Antarctica & Arctic

Looking for the ultimate cruise adventure? The White Continent is truly the trip of a lifetime. Whether you cross the Drake Passage in a small expedition ship or do a “sail by” on a larger vessel, this magical journey will not only impress your friends, the unseen scenery will touch your soul.

ANTARCTICA EXPEDITIONS

No place on earth compares to this vast white wilderness distilled to an elemental haiku: snow, ice, water, rock. Antarctica is simply stunning. The enormity of its ice shelves and mountain ranges invariably heightens feelings of humanity’s insignificance and nature’s grandeur. Antarctica’s peculiar beauty may haunt you for the rest of your days. Even the trip over, crossing the Southern Ocean is an experience – with no landmass, low-pressure systems circle clockwise unimpeded, eventually reaching incredible speeds. The Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic are often included in a trip to Antarctica.

Antarctica Hot Spots:

• South Shetlands Livingston Island: An archipelago located in the South Antarctic Ocean
• Aitcho Island: The main attractions here are the large colonies of Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins that cover the area.
• Deception Island: An impressive volcano, still considered active and famous for its incomplete crater which is at sea level.
• Lemaire Channel: Known for being one of the most beautiful spots in the area and this is why it is also known as the “Kodak Gap”
• Petermann Island: The largest and southernmost colony of Adelie and Gentoo penguins, migratory species typical of Antarctica.
• Cuverville Island: Small Island dominated by a great amount of lichen growth and deep moss on the rocks.
• Wiencke Island – Port Lockroy: A bay that, located on the southwestern point of Wiencke Island.
• Paradise Bay: Here you will be able to enjoy one of the most magnificent views that the Antarctic territory.
• Half Moon Island: You may find the distinguished looking Wedell Seal and some Elephant Seals that occasionally visit the island.

ARCTIC

The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Alaska, Northern Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden.

Arctic Hot Spots:

• Scandinavian Arctic – Welcome to the home of Polar Bears; Arctic Foxes; Musk Oxen and amazing birdlife. We offer you in-depth experiences in the Scandinavian High Arctic. Far above the Arctic Circle; teetering on the edge of the world; this region welcomes you; There are many countries within the Scandinavian Arctic to explore – Finland; Norway; Iceland, Greenland and Sweden. We offer you a range of tours – Svalbard Explorer; for instance; allows you to visit the Arctic in comfort; the expedition ships offer you a luxurious option whilst Basecamp Nordenskiöld gives you a true arctic adventure with big glaciers; mighty mountains and rough moraine.
• Russian Arctic – Russian is one of the last frontiers and we look forward to sharing it with you.; The most common way to visit this area is by Expedition ship – a great way to get close to the wildlife on offer in this region. Home to nearly every species of Arctic mammal; including polar bears; Arctic foxes; Greenland whales; narwhals; beluga whales; Atlantic walruses; ringed seals; bearded seals; and Greenland seals.
• Canadian Arctic – Stretching across thousands of mile of North America’s most extreme hinterland; Canada’s Arctic territories—the northernmost portions of the Yukon; Northwest Territories; and Nunavut—offer sparsely populated and largely untouched landscapes. Roads are rudimentary; most distance travel depends on planes.

TOP EXPEDITIONS

QUARK EXPEDITIONS

Since 1991 and our first-ever tourism transit of the Northeast Passage, Quark has been blazing trails in polar adventure travel. Our trailblazing is just one reason we’re a uniquely qualified company to ensure you have a trip of a lifetime. There is no substitute for expertise. Ours is so sought after, we actually set industry standards for safety. That’s the confidence you’ll feel on every Quark expedition. A polar trip is something that many people experience only once in a lifetime, so it has to be perfect. This is why we profoundly appreciate details, and why we sweat the small stuff.

OCEANWIDE EXPEDITIONS

Pioneers of ship-based expeditions, inventors of Basecamp Antarctica, and the first company to take travelers to the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen. With our own fleet of ice-strengthened vessels, we get you deep into the heart of this otherworldly environment so it can get deep into yours. It is our goal to take you off the ship and into the action as often as possible. Our sea routes are short and direct, allowing for maximum shore time, and our activities are designed to accommodate a wide range of experience and fitness levels. We strive for close-contact, twice-daily outings on land and at sea (and sometimes below it) in one of Earth’s most surreal environments. Our expert crew and nimble ships allow for safe passage, speedy disembarkations, and supremely flexible itineraries.

LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS

The Expedition Experience is all about up-close encounters with beauty, wildness & the seldom-seen. People say interesting things about Lindblad expeditions, and because there is a video chronicler on nearly every expedition, we capture many of them. We post these clips (see the Alaska guest clip quoted above here) in our Daily Expedition Reports so you can see what others have to say, as you decide if expedition travel is right for you. A superb expedition team greatly adds to your understanding and appreciation — through dedicated looking to make sure you miss nothing (finding Arctic polar bears against white ice isn’t easy; knowing where whales are congregating takes insider knowledge of Alaska). Providing insightful commentary on all you see.