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12 Things to Do in Antarctica
Traveling to Antarctica is unlike traveling to any other place on Earth.
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Arctic and Antarctic Basecamp Cruises – Choose Your Own Adventure
There’s an astonishing variety of activities to choose from when planning an Arctic trip or Antarctic cruise, which can be a bit overwhelming. How do you choose just one voyage over another when you want to experience everything? Happily, you don’t have to give up one activity for another. Basecamp cruises have you covered.
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12 Tips to Help Keep Birds Safe During an Antarctic Cruise
One of the most incredible experiences on an Antarctic cruise is observing the numerous penguins in their natural environment. Naturally, passengers often worry about the potential of disturbing the penguins and other Antarctic birds, which could disrupt their breeding and nesting patterns.
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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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The disastrous expedition in the Arctic west
In 1902, Otto Sverdrup, captain of the Fram on Nansen’s expedition, led his own Arctic expedition to the north of Canada. Over the period of the expedition, which started in 1898, Sverdrup and his 15-man crew charted over 250,000 square kilometres of the Arctic using the Fram and sledges. During the expedition Ellesmere Island’s west coast was explored and new islands discovered.
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Experience King Penguins, Seals and More in South Georgia
One of the most remarkable aspects of South Georgia Island is its immense population of King penguins. This island serves as a significant breeding ground, and breathtaking aerial photos have captured the sight of hundreds of thousands of King penguins gathered together. This colony is known as the largest crèche in the world, making it one of the top destinations globally for observing King penguins.
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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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Secrets of the Snowy Owl: Habitat, Adaptations, and Other Facts
The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), also known as the great white owl or Arctic owl, is one of the most distinctive bird species on the planet. While you won’t find them in all areas of the Arctic – they don’t exist in Svalbard due to the lack of lemmings – snowy owls are seen in the polar regions of Eurasia and North America and are a potential visitor during Greenland cruises. The binomial species name, “scandiacus,” is derived from Scandinavia, as this is where the bird was first discovered. The snowy owl is the official bird of Quebec, and they are a must-see for countless bird watchers and naturalists.
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What to pack for your Atlantic Odyssey voyage?
When packing, avoid burdening yourself with excessive clothing or gear. Opt for casual, practical attire that can be layered. Consider including the following:
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Going Green: Ascension Island Sea Turtles
Gold beaches, green mountains - and greener turtles.
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11 South Orkney Animals: Whales, Seabirds, and Penguins Aplenty
The South Orkney Islands are often overlooked as a destination for Antarctic travel.
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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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17 Reasons to Cruise the Falklands
Maybe you’ve already marveled at the colossal penguin colonies of South Georgia, sailed among the plunging seals of the Antarctic Peninsula, and watched whales in the Weddell Sea lunge among titanic tabular icebergs.
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10 Tips for Photographing the Northern Lights
The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, offer some of the most breathtaking photographic opportunities in the Arctic. However, capturing this stunning phenomenon requires more than just luck. To take your best northern lights photos, it's helpful to understand some key aspects of aurora-specific photography.
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True South: A New Flag for a Global Antarctica
When Evan Townsend signed up to spend the winter of 2018 working at an Antarctic research station, he had no reason to expect he would end the season by designing a new flag for the continent. He had even less reason to expect the support it would receive.
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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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Polar Bear Sets Impressive New Diving Record
According to polar bear experts Rinie van Meurs and Dr. Ian Stirling, the new record for polar bear diving is an astounding three minutes and 10 seconds. Unless this particular polar bear has an unusually large lung capacity, we can now safely assume that these creatures have the ability to remain underwater for an extended period of time.
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Not Eskimos: 10 Enlightening Facts About the Inuit
If you are planning to join an Arctic cruise, you might be intrigued by the Inuit culture. To help you gain a deeper understanding of these people, especially if you are considering a trip to Greenland, here are 10 fascinating facts about the Inuit that everyone should know.
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Everything you need to know about Antarctic icebergs
The ice in Antarctica might seem static, but it is constantly moving. Pieces of ice are continuously breaking off from ice shelves, glaciers, or other icebergs. They float freely along with the Antarctic currents, with about 90 percent of their mass below the surface of the water. This fact is actually what gave rise to the nowadays popular phrase “the tip of the iceberg”. Regardless, the sighting of the first iceberg is always a moment to celebrate in any and all Antarctic expeditions. So that you may appropriately ready yourself for that joyous moment, in this article you will find everything you need to know about Antarctic icebergs.
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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.