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The Ultimate Traveler’s Guide to the Arctic and Antarctica
Sunrises or sunsets? Coffee or tea? Polar bears or penguins?
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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.
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The bowhead whale, whaling about the Arctic
The bowhead whale typically resides near pack ice, often in shallow waters. These whales are commonly found north of Europe, between Canada and Greenland, in the Hudson Bay area, the Okhotsk Sea, and the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. In these regions, they filter food through their large baleen plates. Bowheads are known to open their large mouths and graze along the surface, in the water column, or on the sea floor.
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Six Must-See Svalbard Sites
It's home to humanity's last-ditch supply of crop seeds, the world's northernmost settlement of over 1,000 people, and it is one of the best places on Earth to spot a polar bear.
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The Wonderful Weddell Sea: Places, Pics, and Impressions
When we talk about Antarctica, it’s easy to slip into familiar words: amazing, astounding, extraordinary, exceptional. And though most Antarctic locations more than deserve these descriptions, some deserve them more than others.
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5 Misconceptions You Might Have About Greenland
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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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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.
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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.
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Polar Bears and Pack Ice: 22 Pics from North Spitsbergen
Last month, we explored one of the premier Arctic cruise destinations in our North Spitsbergen blog. That post not only detailed our itinerary in this breathtaking region but also highlighted some of the stunning locations where you might encounter polar bears, whales, walruses, seals, seabirds, and the mesmerizing ice formations of the far north.
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All About Ice: Glaciers and Icebergs of the Arctic and Antarctica
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Eight Antarctic Misconceptions
Antarctica has given rise to some pretty far-fetched rumors.
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The Evolving Shipboard Eco-traveler
Feeling stuck in the monotony of everyday life? Looking for a change of scenery? Look no further! Most of us spend our lives on solid ground, despite our bodies being composed of 71.5% water. You'd think we'd have a natural inclination to be in or on the water! So why not try something different? Consider an Arctic holiday adventure on the same waters that famous explorers once navigated!
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Encounter with the emperor penguin in Antarctica
Dutch journalist Gemma Venhuizen embarked on the MV Ortelius during the Weddell Sea cruise 'In search of the emperor penguins'. She had several encounters with this majestic penguin species - both from the sea and from the air.
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Weddell Sea: the Original Antarctic Adventure
According to historian Thomas R. Henry, visiting the Weddell Sea requires a brave heart. In his 1950 book, "The White Continent," he described sudden “flash freezes” that occur in the region. It was one of these flash freezes that trapped Ernest Shackleton’s ship, Endurance, in January 1915, forcing his crew to endure over a year in the harsh environment before they could escape.
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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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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.
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The Ice-Jewelled Geology of Spitsbergen
The Svalbard archipelago is located in the Arctic Ocean, roughly 660 km (410 miles) north of Norway's northernmost point. This region is a haven for geologists, boasting a rich geological history that spans from the Mesozoic era (65-245 million years ago) through the Cambrian era (570 million years ago) and back to the Archean era, over 3.5 billion years ago.
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Seven Sublime Antarctic Bays
Antarctica is renowned for its glaciers, icebergs, and panoramic colonies of penguins. However, less known are the stunning crystal-clear bays that dot the Great White Continent, many of which are explored on our Antarctica cruise routes.
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The Arctic’s Most Phenomenal Fjords
Fjords are often linked with Norway, but they are not exclusive to that region. They are a common feature of the Arctic and are major attractions in Greenland and Svalbard.