![The Impact of Small vs. Large Cruise Ships - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/media615aafd10966d045073827.webp)
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The Impact of Small vs. Large Cruise Ships
The generalization that larger ships impact the environment more than smaller ships seems like such a no-brainer that if someone said it to you, you’d be easily forgiven for thinking you were being tricked.
![Penguins, Petrels, and Prions: Top Antarctica Bird Tour Spots - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/f715cf1ccaa29c557687cb7d64d7710ebec6b85b.webp)
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Penguins, Petrels, and Prions: Top Antarctica Bird Tour Spots
If anyone tells you Antarctica is for the birds, they’re right.
![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. - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/cd6b3f0f1c5db16ad745a1224134b056a675a30f.webp)
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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.
![Seizing the Season: Spitsbergen’s Late Spring, Early Summer - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/5573eb2d0e5efca74c7a7261fe73455aee50510f.webp)
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Seizing the Season: Spitsbergen’s Late Spring, Early Summer
Most Arctic expedition cruises can be categorized into two main types: those that operate during the autumn and winter, focusing on the northern lights, and those that sail during the high season (mid to late summer), concentrating on a broader range of experiences.
![Circumnavigating Spitsbergen - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/media64cb5ae4aafb5941078105.webp)
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Circumnavigating Spitsbergen
Many of our expedition cruises focus on specific areas of the Arctic or Antarctica, delving deep into local wildlife and other natural highlights. However, some programs aim to provide a broader survey, visiting a variety of sites to offer guests a wider perspective.
![Penguin Wisdom: Life Lessons from Our Favorite Flightless Birds - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/2e511922b640f2deb94372d9d0c074025230ab7c.webp)
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Penguin Wisdom: Life Lessons from Our Favorite Flightless Birds
As enthusiasts of wildlife travel, we believe every creature has something valuable to impart - from the grand blue whale to the tiny cephalopod, the formidable polar bear to the elusive Arctic fox.
![The Pack Ice and Polar Bears of North Spitsbergen - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/media6017fd11c0276620003540.webp)
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The Pack Ice and Polar Bears of North Spitsbergen
The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is renowned for being one of the prime locations to observe polar bears. The largest island in this region, Spitsbergen, not only offers sightings of these majestic Arctic creatures but also provides a unique opportunity to experience the phenomenon of pack ice.
![Ancient Arctic Exploration - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/a0a8398a4c1ff8eacfbebf67ca14c7767ea1a748.webp)
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Ancient Arctic Exploration
When it comes to polar exploration, the Arctic boasts a much longer history compared to Antarctica.
![Around Spitsbergen vs. North Spitsbergen - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/74b3b2b40ebd1d63dfe64a63fd7a5d14ed084018.webp)
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Around Spitsbergen vs. North Spitsbergen
Svalbard, particularly Spitsbergen, was the first polar expedition cruise destination. It's no surprise that there are numerous trip programs available in this region. Among the most unique are the Around Spitsbergen and North Spitsbergen cruises.
![12 Things to Do in Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/media65ce07a92a2e9267218863.webp)
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12 Things to Do in Antarctica
Traveling to Antarctica is unlike traveling to any other place on Earth.
![Svalbard vs. the Canadian Arctic - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/media64a661438f02b287773575.webp)
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Svalbard vs. the Canadian Arctic
It’s easy to assume the Arctic is uniform, a vast expanse of northern freeze shaped by snow, ice, and endless darkness.
![What’s so Special about East Spitsbergen? - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/a7ca90336336ffcc00939099bf5917ad016146b9.webp)
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What’s so Special about East Spitsbergen?
We’ve previously discussed our north Spitsbergen journeys and Spitsbergen circumnavigations, but the eastern parts of this incredible island have not received the attention they deserve. Despite the name, our east Spitsbergen voyages explore much more than just the eastern side of Spitsbergen.
![The Seasons of Antarctica: When to Visit and Why - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/media65cdfb3577407584456422.webp)
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The Seasons of Antarctica: When to Visit and Why
You’ve decided to book your dream trip – an adventurous Antarctica cruise that will give you a winning chance to see otherworldly environments, encounter exotic wildlife, and take part in activities that will spoil your inner explorer like nothing else.
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![Three Antarctica Cruise Deals - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/c97d54b2adc57440b437545c22cddc3fdcbd375f.webp)
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Three Antarctica Cruise Deals
For many travelers, Antarctica represents the ultimate polar destination. Its vast white landscapes offer an endless array of surreal vistas, much of its unique wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth, and its complete lack of an indigenous human population provides a sense of untouched seclusion that few other places can match.
![10 Illuminating Facts about the Northern Lights - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/932db9cd7e9a86f419f028c7a08986856adfb93f.webp)
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10 Illuminating Facts about the Northern Lights
In Roman mythology, Aurora was the goddess of the dawn. The term "borealis" is derived from the Greek word for "wind." Thus, "aurora borealis" translates to "dawn wind," commonly known as the Northern Lights. This natural phenomenon has captivated humanity for millennia and remains a major attraction in the Arctic, with numerous cruises dedicated to witnessing this mesmerizing light display.
![Five Reasons to Love St. Helena - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/88985978f246d5cf4118c98695a8ba4ea32ae89a.webp)
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Five Reasons to Love St. Helena
Being one of the most remote islands on Earth gives St. Helena a unique allure. Named after a Roman empress and the mother of Constantine the Great, this island also holds the distinction of being Napoleon’s final place of exile, making it a fascinating topic of conversation.
![Seven Frightfully Fun Polar Ghost Stories - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/366577cada354197af416abccda969877672d45d.webp)
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Seven Frightfully Fun Polar Ghost Stories
The polar regions are unparalleled when it comes to ghost stories.
