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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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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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15 Fantastic Photos of Antarctica
It is often said that it's impossible to take a bad picture in Antarctica.
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Franz Josef Land Sites, Species, and Experiences
The archipelago of Franz Josef Land is to Russia what Svalbard is to Norway: Both island groups offer excellent Arctic scenery, adventurous outdoor activities, and a good chance of seeing iconic species like polar bears and walruses - alongside a wide range of marine mammals and seabirds.
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Orcas (aka Killer Whales) of Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic
Orcas are highly social and intelligent members of the dolphin family Delphinidae. They are sometimes referred to as killer whales, though this name has somewhat fallen out of fashion due to inaccurately characterizing orcas as ferocious predators.
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Arctic vs. Antarctica: A Traveler’s Guide
Sunrises vs. sunsets, coffee vs. tea, Wonder Woman vs. Superman...
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Antarctica’s Hourglass Dolphin
Though hourglass dolphins are especially rare, they’re actually not a threatened or endangered species.
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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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The Northern Lights dancing across the skies
The Northern Lights typically manifest in a belt with a radius of 2,500 kilometers centered on the magnetic North Pole. This auroral zone spans northern Scandinavia, Iceland, the southern tip of Greenland, and continues over northern Canada, Alaska, and along the northern coast of Siberia.
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Taking the Polar Plunge
There are some human activities that for many people simply defy understanding: We juggle chainsaws, we breathe fire, we fling ourselves out of perfectly good airplanes.
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South Georgia in Spring
What a fantastic time to be in South Georgia! Perhaps the best time of the year! The wildlife is abundant, and the light is simply magical for photography. Kings, Gentoos, Chinstraps, and Macaronis are all present along the shorelines. Elephant and Fur seals are also plentiful! Wandering albatrosses are welcoming their newly hatched chicks, while the non-breeders are actively engaged in their courtship rituals, practicing a ceremonial dance. Light-mantled, Sooty, and Grey-headed albatrosses are still feeding their fluffy chicks, as are the Giant petrels. We've been fortunate with the weather, finding ourselves in the right place at the right time to succeed in all our landings and zodiac cruises so far.
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The Ancient Fossil Forests of Antarctica
Over a hundred years ago, Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition to Antarctica discovered fossils of plants on the Beardmore Glacier, less than 500 km (310 miles) from the South Pole. Edward Wilson, who was the expedition’s chief scientist, recorded the findings in his diary, stating that “most of the bigger leaves were like beech leaves in shape and venation.”
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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 World Is Changing for Greenland's Native Inuit People
You may know them as Eskimos, but the people of the Arctic are officially called the Inuit. Historically, they were hunters in the truest sense. For hundreds of years, they survived the world’s harshest conditions, living off their prey of whales, seals, polar bears, musk oxen, birds, fish, and reindeer. This has always been their way of life.
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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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Camping in Antarctica: a True Expedition Experience
We often think of camping as a summer activity, filled with warm nights, campfire dinners, and serene mountain lakes. However, there's a whole other world of camping to explore.
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The Arctic Borderland of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
Kongsfjorden is a glacial fjord in Svalbard that hosts a diverse array of flora and fauna.
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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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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.
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Visiting the Nearly Unknown: New Zealand’s Campbell Island
New Zealand is a renowned destination globally, and for good reason: It’s absolutely stunning. Almost every corner is filled with unparalleled beauty. But did you know that New Zealand includes several sub-Antarctic Islands that are almost completely unknown?