwater ecosystems, including lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, deltas, and wetlands. Some of the world's largest rivers and deltas, such as the Lena, Ob, and Yenisei, are found in this region.
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5 Misconceptions You Might Have About Greenland
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A visit to the fascinating island of Jan Mayen
After exploring the remote island of Fair Isle, our Atlantic Odyssey voyage once more turned its attentions northwards and left the outer extremities of the UK behind. Our destination was Jan Mayen, a volcanic island situated on the mid-Atlantic ridge just north of 71° (about 550 kilometers north of Iceland and 450 kilometers east of Greenland).
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Seven Frightfully Fun Polar Ghost Stories
The polar regions are unparalleled when it comes to ghost stories.
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All About Ice: Glaciers and Icebergs of the Arctic and Antarctica
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Navigating by touch through the sea ice
Ships are meant to glide effortlessly through calm waters, but our Greenland expedition vessel Ortelius is shuddering and wiggling as it navigates through the calm yet frozen waters between Svalbard and the islands. We’re on the North Atlantic Odyssey, a journey that starts in continental Europe and concludes near the North Pole in Svalbard. Onboard are 115 enthusiastic passengers. Most of them are currently on the outer decks, cameras in hand, captivated by the sea ice.
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Birds of the South: 33 Antarctic Birds and Seabirds
Of the many compelling reasons people travel to Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic, bird life is among the most beloved.