Category: Antarctica (page 2 of 3)
…with Senior Business Development Manager, Gaynor For the latest installment of Our Routes series dedicated to sharing travel experiences from our experts all over the polar regions, Gaynor Atherton, Senior Business Development Manager UK & Ireland, shared with us her memories from an awesome Antarctic voyage with Aurora Expeditions! YOUR MAIN DESTINATIONS? The Antarctic Peninsula. HOW DID YOU GET THERE? Flew to Santiago then down to Punta Arenas – from there it was a flight to King George Island to join the Aurora cruise. FIRST TIME OR REPEAT TRIP? First time. BIGGEST CHALLENGE? Mentally preparing myself for Polar Plunge that was coming! And packing for a cold climate within my luggage allowance – I did it though! BEST HOLIDAY EXCURSION/EXPERIENCE? Doing the Polar Plunge for our chosen charity The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? Viewing a calm and curious Leopard Seal right next to our Zodiac on our first day! …
Often referred to as the last intact marine ecosystem on the planet, the Ross Sea region contains the world’s largest protected marine park area spanning 600,000 square miles – one and a half times the size of the largest national park on land. Wonderful Wildlife One of the most productive areas of the Southern Ocean with seasonal fluctuations, the region is home to around half of Ross Sea orcas and South Pacific Weddell seals, more than 30% of the world’s Adélie penguins and Antarctic petrels, and around 25% of all emperor penguins. Minke whales are common sights here, as are Crabeater and Leopard seals. There are 95 fish species and over 1,000 invertebrate species in the depths, with rare and vulnerable species such as unique sponges that live for up to half a century, plus breeding grounds, habitats and other areas of importance for ecosystem integrity. Ross Sea Ice Shelf…
Ever wondered what activities and experiences might be on offer on an expedition cruise to the Antarctic? Whether it’s a taste of adventure on land, or on the water, when you cruise with AE Expeditions there’s a whole host of incredible experiences to get stuck into when you venture to the polar regions, such as the polar plunge, which, exactly as the name suggests, is not for the faint of heart! Below we’ve chosen five of our personal favourites, which ones will you be trying? Snorkelling It may spring to mind as a holiday activity to enjoy in tropical waters, surrounded by colourful fish, but did you know it’s a popular experience in the polar regions as well? It’s a great way to get up close and personal with seals as they rest on ice floes, as well as an opportunity to see penguins swimming. But perhaps the most impressive thing about…
It’s not just the sheer magnitude of Antarctica and the Arctic Circle that commands a traveller’s attention. The planet’s polar regions are nature’s canvas for a colour scheme not seen anywhere else on earth! Glaciology Optics Glacial ice is a very different beast from the cubes floating around in a summer cocktail. The eye-popping blues, turquoises and aquamarines owe their super cool looks to the ice density of glaciers which absorb every other colour of the spectrum, except blue. Crystalline structures compacted over aeons channel blue light in a different way to what human eyes normally interpret ice properties. When glacial ice initially freezes, it fills with air bubbles. As that ice is buried and compressed underneath younger ice on top, the older ice starts to take on a blue tinge. As the ice grows denser, the bubbles eventually reduce to tiny levels. Without the scattering effect of these air bubbles, light can penetrate…
With 22 years of leading Polar expedition cruising behind them, Poseidon are one of the finest operators we work with. We look at some of the reasons that set them apart from the rest and why you should consider them when planning your Antarctica adventure… Small Expedition Vessel It may be an obvious statement, but the vessel you choose to embark on an Antarctica cruise needs to be able to comfortably match the nautical challenges that the unforgiving continent presents. Constructing a vessel capable of facing the harsh climates of the world’s last wilderness is no easy feat but to do so without compromising on luxury comforts for passengers is an incredible accomplishment – and that is exactly what Poseidon’s M/V Sea Spirit offers. Truly one of the finest ships that sail the Antarctic waters, the Sea Spirit caters for only 114 guests, who can enjoy a smooth sailing experience whilst staying in spacious,…
Q&A with Ponant’s Expedition Leader and Director of National Geographic Partnership, Alastair Newton Alastair Newton brings years of polar exploration experience and expertise to his role as Ponant’s Expedition Leader and director of their partnership with the prestigious National Geographic. We wanted to find out more about Alastair’s extraordinary life exploring Antarctica… What is the role of an expedition leader and what do they do? An Expedition Leader is responsible for creating the remarkable and memorable experiences of the Expedition. It is a huge responsibility as it is these moments that the guests will treasure. These can include; adapting to a sudden opportunity, such as turning the ship around to watch whales bubble-net feeding in Alaska, helping the guests leave their preconceptions behind so they can experience new cultures openly, or changing the whole itinerary due to changing weather and creating a new program as we see what opportunities present…
Take a journey like no other on an expedition delving deep into the wilderness of the Antarctic. Explore the surreal remoteness and battle the elemental forces on a true adventure. We explore the benefits of travelling with our partners Aurora Expeditions… Travel in Style on the Brand-New Sylvia Earle If you have never travelled to Antarctica before then you could easily be forgiven for wondering above else about the type of ships and equipment that are used to navigate through the challenges of the world’s last great wilderness. There is a surprisingly high variety on offer so it is essential that you consider this aspect when planning your adventure of a lifetime. The very latest vessel available to you is the brand-new Sylvia Earle from Aurora Expeditions which makes its maiden expedition in October 2021. It has been designed to match every natural challenge it faces with ease and at an average of 132 passengers per voyage,…
Congratulations! If you are reading this, it’s because you are about to make a great decision: travelling to Antarctica! We can guarantee that you will enjoy your time in this land of desolate beauty. The landscape of the Antarctic is extreme, mostly made up of white icy peaks and crisp blue glaciers. The clear waters are inhabited by an array of penguin species, seals and whales. This vast freezing desert is the coldest, driest and wildest place on earth, making a trip here, so much more exciting than any other travel adventure. Are you ready to have the most otherworldly trip of your life and share our lifelong infatuation with the Polar regions? Then without further ado, let us take you through the 10 things you need to know before embarking on your once-in-a-lifetime expedition cruise: Best Time To Visit Antarctic cruises only operate in the Antarctic summer months, between November and early…
While the polar regions of the planet are more accessible than ever, the harsh landscapes of the Arctic and Antarctica still have many secrets to divulge. Countless brave men and women led the way, forging a path of discovery amidst danger, that has made it possible for average adventurous travellers to follow in their footsteps today. From the trailblazers who made their way to the poles a century ago, to the modern-day explorers who still prove the planet has much to discover, these are the nine greatest polar explorers in history. Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Shackleton is one of the most inspirational polar explorers in history, yet never actually reached his goal – the South Pole. Shackleton led three separate expeditions to Antarctica, the most famous being the Imperial Trans-Antarctic (Endurance) Mission in 1914 in which he attempted to be the first to cross Antarctica from one side to the other, via…
If you’ve been dreaming of taking that once-in-a-lifetime trip to Antarctica, but worry that travelling to Antarctica as a single traveller will be prohibitively expensive – we’ve got great news. Read on to find out how you can make the most of a solo trip to Antarctica. Avoiding Single Supplements Although many companies charge a single supplement to solo travellers to make up for a loss on double-occupancy cabins – several of our operators don’t charge single supplements if you’re prepared to share your room with another passenger. In fact, we even offer expeditions on ships which have dedicated single cabins with no single supplement, which means you can make the most of a solo trip to Antarctica and avoid paying 50% more with additional single supplement charges. Tips for Solo Travel to Antarctica You may feel uneasy about embarking on an expedition to Antarctica by yourself, but you definitely won’t…
