Blog

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Polar Travel Tips from Our Office Staff

While our guides and expedition leaders certainly have the most in-field experience when it comes to polar travel, many of our office staff has also experienced enough of the Arctic and Antarctica to impart some highly useful polar cruise tips.

Eight Antarctic Misconceptions

Some are funny, some unfortunate, some are so far from the truth it’s hard to see how anyone believed them.

Svalbard or Spitsbergen: What’s the Difference?

Outside the world of geopolitics or even polar travel, it’s probably not common knowledge that Svalbard and Spitsbergen are one in the same.

Six Arctic Seals

Owing to the large landmasses that populate the Northern Hemisphere, the Arctic has the most diverse wildlife of the planet’s polar regions. But some of the most attractive Arctic animals are the marine mammals we spot just offshore.

Hondius Photography and Video Workshops

There’s no shortage of great things to say about a Hondius expedition cruise, but among the best are the free video and photography workshops offered during some of this ship’s voyages.

Arctic on Foot: Hiking and Snowshoeing the Far North

The emphasis of our voyages is always getting you off the ship and into the action as often as possible. Although we travel from site to site on ice-strengthened vessels, our expeditions are specifically designed to give you the maximum firsthand experience of the polar regions and their exotic wildlife.

International Polar Bear Day

It should come as no surprise that we're crazy about polar bears, but even our enthusiasm pales in comparison to that of Polar Bears International.

Polar Bears and Pack Ice: 22 Pics from North Spitsbergen

Polar Bears and Pack Ice, Pronto: Pictures from North Spitsbergen

Seven Sublime Antarctic Bays

It’s pretty well known that Antarctica is very well known for its glaciers, icebergs, and panoramic colonies of penguins.

Can’t Get Enough: Interview with Laurence Dyke

While we regularly interview our veteran expedition guides, we all too often overlook the youngbloods in our ranks. This does not accurately underscore their importance, as these adventurous ice addicts represent the next generation of polar travel leaders. Laurence Dyke is a prime example.

Hot Ice: Breeding Practices of Five Polar Animals

Last Valentine's Day we gave you 14 wildlife pictures highlighting the ins, outs, ups, and downs of polar romance. This year we're moving on to something a little more advanced: the nitty-gritty details of polar wildlife breeding rituals

Ancient Arctic Exploration

In terms of polar exploration, the Arctic has a far more extensive history of exploration than Antarctica.

Rembrandt van Rijn: 20 Facts about Our First Vessel

It’s not unusual for parents to have a special place in their hearts for their first child, and you could say we feel something similar for s/v Rembrandt van Rijn.

Penguin Wisdom: Life Lessons from Our Favorite Flightless Bird

As members of a travel company that focuses on wildlife, we believe every species has something important to teach us - from the largest blue whale to the smallest cephalopod, the fiercest polar bear right down to the most furtive Arctic fox. But if you're in search of the best words of wisdom ever to be uttered, look no further than our favorite flightless philosopher: the penguin.

10 Wise Ways to Kill Time in Tromsø

The town is more than worth a visit on its own merit, filled with enough exciting activities inside and out to justify arriving several days before embarkation.

The Pack Ice and Polar Bears of North Spitsbergen

We’ve mentioned before that the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is one of the best places to spot polar bears. We’ve also mentioned that the area’s largest island, Spitsbergen, is excellent not only for seeing these magnificent Arctic animals but also for experiencing one of the region’s most distinctive phenomena: pack ice.

The Man Behind the Ship: Hondius the Cartographer

We at Oceanwide Expeditions are pretty fond of exploration, explorers, maps, and mapmakers. Maybe you’ve noticed.

2019 Highlights: 40 Photos from a Prime Polar Year

If you overhear someone say, "It's been a good year," they're probably a farmer or financier or maybe even a wine producer. But we think polar tour operator should be added to that list, because 2019 was one of Oceanwide's best years for many reasons.