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20 Reasons Why We Love a Spitsbergen Cruise (and Why You Will Too)

Welcome to Spitsbergen. It’s one of the destinations we always love to visit, and we think you’ll love it too. Why? Well…

Day and night in Antarctica

The abnormal day and light cycles cause great impact on humans, and scientists are using Antarctica to study its effects and how to prevent them.

Albatross, penguin and krill research in Antarctica

In the Antarctic region, a great deal of research is being conducted by national Antarctic programmes including the UK’s, Australia’s and Japan’s on understanding species in the air, on the ground and in the sea and how their species are interconnected without variables including human impacts and climate change.

Explore Antarctica Without Leaving Your Couch

There are many ways to explore Antarctica from home. Check these great resources to discover the White Continent without leaving your couch.

Antarctic krill: Antarctica's Superfood

The size of a paper clip, pink, krill is a shrimp-like crustacean that does not look like much. Without them, though, the Earth marine ecosystems would collapse completely.

A Rare Convergence of Possibilities - Crossing the Drake Passage

During an unusually calm crossing of the Drake Passage Andrew - the Expedition Leader - asked the Captain if it was possible to do a zodiac cruise. To Andrew’s delight, and then ours, the Captain gave his nod.

The Emperor Penguin of the Drake Passage

There are certain moments in life when a series of events combine to create an experience that is both unexpected and unforgettable. These are the times when you are reminded how fortunate you are to be a part of something that few people will ever have the opportunity to experience.

The First Women in Antarctica

Though the list of explorers, scientists, and scientific expeditions in Antarctica is as extensive as it is impressive, it has also been overwhelmingly one-sided in terms of gender - especially before the early years of the twentieth century.

Leonard Hussey’s Banjo: brain food

The Endurance had been trapped in pack ice for 10 months when Sir Ernest Shackleton gave the order to abandon ship on 27 October 1915. He allowed each member of the Imperial TransAntarctic Expedition to bring 2lbs of personal gear with them as they set up camp on the floe—all except meteorologist, Leonard Hussey.

Roald Amundsen’s polar exploits

Roald Amundsen had been, unlike Scott, dedicated to exploration ever since he was 15 years old reading about Franklin’s Arctic expeditions. Amundsen wrote that ‘the narrative that appealed to me most strongly was the suffering he and his men endured. A strange ambition burned within me to endure those same sufferings’ and so he dedicated himself to becoming an Arctic explorer.

10 Books and Films To Prepare for your Antarctica cruise

Stunning landscapes. Marvellous wildlife. Astounding human survival stories. Here's a list of books and films that contain all of that. If you are thinking of embarking on a trip to Antarctica, once you've watched or read our recommendations, you will feel you have to be on a vessel, destination south, pronto.

Of Treacherous Rocks & Audacious Fin Whales

The morning dawned beautiful and calm, the Plancius weaving her way through the seas ever nearing Antarctic Sound. The waters were fantastically gentle, with minimal amounts of swell and waves ever so gently rocking the ship. As we neared the jagged scarred mountains of rocks known as the South Shetland Islands, more and more icebergs loomed on the horizon. Soon the ship was nearly surrounded by large magnificent icebergs, massive tabular’s whose presence dwarfed our tiny vessel.

Ushuaia: The Little-Known History of Antarctica's Gateway

Ushuaia's official birth date is October 12, 1884. On that day, the Argentine Commodore Augusto Lasserre established the sub-division of Ushuaia as part of the South Atlantic Expedition. One year later, Ushuaia was established by decree as capital of the province of Tierra del Fuego.

Information with regards to the Zika virus

On January 15, 2016, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) upgraded their Zika virus travel health notice to "Alert Level 2", (Practice Enhanced Precautions) with specific affected areas of the Caribbean and Central and South America. You may have received or seen previous communication providing this information. As of January 26th, the CDC notice now includes the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the affected areas. For the most up-to-date information on the Zika virus and countries affected, please visit the website: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices.

Iceberg Encounters in Antarctica

When we told friends and family that we were going to Antarctica for Christmas and the New Year there were a couple of instant, if a little strange, comments. "Don't get eaten by a Polar Bear" (some education needed here) and "Aren't you worried about the icebergs" (aka the Titanic effect)?

Coming Back from the Brink: The Fur Seals of Antarctica

Once hunted to the brink of extinction, the Antarctic fur seal is one of the most populous and charismatic species of seal found in Antarctica. Unlike other members of its large family, the fur seal has external ears, or pinnae, a short snout, and a thick coat of dark brown fur. Male seals tend to be larger than females, and range in weight from 91 kg (200 lbs.) to 215 kg (474 lbs.).

Abandoned Antarctica: Five Remarkable Stations Left Behind

For centuries, the most extreme scientists, explorers, fishermen, and travellers have called Antarctica home. The continent is peppered with research stations that represent the valiant efforts of humankind to study the unknown.

A special visit to Orcadas Station

During our 19-day cruise on board Ortelius to the Falkland Islands, to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula, we had the opportunity to make a very special stop: we managed to visit one of the most remote Antarctic archipelagos, the South Orkney Islands, and the Argentine Station Orcadas.

The Small but Social Commerson’s Dolphin

Despite the fact that Commerson's dolphins are among the least-known Antarctic cetaceans, these small but social dolphins go by several different names.

Antarctica’s Hourglass Dolphin

Hourglass dolphins are very rare, and yet they are not included in the threatened or endangered species list. Why? First, their habitat is the cold and remote subantarctic and Antarctic waters. Secondly, they are not hunted commercially, and thirdly, they are timid and usually avoid human contact.

The First Buildings in Antarctica: Borchgrevink’s Historic Huts

Borchgrevink’s huts at Cape Adare are notable not only for their important role in the discovery of Antarctica, but also because they were the first buildings erected on that continent.

Everything you need to know about Antarctic icebergs

When one imagines icebergs, the first image that usually comes to mind is that of an immense spiky iceberg, majestically floating in the freezing waters. But in reality, any chunk of ice larger than 16 feet across and at least 98 feet thick can be called an iceberg