Blog

452 blogposts shown

Antarctic Inspired: Interview with Ruben Hein

While we love when our guests are inspired by our trips, we rarely hear of them making a nature documentary, musical album, and biodiversity website as a result. But such was the case with Dutch musician Ruben Hein.

Charting Flanders Bay

Until then, this spot in the northwestern Antarctic Peninsula had only been charted three times since 1898, when it was roughly mapped by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition. This activity, which involved our expedition leader, second mate, and other members of our onboard staff, was accomplished using the OLEX depth mapping system.

Ortelius Staff Spot Type D Orca

Taking our guests to beautiful polar areas to see exotic polar animals is what we’re all about. Whether we’re spotting polar bears or penguins, humpback whales or leopard seals or whole harems of walruses, it’s the wildlife that really fuels our passion for the polar regions.

Arctic Cruises Compared: Around Spitsbergen vs. North Spitsbergen

Around Spitsbergen or North Spitsbergen – which cruise is for you? The most distinguishing feature of these cruises is the areas they visit.

Secrets of the Stone: Restoration of Svalbard’s 1878 Memorial

Verheul's goal was refreshingly simple: make the 1878 stone legible again so that future visitors can continue to enjoy it.

Falling into Place: Iris van Zalinge’s Arctic Expedition

Iris van Zalinge, a native of the Dutch province of Zeeland where our headquarters is based, took the nine-night voyage on Plancius in July. And fortunately for us, she had much to say about this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

South Georgia Whaling Stations

South Georgia is an animal lover’s dream. In fact, it’s one of the most wildlife-rich locations we visit in all of our polar voyages, whether in the Northern Hemisphere or Southern.

Svalbard’s Texas Bar

Texas Bar is one of the historic areas we visit on certain Svalbard trips, and it always proves to be a cherished landing site among both our guides and guests.

Insider’s Expedition: Interview with Toto Vermue

As part of our reservations department, one of Toto’s responsibilities is helping book our guests on the many Antarctic and Arctic cruises we offer, so firsthand experience of these trips is highly relevant to her job.

Book Recommendations for Your Polar Cruise

We’ve reached out to our followers on social media, most of whom are former (or future) passengers, to find out what polar-related books they recommend. We were quite happy with the results, which we’ve summarized below in no particular order.

IAATO Celebrates Inaugural Antarctic Ambassadorship Day

As much as we love Antarctica, we love taking our guests there even more. And one of the things we love most about that is seeing their eyes light up as Antarctica works its magic, proving yet again its uncanny power to transform first-time visitors into lifelong ambassadors.

Weddell Sea, Shackleton’s Endurance, and New Swabia

Our Antarctica 2023-24 cruise program is filled with fantastic expeditions, not least of which is a new itinerary that tours key locations of South Georgia, the Weddell Sea, and the more easterly area of New Swabia (Neuschwabenland).

Shackleton’s Long-Lost Endurance Discovered in Antarctica

A discovery expedition launched by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust fulfilled a mission years in the making when it discovered Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship Endurance last Saturday (March 5).

Kite Skiing the Greenland Ice Sheet

Laura, a French Canadian from Quebec City with a Master’s in Geophysics and Glaciology, will make the journey in April with her dad two other team members, kiting roughly 1,700 km (1,050 miles) across the Greenland ice sheet from north to south.

Antarctica Bound: Plancius and Hondius Sail South

If we were excited telling you that we’re finally going back to Antarctica, we’re thrilled to report that Plancius and Hondius are already on their way south.

We’re Going Back to Antarctica!

We plan to restart operations in Antarctica with two of our four ships, which are currently being supplied and prepared for positioning in Argentina: Plancius and Hondius will begin the 2021 Antarctic season on November 23 and 26, respectively.

Franz Josef Land Sites, Species, and Experiences

The archipelago of Franz Josef Land is to Russia what Svalbard is to Norway: Both island groups offer excellent Arctic scenery, adventurous outdoor activities, and a good chance of seeing iconic species like polar bears and walruses - alongside a wide range of marine mammals and seabirds.

The Eight Albatrosses of Antarctica and the Sub-Antarctic

Whether you’re bound for Antarctica, the sub-Antarctic, or some combination of both, this entry will give you all the important albatross info as well as where these birds can best be found.

The Return to Franz Josef Land

Franz Josef Land used to be a classic part of our northern program until 2012, when we stopped visiting the area due to various difficulties involving bureaucracy and distance. But now that restrictions are beginning to lighten, we’re looking forward to returning to one of our all-time favorite destinations for Arctic wildlife and history.

Trips for All Birders: Interview with Martin Berg

Martin Berg is a marine biologist and expedition leader, and his love of birds runs deep. This year he will join us on some of our most bird-focused trips.

The Music of Antarctica: Interview with Cellist Jörg Berning

We interviewed German cellist Jörg Berning about performing Ralph Vaughan Williams's Sinfonia Antarctica with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

Northeast Greenland National Park

Northeast Greenland National Park is the world’s largest national park and the ninth largest protected area on Earth. It should come as little surprise, then, that it’s also bigger than most countries, covering an impressive 972,000 square km (375,300 square miles). This epically proportioned park not only boasts some of the best geological formations on the planet, it’s also one of the most ecologically attractive areas in all of the Arctic. In fact, you’re more likely to spot a polar bear here than perhaps any other area in Greenland.