Blogs

52 blogposts gevonden

Around Spitsbergen, in the Realm of the Polar Bear & Ice

There are journeys and there are journeys. This trip is one that falls in the latter category. I look back on a fantastic experience, during which the awareness of human behavior on this vulnerable planet (and especially the Arctic) became very clear to me.

In the evening, a hit: three minke whales

Until that day, we had seen very few whales from Plancius, the ship on which we spent a week near Svalbard.

Crossing, Kayaking, Camping: Three Antarctic Adventures

Crossing the Drake Passage rewards thousands of tourists every year with one of the most incredible paradises on planet Earth!

Greenland: Land of Superlatives

On September 16th, I flew to Iceland and spent an evening in Reykjavik, then crossed the island for the town of Akureyri the next day.

Sights and Sounds of Spitsbergen Aboard the New Hondius

Looking out over the pack ice after reaching 80 degrees north, this was the moment when I really felt like I was in the Arctic.

Hondius Around Spitsbergen

We are Ximena and Michelle, tour operators from the Dutch company Norge Reiser. It was our first time in the Arctic, and we were very excited to join this trip. We sell the trips from Oceanwide in our agency and now we would finally experience it by ourselves.

An Incredible Adventure on a Tall Ship

Ever since discovering Svalbard on the map a little over a year ago, I had felt a desperate need to explore this Arctic archipelago for myself. It seemed like a distant and almost unattainable dream, however, with expedition cruise prices being what they are, and I had no idea an opportunity would present itself so soon.

Basecamp Plancius: A True Antarctic Adventure

It was New Year’s Eve, and I was dressed in a full-body penguin suit, making my way to the buffet. We were three days into our cruise aboard the Plancius, and everyone on the ship was celebrating our first day in Antarctica, as well as New Year’s Eve, with a barbecue on the back of the ship.

Antarctica and My Old Friend, Ortelius: Passenger Story by Ann Lane

I was on the recent Antarctic trip on Ortelius, 16 Feb - 7 March. This has been my third expedition with Oceanwide, and I continue to be very impressed by the experiences.

Cruise to Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula 3rd – 22nd December 2018

The first day was spent sailing towards the Falkland Islands, and on the second morning I woke to a bright day and was up on deck to see us sail through the Woolly Gut, a narrow gap between two islands. The hillsides were painted bright yellow with gorse, which was in full flower.

Expedition in the Norwegian Arctic

Three big sails were set, the wind was blowing hard, and with frozen tears in my eyes, I could do nothing else but smile. Smile and think to myself: What a wonderful life.

Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia: A Birding Perspective

Southern Giant Petrels zoomed around, and there were some interesting birds in the bay itself, notably Great Grebes. Three South American Sealions were slumbering on the pilings of the jetty behind our ship, but these soon departed when the time came to leave our moorings.

There’s No Place like North Norway

As a cruise specialist for Grand Nord Grand Large, I’ve had the opportunity to cruise the seven seas and dozens of rivers all around the world. But none of those trips took me to a place like Northern Norway.

A New Take on North Norway

Having returned from a week in Northern Norway on s/v Noorderlicht, my husband and I felt the need to write a trip log of our experiences. (Spoiler: They were great.) Northern lights were seen, whales watched, and wonderful meals wolfed down.

No Landing Today

Together with some 100 fellow passengers, I am aboard the vessel Ortelius on a whale safari to Fair Isle, Jan Mayen, and Svalbard.

Plancius and the Polar Bug

Standing on the outer deck of Plancius as we sailed out of Longyearbyen, I looked down to see a puffin staring back at me. It was bobbing next to the ship, sunbeams glittering on its sleek body, which it lifted up and skimmed over the water in the direction of something on the horizon. I shielded my eyes to get a closer look and discovered dolphins wave-riding against the setting sun.

Research in the Arctic

At Wageningen Marine Research, we are working with our international partners to monitor ecological changes in the Arctic. Our research on the arrival of marine non-native species in Svalbard required us to travel around these Arctic islands in 2018, sampling and surveying different beaches.

Es war meine erste Expeditionsfahrt überhaupt und sie hinterliess tiefe Spuren in mir

Dies betraf nicht nur die perfekte Organisation an Bord, die abwechslungsreiche Verpflegung, das zwanglose Miteinander von Crew und Reisenden, sondern auch das Tourprogramm selbst, welches nur von den Wetterverhältnissen bestimmt wurde. Das machte die Reise so spannend, da die Natur entschied, was sie vorführen wollte.

Right up with the Best: Oxford to Arctic with Roly Pitts

Having returned to a rather hot Oxford after 12 days of exploring Arctic islands on a century-old historic schooner, I decided to pen a few thoughts.

El mejor viaje de nuestra vida

Estuvimos en Spitsbergen el pasado 1 de junio hasta el día 10, navegando en el precioso barco velero Rembrandt. Ha sido una experiencia inolvidable por la belleza de los paisajes y por la fauna ártica que tuvimos la suerte de ver, dos osos polares, mors

Antarctica - The Trip of a Lifetime

Antarctic Resolution

I looked at my husband and decided to tell him, “I always dreamed of going to Antarctica and seeing penguins. Lots of penguins.” It was finally out. Penguins? What was I thinking? I didn’t believe I would even survive that night, let alone do something so adventurous, go somewhere so remote as Antarctica. I was in a hospital emergency room. I had just suffered a heart attack. Squeezing my hand, my husband assured me, “We will go to Antarctica. You will see penguins.” His promise (albeit a “death-bed” one) ignited my penguin-hope. As the anaesthetist sedated me for an angiogram, I imagined penguins dancing, happy feet on ice. I started to count them.