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Arctic Icon: 10 Facts about the Polar Bear
Polar bears are to the Arctic what penguins are to Antarctica.
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The secrets of Antarctic seals revealed
There are only six species of seals that inhabit the Antarctic: Southern elephant seals, Antarctic fur seals, crabeater seals, leopard seals, Ross seals, and Weddell seals. While we are familiar with these species, much about their lives remains a mystery.
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The first race to the South Pole in 50 years
Before the South Pole could be reached, the question was what exactly lay at the southern ends of Earth. The concept of Terra Australis Incognita, an unknown continent, was first introduced by Aristotle, who reasoned that a southern landmass must exist to ‘balance’ the known lands in the northern hemisphere.
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Flowers in Antarctica
The polar regions are among the most inhospitable environments for plants and animals. Life here faces numerous challenges, including low temperatures, high winds, solar radiation, and cell freezing. The Antarctic continent experiences extreme conditions, with darkness during winter and continuous light during summer. Winter temperatures can drop to -60°C or lower.
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What to Expect When Crossing the Drake Passage
Positioned between the southern tail of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula's north-sweeping arm is a lively little waterway known as the Drake Passage.
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The bio-richness of the Ross Sea
The Ross Sea is one of the most stunning and untouched marine areas globally. This sea, which remains frozen for most of the year, spans 3.6 million square kilometers (1.4 million square miles) along the Antarctic coast south of New Zealand. Its waters harbor a biologically diverse ecosystem of species that have flourished, unchanged, for millennia.
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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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The First Overwintering Hut in Antarctica
In 1899, Carsten Borchgrevink and his nine crewmen became the first to spend the winter in a hut in Antarctica. (Technically, the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897-1899 was the first to overwinter there, though this was done on their vessel after it was caught in ice.) Borchgrevink and his men spent the dark winter months isolated in a dirty hut, surrounded by equipment and sled dogs fighting each other outside.
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The Eight Great Penguin Species of Antarctica
There are 17 species of penguin on the planet, but the eight you’ll most likely recognize live in Antarctica, its nearby islands, and the sub-Antarctic archipelagos of South Georgia and the Falklands. These are the core species we tend to see on our expedition cruises.
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A Day of Whale Watching in Antarctica
This morning we awoke early to enjoy the first light in Wilhelmina Bay, with the snow and cloud blanketing the surrounding mountains. As dawn broke, we could see the blows of humpback whales scattered throughout the bay. Some of the whales were closer to the ship and we spotted their small dorsal fins and occasionally their white patterned tails. It was a terrific start to our first full day in Antarctica.
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Polar Bear Primer: Eight Facts About the Arctic Wanderer
Polar bears inhabit the Arctic region across 19 subpopulations, including areas in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia. These majestic creatures prefer the edges of pack ice where currents and wind interact, creating a dynamic environment of melting and refreezing that forms ice patches and leads, which are open spaces in the sea between sea ice.
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Where the Polar Bears Roam
Going to the Arctic without clapping eyes on a wild polar bear can be reasonably compared to visiting Africa without seeing a giraffe or a zebra or, most analogously, a lion.
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Greenland: East vs. West
East and West Greenland offer vastly different experiences due to their unique climates, wildlife, habitation, and geology.
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Life migrating through the Polar Front
Since James Cook’s second voyage to Antarctica from 1772-1775, which provided the first descriptions of Antarctic animals, scientists have progressively uncovered the biodiversity of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. Numerous expeditions and research projects have since been undertaken to understand the unique ecosystems of this continent.
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Antarctic krill: Antarctica's Superfood
The size of a paper clip, pink, krill is a shrimp-like crustacean that does not look like much. Without them, though, the Earth's marine ecosystems would collapse completely.
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The Secret Life of Glaciers: How They Form, Move, and Melt
One of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders you can witness on an Arctic or Antarctic expedition is glaciers. These immense ice formations have been gradually moving from the mountains to the oceans for countless years, acting as both time capsules and indicators of our rapidly changing environment.
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Highlights from the First Arctic Voyage of Hondius
Our new ship Hondius completed its first Arctic expedition cruise on June 14, 2019. This being a new ship, the maiden voyage was not without its hiccups. But despite these, passenger response to the expedition was overwhelmingly positive.
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10 Terrific Antarctic Bird Facts
Antarctica is a premier destination for birdwatching, boasting around 45 unique species. Describing them all would require an extensive article, so here we will focus on 10 fascinating facts about the birds you can encounter in Antarctica.
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The Dirty Details of Antarctica's Dry Valleys
Situated on the western coast of McMurdo Sound, the McMurdo Dry Valleys represent the largest ice-free region in Antarctica.
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Seven Tips to Get the Most out of Your Expedition Cruise
Polar cruises are easy to enjoy, but there’s an art to getting the most out of them.