Blog

The Oceanwide Edge: Hondius at ITB Berlin

Every industry has its iconic, center-of-the-universe events. Film has its Sundance and Cannes, music its Summerfest, Glastonbury, and Austi

Polar Marine Visitors: the Whales of Antarctica and the Arctic

Whales are the world’s largest mammals, found in the Arctic and Antarctica. This article covers some of the major species you may see on voy

Arctic Foxes: Constant Gardeners of the Arctic

The Arctic fox is a circumpolar species found across the Arctic, extending from Greenland, Iceland, and Svalbard across Eurasia to North Ame

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 50

Polar Pour Master: Interview with Rolando Garcia

Nobody goes to the polar regions just for the drinks, but it’s tempting when your expedition cruise ship has a bartender like Rolando Garcia

Retracing the Steps of Antarctica’s Early Explorers

For a long time in human history, there was a belief that a large continent must lie at the southern end of the Earth to provide balance to

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 wil

The Birth of Hondius: a Story in Pictures

As of the summer of 2019, our new polar vessel, m/v Hondius, will be cruising the crystalline waters of the polar regions, delivering dozens

Top 10 Polar Research Stories of 2017

Before the first month of the new year becomes a thing of distant memory, and with it everything that happened the year before, let’s take a

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.

Narwhals: 10 Facts About an Elusive Arctic Unicorn

The narwhal is an Arctic-based whale that spends most of its life in the waters off Greenland, Svalbard, Russia, and Canada. Some estimates

A Travel Pro’s Take on the Arctic Cruise Experience: Interview with Mariola Burejko

We’ve heard what it’s like to cruise the polar regions from the perspective of the passengers, the guides, the captains. But what about the

The Plancius Adventure

Our days sailing towards the Falkland Islands were full of activities and wildlife sightings, including a romping group of Peale’s dolphins

The Ways and Wildlife of the Weddell Sea

The Weddell Sea is located off the coast of Antarctica, at the very south of the Atlantic. Its geographical location is 75 degrees south and

Visiting the Nearly Unknown: New Zealand’s Campbell Island

Campbell Island is located south of Bluff, New Zealand. It's best known for its flora and fauna. Read on to discover which wildlife you can

The History of Antarctica in Maps

Long before human eyes ever beheld Antarctica, the ancients were convinced it existed – or at least something like it. Ptolemy, a Greco-Roma

Antarctic Resolution

I looked at my husband and decided to tell him, “I always dreamed of going to Antarctica and seeing penguins. Lots of penguins.” It was fina

The Wildlife of Antarctica’s Seas and Skies

Antarctica is one of the most pristine environments on Earth, home to whales, penguins, seals, and birds, providing nature lovers with a tre

Eight Ultimate Antarctica Adventures

Antarctica has adventure in its bones. Long before most travelers even reach the continent, they have to cross the Drake Passage, an oft-tum

Eissturmvögel im Kongsfjord

Heute, am ersten Tag unserer Spitzbergen-Umrundung, standen mein Bruder und ich bereits um halb sieben auf, denn schließlich wollten wir die

At Home in Antarctica: Interview with Katja Riedel

Most of us lucky enough to visit the polar regions seldom visit more than once, and we’re rarely experts. The most enthusiastic may have rea

The Secret Life of Glaciers: How They Form, Move, and Melt

One of the greatest natural sights you’ll ever see on an Arctic or Antarctic adventure is glaciers. These gigantic bodies of ice have been s