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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.

Puffins: Clown Birds of the Atlantic

Puffins belong to a family of 22 species of seabirds called Auks, pigeon-sized birds that live on a diet of small fish and crustaceans. Puff

17 Reasons to Cruise the Falklands

You’ve seen the colossal penguin colonies of South Georgia. You’ve sailed among the plunging seals of the Antarctic Peninsula. You’ve watche

10 Popular Bird Watching Binoculars

Binoculars are so common a companion of outdoor enthusiasts that many pack them with hardly a second thought. They’re tossed into a backpack

10 Illuminating Facts about the Northern Lights

According to Roman mythology, Aurora was the goddess of the dawn. The word “borealis,” however, is Greek for “wind.” The combined phrase “au

Oceanwide Finalist in Adventure in Motion Film Contest

The new corporate commercial for Oceanwide Expeditions, “Walk into the Waking Dream,” has just been nominated as a finalist in the Adventure

Penguins, Albatrosses, Petrels: The Winged Wildlife of South Georgia

South Georgia’s location south of the Antarctic Convergence gives the island more of an Antarctic climate than other terrain of the same lat

Inside the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Literature, cinema, even video games have given us no small supply of global disaster scenarios. These often come in the form of annihilatin

Behind the Scenes with Plancius Hotel Manager Sebastian Duma

A pleasant June evening, mild and warm – for the Arctic. Outside the panoramic windows of the m/v Plancius observation lounge, peaks and gla

A Bug’s Life in Svalbard

When you think about Svalbard wildlife, you might imagine reindeer, Arctic foxes, polar bears – the primary animal attractions that draw pas

Polar Cruises: The Ultimate Icebreakers

Travel is one of life’s great eye openers. It brings you into contact with new people and perspectives, challenges old assumptions you haven