Category: Stories & Inspiration

Time passes strangely when you’re writing a book. When I was writing An Inconvenience of Penguins—the book about my quest to see every penguin species on the planet—periods of long inactivity were followed by frenzied expeditions for the birds. Then the seasonal window would close, and I’d go back to waiting for it to reopen.  […]

When it comes to cruising in Antarctica, expedition guides are on the frontline – driving zodiacs and taking care of passengers during landings, constantly sharing their knowledge, whether during an onboard lecture or standing on the edge of a penguin rookery.  But they’re just one part of a much bigger team that makes the expedition […]

In recent years, Swan Hellenic have burst onto the Antarctic expedition cruise scene with great energy. Although they were the original pioneers of cultural cruises way back in the 1950s, it’s only in the last decade that they’ve turned their attention to polar waters. Their collection of three purpose-built expedition vessels, the sister ships SH […]

Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to cruise to Antarctica nearly a dozen times. I’ve sailed on old-style expedition cruise ships, boutique ships with modern X-Bow designs and skipped the Drake Passage altogether on a Fly & Cruise trip to the Antarctic Peninsula.  On my most recent trip, I joined the Scenic Eclipse for […]

August 11 is a big day in the Antarctic calendar because it’s World Krill Day. It’s the one day of the year where we turn our attention from all our charismatic favourites like penguins and humpback whales, and we focus our attention on the tiny creatures without whom the Southern Ocean would be an empty […]

All travel produces carbon emissions, whether you’re driving to the supermarket or flying to a holiday destination. As a travel company specialising in Antarctica, where the effects of climate change can be observed, we believe the industry has a special responsibility to reduce emissions. In 2022, members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators […]

For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, the approach of summer is all about taking things easy and relaxing into thoughts of a nice holiday – perhaps somewhere hot, with a beach. Down in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed, and Antarctica sleeps in the freezing darkness of the austral winter. Only […]

Since its launch in 2021, the expedition cruise ship Ultramarine operated by Quark Expeditions has rapidly become a popular choice for Swoop Antarctica passengers. Its modern design, 1A+ ice class rating (putting it just shy of being an actual icebreaker), 199 berths and broad suite of adventure activities have all helped establish its place in […]