Blog

The polar bear: king of the Arctic food chain

The polar bear is the world’s largest species of bear and the largest land predator. There is a large difference in size between male and fe

Tourists Help Clean Spitsbergen Beaches

Tourists of the “Eco Volunteer, North Spitsbergen” trip organized by Oceanwide Expeditions have been cleaning the beaches of Northwest Spits

5 Misconceptions You Might Have About Greenland

Greenland isn’t dark the entire year round. It isn’t always bitterly cold either...

The Mysteries of the Beluga Whale

Beluga whales (also known as white whales, sea canaries, and sometimes melonheads) are a rare but cherished sight during Arctic cruises, due

Five Birds You Might See on Your Greenland Cruise

A Greenland expedition cruise gives birdwatchers the chance to add some beautiful avian entries to their photo collections. Host to over 230

Flowers in Antarctica

The Polar Regions are one of the most inhospitable environments for plants and animals to live in. In Antarctica life faces difficulties fro

All things ice in the Antarctic

The first recorded sighting on an iceberg in Antarctica was on 1 February 1700 when Edmond Halley was on an expedition to measure the Earth’

Ortelius under repairs

The vessel Ortelius is currently under repairs in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen due to a problem with the propulsion system.

A visit to the fascinating island of Jan Mayen

After exploring the remote island of Fair Isle, our Atlantic Odyssey voyage once more turned its attentions northwards and left the outer ex

The ozone layer in Antarctica

Scientists have calculated that if the ozone layer was brought down to sea level it would be 3 mm thick, while in the Antarctic the ozone ca

Graham Land: A landscape dominated by volcanoes

At the upper tip of the Antarctic Peninsula lies Graham Land, a jagged, glaciated part of Antarctica with a landscape dominated by volcanoes

Oceanwide completely refurbished deck 4 aboard Ortelius

In 2011, Oceanwide Expeditions acquired the vessel Ortelius. A great expedition ship with the highest ice-class ranking as well as lots of

100 bowhead whales near Qeqertarsuaq, West Greenland

Today – May14, 2016 - we were sailing with the Rembrandt van Rijn towards Qeqertarsuaq; certainly in the hope of seeing a couple of whales.

Why You Should Visit Greenland: 11 Things to See, Do, and Explore

There's nothing quite like seeing your first Greenland glacier, sailing into the island's largest fjord system (also, incidentally, Earth's

Shackleton’s Push to the South Pole

On the evening of February 11, 1907, Irish-born polar explorer Ernest Shackleton, already among the more famous polar explorers, announced h

19 Photos of Life on Ortelius

It’s understandable that most of your questions are going to revolve around what you can do once your Arctic or Antarctic cruise reaches its

Conozca su Hielo

Hielo. Hace todo desde enfriar su bebida hasta ayudar a regular la temperatura de nuestro planeta. Echemos un vistazo a las diferentes tipos

Kayaking the Waters of Antarctica

The weather changes so dramatically down here that you simply cannot say, "this looks like a great day" if it is one - rather you must live

Churches in Antarctica

'Below 40 degrees South there is no law, below 50 degrees South there is no God', goes the old adage. When faced with a storm in the turbule

Amundsen’s Race to the South Pole

Amundsen had acquired Fram from Fridtjof Nansen on the understanding it was to be involved in an expedition to the Arctic. However, before i

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…