![The Seasons of Antarctica: When to Visit and Why - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/media65cdfb3577407584456422.webp)
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The Seasons of Antarctica: When to Visit and Why
You’ve decided to book your dream trip – an adventurous Antarctica cruise that will give you a winning chance to see otherworldly environments, encounter exotic wildlife, and take part in activities that will spoil your inner explorer like nothing else.
![Antarctica: When to Visit, How to Plan, What to Expect - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/eaaa438b10f362f099b1b4230e31bb0476ca1361.webp)
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Antarctica: When to Visit, How to Plan, What to Expect
Antarctica is an astonishing location loved in equal measure by ice enthusiasts and continent hoppers, but it also asks a lot in return for its prestigious polar status.
![Adélie penguins in the Ross Sea - Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/bc1838b3ad3ca5f5f5a18175ab9159c229b43828.webp)
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Adélie penguins in the Ross Sea - Antarctica
The Adélie penguin population in the Ross Sea has reached its highest numbers in 30 years, with up to a million breeding pairs during the summer. This accounts for about 38 percent of the entire Antarctic Adélie population.
![Greenland's History: When Vikings Ruled the Ice Age - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/media611e301a727ff828865344.webp)
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Greenland's History: When Vikings Ruled the Ice Age
A Greenland cruise offers a journey into a rich history filled with intriguing details that captivate polar expedition enthusiasts. Among the most fascinating historical aspects is the fact that Vikings once ruled this land. Anthropologists and climate scientists have long studied Greenland to pinpoint when and why the Vikings left. Recent findings have shed new light on this historical culture.
![Port Pastimes: 7 Fun Things to Do in Longyearbyen - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/738ee58d28373189696cffa302dce9f9d2a717ae.webp)
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Port Pastimes: 7 Fun Things to Do in Longyearbyen
Waiting in port for an Arctic expedition cruise to begin might seem a little like waiting for water to boil or coffee to brew or a Seinfeld reunion to materialize: Time seems to defy its own laws, life slows to a crawl, and you begin to wonder if it’s really going to be worth it.
![All things ice in the Antarctic - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/83b7b381e0fe12277425bfb32cdab965819e21e4.webp)
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All things ice in the Antarctic
The first documented sighting of an iceberg in Antarctica occurred on February 1, 1700, when Edmond Halley was on an expedition to measure the Earth's magnetic field. He noted in his diary that he encountered "great Islands of Ice, of Soe Incredible a hight and Magnitude that I scare dare to write my thoughts on it."
![Six Facts About the Crabeater Seals of Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/4669df57c6754487a8279af83a263f90292080bc.webp)
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Six Facts About the Crabeater Seals of Antarctica
Antarctic fur seals, leopard seals, Weddell seals, Ross seals, southern elephant seals... The many seal species of Antarctica all have names that are in some way explained by their appearance or primary region of distribution.
![8 Whales You Might See During Your Antarctica Cruise - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/e25bbcd049492067f14bcc21e3731833ee1f2477.webp)
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8 Whales You Might See During Your Antarctica Cruise
They're powerful, beautiful, and really, really big. Whales are a wonder of the natural world, and one of the best places to see them is Antarctica. In fact, whale watching is one of the most popular and rewarding activities you can enjoy on an Antarctic trip.
![Solargraphy & Pin Hole photography in the Arctic - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/media6017fdf174f0f333435961.webp)
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Solargraphy & Pin Hole photography in the Arctic
![Antarctica’s first Marine Protected Area - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/f26ce922b7ade2ab78fd2a9bd9fdada77a073ba4.webp)
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Antarctica’s first Marine Protected Area
In October of this year, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which includes 24 countries such as the United States, the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand, reached a consensus on a New Zealand/United States proposal to establish a large-scale Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Ross Sea region.
![Spitsbergen: a true polar bear trip - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/252105b34a16a5f41d686e10ac00dd7ad2e2d4c1.webp)
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Spitsbergen: a true polar bear trip
On the third day of our Svalbard cruise, we navigated through the sea ice north of Spitsbergen. The morning greeted us with fog and fragmented ice, but conditions gradually improved. A swarm of black-legged kittiwakes trailed behind us, as our ship stirred the waters, pushing aside ice floes to reveal the tiny dark polar cod beneath.
![Get to Know Your Ice - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/750d4847d581c441746a82f4d67b3d9fc852ea98.webp)
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Get to Know Your Ice
Ice plays a crucial role in everything from cooling your drink to regulating the planet's temperature. Let's explore the various forms of ice you might encounter during an Arctic or Antarctic adventure.
![The Return to Franz Josef Land - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/media608148df586d2607394002.webp)
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The Return to Franz Josef Land
As the possibility of international travel slowly returns, we are eagerly awaiting all the great locations, activities, and wildlife we might experience in the coming season. One of the things we’re most excited about is the return of our Franz Josef Land voyages.
![The Seven Best Things to Do in Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/44f06b0a21825e0ab68de9ff059286790933e2a4.webp)
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The Seven Best Things to Do in Antarctica
Unless you’re a scientist, there’s no such thing as a means-to-an-end trip to Antarctica.
![All About Ice: Glaciers and Icebergs of the Arctic and Antarctica - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/750d4847d581c441746a82f4d67b3d9fc852ea98_7.webp)
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All About Ice: Glaciers and Icebergs of the Arctic and Antarctica
![Arctic Icon: 10 Facts about the Polar Bear - Nexta Expeditions](/assets/img/blog_main_img/compressed/44fdf1aa5c54b2dcfcb48a047f2672d9215297d7.webp)
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Arctic Icon: 10 Facts about the Polar Bear
Polar bears are to the Arctic what penguins are to Antarctica.