Blog

Orcas of the Polar Seas

The orca, or killer whale as it is also known, is the top marine predator and possibly the most widespread vertebrate on Earth. It is found

A Guide’s Take on the Emperor Penguins of Snow Hill Island

Life is full of decisions, choices, goals, and dreams. These are the things that drive us to attempt something even when we know the odds of

Swiss birders on the rocks: North Atlantic Odyssey 2017

Being used to cold and snow from the Swiss mountains, our team of four Swiss birders decided to book a tour with Oceanwide Expeditions in Ma

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

Imperial Antarctica: the Snow Hill Emperor Penguins

Oceanwide Expeditions recently achieved a rare feat, visiting Antarctica’s northernmost emperor penguin colony on Snow Hill Island. Typicall

Antarctica Cities (and Five Other Things That Don’t Exist There)

Reading the title of this article, you might wonder why we’d bother writing a piece about all the things you won’t see while visiting Antarc

Science and Tourism: How Oceanwide Helps Study the Oceans

Since 2012, KNMI (Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut – Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) and Oceanwide Expeditions hav

Chosen by the Sea: Interview with Captain Ernesto Barria

Ortelius sits dry-docked in a cavernous basin of brick and steel, lost in scaffolding like a sidelong building undergoing renovation. Men in

Seven Facts About Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Penguins

There are 17 species of penguin on the planet today, but only eight penguin species can be seen in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands,

Three Antarctica Cruise Deals

For many travelers, Antarctica epitomizes the polar regions. But while embarking on an Antarctica cruise can be a life-changing experience,

Light in the Land of the Midnight Sun

The midnight sun, also known as the polar day, is a natural phenomenon seen within the Arctic and Antarctic circles. During the polar summer

15 Toothy Facts About the Atlantic Walrus

The walrus is one of the most recognizable animals on the planet, and for good reason. Try sneaking into a cinema with those tusks!

Birds of the North: 29 Arctic Birds and Seabirds

Arctic wildlife exists in a category unto itself, and for good reason. But often Arctic birds get undeservedly overlooked. Here are 22 all-t

The Doctor Is In: Interview with Lauke Bisschops

Forget choosing between sprawling city hospitals and small boutique clinics, subways compared to streets, ambulances versus Uber versus your

Under the Northern Lights of Greenland

Driving towards the port in Akureyri, I recognized Plancius from miles away. This was the ship that once took me to the end of the Earth, th

Polar Bear Primer: Eight Facts About the Arctic Wanderer

Polar bears are found throughout the Arctic region in 19 subpopulations, including Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia. In these a

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 outdo

10 Tried-and-True Bird Photography Tips

It’s easy to understand our fascination with birds: They’re beautiful, graceful (usually), and most of them have the power of flight. But ho

10 Weather-Fueled Facts about Antarctica

Most of us have at least a vague notion of what makes the North and South Poles so brutally, bone-chillingly cold: They receive less sunligh

Taking Chances: a New Lesson from the Arctic

Some days just don’t get off to a good start. Today was one of them. Our vessel, m/v Plancius, had spent the night sailing toward Phippsøya,

10 Bountiful Blue Whale Facts

We could write a book filled with fun and fascinating facts about blue whales, but here we will select the 10 most interesting blue whale fa

A Guide’s Guide: Interview with Michael Ginzburg

For adventure lovers, a common reaction to meeting polar expedition guides is that they have the coolest job on the planet.