Blog

28 blogposts shown

The Conquering of the Frozen Continent: Hillary, Fuchs, and the Crossing of Antarctica

Sir Edmund Hillary made his mark on Antarctic history when, on 3 January 1958, he reached the South Pole, leading a team as part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1955-58, becoming the third team in history to do so.

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.

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).

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 Mesdag Phenomenon: Interview with a Polar Camp Guide

Polar expedition guides come in many form. Some are temporary seasonal workers who enjoy the freedom of the job in their youth but eventually leave for more stable work, and others are hardcore outdoors addicts who stick with the profession well beyond their 40s and end up amassing skills and experiences easy to envy but harder to equal.

Eight Antarctic Misconceptions

Some are funny, some unfortunate, some are so far from the truth it’s hard to see how anyone believed them.

Oceanwide Expeditions’ “Wild, Wild South” video an Adventure in Motion finalist

Oceanwide’s short video, “Wild, Wild South: Falklands, South Georgia, Antarctica,” has been selected as a finalist in the sixth annual Adventure in Motion competition, hosted by Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) in partnership with AFAR.

The Classic Polar Cruise: Antarctic Peninsula Facts, Pics, and More

You can specialize your Antarctic voyage with trips to the Falklands, South Georgia, and the Weddell Sea. But when it comes to getting the broadest survey of Antarctica’s prime experiences, there’s no better place than the Antarctic Peninsula.

Adding Antarctica to Your Seven-Continents Bucket List

It’s a common pursuit among serious travelers to visit all seven continents. And indeed, the term “bucket list,” which became popular (if not overused) since the 2007 movie, fits naturally with this goal.

Antarctic Explorer’s Voyage

There’s off the beaten track, and there’s really off the beaten track. And then there’s the Antarctic Explorer’s Voyage, a far-ranging polar expedition cruise that lets you visit areas of Antarctica we rarely if ever offer – or any other cruise operator, for that matter.

The Ins, Outs, and Ups of Polar Mountaineering & Ski Mountaineering

To shed some light on these ultimate outings, here’s a rough guide to polar mountaineering and ski mountaineering, telling you what the activities entail, where you can do them, and why they’re the best way to put some elevation in your polar vacation.

Port Lockroy: History, Post Office, and Resident Penguins

Sometimes it’s so easy to focus on all the beautiful coastlines, fjords, and other natural wonders of Antarctica that we overlook the man-made attractions in between.

Polar Mountain High: Interview with a Ski and Mountaineering Guide

There are good jobs, and there are great jobs. And then there are jobs where you climb mountains and ski back down them and get paid for it. These are different jobs entirely. Tim Blakemore, one of Oceanwide’s mountaineering and skiing guides, has one of these jobs.

The Research Stations of Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic

Numerous research stations operate throughout the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic, engaged in all manner of scientific inquiry. This article will cover the stations under the management of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which conducts year-round terrestrial and atmospheric research in some of the most compelling polar locations on Earth.

15 Fantastic Photos of Antarctica

It's often said that it is impossible to take a bad photo in Antarctica. We'll say it again.

Wreck Diving in Antarctica

Scuba diving in Antarctica is a unique experience, no doubt about it. How many other places can you swim beneath icebergs and possibly see a penguin into the bargain? But that's not all Antarctic diving has to offer. There are shipwrecks, too. And with us, you can go wreck diving to one of them.

Eight Antarctic Whales You Might See During Your Expedition Cruise

They're powerful, they're beautiful, they're really, really big. Whales are a wonder of the natural world, and one of the best places to spot them is Antarctica. But which whale species might you see there?

A Photo-Tour of our Cruise Ship the m/v Plancius

Welcome aboard the Plancius! She was originally named the Hr. Ms. Tydeman and was built as an oceanographic research vessel for the royal Dutch Navy in 1976.

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 from low temperatures, high winds, solar radiation and freezing of cells. Life is made even more difficult when the Antarctic continent is plunged into darkness for during winter and then full light during the summer.

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. Despite the volcanoes being over 200 million years old they are far from extinct with volcanic activity occurring today.

Albatross, penguin and krill research in Antarctica

In the Antarctic region, a great deal of research is being conducted by national Antarctic programmes including the UK’s, Australia’s and Japan’s on understanding species in the air, on the ground and in the sea and how their species are interconnected without variables including human impacts and climate change.

The Emperor Penguin of the Drake Passage

There are certain moments in life when a series of events combine to create an experience that is both unexpected and unforgettable. These are the times when you are reminded how fortunate you are to be a part of something that few people will ever have the opportunity to experience.