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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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Svalbard a Disneyland for geologists
Svalbard is situated in the north-western corner of the Eurasian plate. Historically, Svalbard was part of a vast continent that included North America, Greenland, and Eurasia. At one point, both Northeast Greenland and Svalbard were submerged under the ocean before resurfacing.
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What the ice reveals about Antarctica
The continent you'll explore during your Antarctica cruise is far more than just an ice-covered land with penguins, whales, and seals. Beneath the thick ice lie hidden freshwater lakes teeming with thousands of microbes, hinting at a diverse array of life. In 2013, a team of researchers obtained the first uncontaminated water sample ever retrieved directly from an Antarctic lake.
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Graham Land: A landscape dominated by volcanoes
An Antarctic cruise may explore the upper tip of the Antarctic Peninsula where one finds Graham Land, a jagged, glaciated part of Antarctica with a landscape dominated by volcanoes. Despite the volcanoes being over 200 million years old they are far from extinct with volcanic activity occurring today. Graham Land is connected to Palmer Land at the point where the Antarctic Peninsula widens from around 75 km to around 200 km south of Marguerite Bay.
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Polar Cruises: The Ultimate Icebreaker
Travel is one of life’s great eye openers. It brings you into contact with new people and perspectives, challenges old assumptions you haven’t held to the light in years, and invites you to make unexpected discoveries about the world around you – and most of all, yourself. Added to which, you get to visit places you never knew you loved until you saw them.
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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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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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Adélie Penguins: the Little People of the Antarctic
Described as “an object of endless pleasure and amusement” by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, survivor of Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole, the Adélie penguin stands with the regal and iconic emperor penguin as one of only two penguin species found on mainland Antarctica.
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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.
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Seven Facts About Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Penguins
Approximately 50 million years ago, Antarctica was detaching from the vast supercontinent of Gondwana, and penguins were emerging as a distinct species. Initially native to warmer regions, they gradually adapted to the cooling climate of Antarctica as they ventured further south.
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A visit to the fascinating island of Jan Mayen
After exploring the remote island of Fair Isle, our Atlantic Odyssey voyage once more turned its attentions northwards and left the outer extremities of the UK behind. Our destination was Jan Mayen, a volcanic island situated on the mid-Atlantic ridge just north of 71° (about 550 kilometers north of Iceland and 450 kilometers east of Greenland).
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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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An igneous paradise: Franklin Island
In the most remote reaches of the world's oceans, those daring enough to embark on the Ortelius to the Ross Sea eagerly boarded zodiacs in the southernmost part of the Pacific Ocean.
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First to the North Pole: Five Failed but Brave Expeditions
Being first to reach the North Pole was seen by several nations as economically invaluable due to the open polar sea said to encircle it, but for the explorers themselves it was also a gloriously adventurous grab for immortality.
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Arctic Mythology: Inuit, Saami, and the Ancient Greeks
The Arctic locations we visit aren’t merely made up of phenomenal landscapes, exotic wildlife, and more adventure than a Hardy Boys novel.
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Seven Things to Do around Ushuaia
We often recommend arriving early to Ushuaia before embarking on an Antarctica cruise, and for good reason: Ushuaia, on top of being the southernmost city in the world, has in recent years developed into a decidedly charming tourist destination.
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The Research Stations of Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic
Numerous research stations operate throughout the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic, engaged in all manner of scientific inquiry. This article will cover the stations under the management of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which conducts year-round terrestrial and atmospheric research in some of the most compelling polar locations on Earth.
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The Most Enchanting Antarctica Cruise Islands
Whether it’s Greenland in the Arctic or Snow Hill Island in Antarctica, the bulk of our polar expeditions take place around, between, and upon islands.
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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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10 Common Misconceptions About the Arctic
The Arctic is a vast region. Truly immense.