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How Arctic Wildlife Differs from Antarctic

While there are definite similarities between the north and south poles, at the same time, the two regions are vastly different. Though both are cold and dry, each pole is unique in its terrain and climate. While the Antarctic is harsh and inhospitable, home to only two native vascular species of plants, the Arctic tundra can support a wider range of fauna with its warmer temperatures and a greater diversity of plant life. Here are just some of the different animals that you can expect to see in the Arctic as opposed to the Antarctic.

Amazing Greenland

If you ever get the chance to take a trip to Greenland, you will be amazed by its coastlines, fjords, ice-covered peaks, and great expanse of snow-covered land. You will also notice that Greenland is a rugged area with a rich diversity of life, making it a dream location for scientists as well.

Polar Marine Visitors: the Whales of Antarctica and the Arctic

Whales are the world’s largest mammals, found in the Arctic and Antarctica. This article covers some of the major species you may see on voyages to these remarkable areas.

Arctic Foxes: Constant Gardeners of the Arctic

The Arctic fox is a circumpolar species found across the Arctic, extending from Greenland, Iceland, and Svalbard across Eurasia to North America. The species also extends its range northwards over the sea ice, having been spotted close to the North Pole.

Secrets of the Snowy Owl: Habitat, Adaptations, and Other Facts

The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), also known as the great white owl or Arctic owl, is one of the most distinctive bird species on the planet. While you won’t find them in all areas of the Arctic – they don’t exist in Svalbard due to the lack of lemmings – they are seen in the polar regions of Eurasia and North America and are a potential visitor during Greenland cruises. The binomial species name,“scandiacus,” is derived from Scandinavia, as this is where the bird was first discovered. The snowy owl is the official bird of Quebec, and they are a must-see for countless bird watchers and naturalists.

Narwhals: 10 Facts About an Elusive Arctic Unicorn

The narwhal is an Arctic-based whale that spends most of its life in the waters off Greenland, Svalbard, Russia, and Canada. Some estimates put 90 percent of its total global population in Baffin Bay, between Western Greenland and Canada. Narwhals are in fact only one of three whale species that spend their entire lives in the Arctic, the others being bowhead and beluga whales.

A Travel Pro’s Take on the Arctic Cruise Experience: Interview with Mariola Burejko

We’ve heard what it’s like to cruise the polar regions from the perspective of the passengers, the guides, the captains. But what about the folks we don’t so often hear about, the intermediary professionals responsible for finding, recommending, and booking us Arctic or Antarctic trips in the first place? Surely the mavens of the travel industry, who love seeing new corners of the world so much they’ve chosen as a career what for most people is merely a beloved hobby, have much to say about what sets polar expedition cruises apart from the standard travel fare. To find out, we sat down with Mariola Burejko, business development director for LiveAboard.com, and asked a few questions about her recent Arctic cruise around the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.

The Secret Life of Glaciers: How They Form, Move, and Melt

One of the greatest natural sights you’ll ever see on an Arctic or Antarctic adventure is glaciers. These gigantic bodies of ice have been slowly but steadily creeping their way from the mountains to the oceans for countless years, like great rivers of ice – both a time capsule and indicator of our rapidly changing environment.

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 in all the world’s oceans, including the Antarctic and Arctic regions.

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 dark blue jumpsuits and bright blue hardhats, heavy gray gloves and greasy gray boots, stomp over the rattling mesh walkways carrying hoses and lit cigarettes and bulky pieces of nautical maintenance equipment, one of which resembles a pneumatic cattle gun that, in the wrong hands, could wreak some serious havoc. Recently arrived from the Arctic, Ortelius is receiving its seasonal upkeep here in Vlissingen, a small Dutch port town near the Belgian border.

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, the sun stays above the horizon 24 hours a day – meaning no sunrise or sunset, just constant daylight. This unique phenomenon is caused by the seasonal tilt of the Earth toward the sun during the Arctic or Antarctic 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-too-unsung species and their most fascinating facts.

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 own speeding automobile. When you’re cruising in the Arctic and Antarctic, the nearest hospital is a long way off, and in terms of the health care, everyone has access to the same kind – and the same person. During her voyage around the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Dutch polar cruise doctor Lauke Bisschops told us all about her experience treating injuries, illnesses, and a surprising lack of sea sickness.

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 areas, polar bears favour the edges of pack ice where currents and wind interact. In these areas, the continuous melting and refreezing pattern creates ice patches and leads, which are open spaces in the sea between sea ice.

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 outdoor tourism. But once you visit Svalbard, this apparent oddity starts to make a lot more sense.

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 how do you capture that beauty, grace, and freedom in your photographs? Some will tell you it’s the lens, some the camera, and other bird photographers will say that some species are just naturally photogenic. Whatever the case, here are 10 tips that can only enhance bird photography.

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 facts in our opinion.

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. Puffins catch their prey by swimming underwater and chasing it down. There are four species of puffins. One species, the Atlantic puffin, is around 18-20 cm (7-7.8 inches) in height and weighs between 350-600 grams (.8-1.3 pounds). It is found across a wide geographic area, all the way from France to the Gulf of Maine.

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 alongside bug spray, sunblock, and waterproof matches with not half the care afforded the typical cell phone. But to some outdoors groups, binoculars serve a highly specific and eminently indispensable purpose. And there is perhaps no group for whom this rings more true than for bird watchers. If you count yourself among this exceptionally technical clan of hobbyists, here are 10 birding binoculars you’ll want to know more about – even if you know about them already.