Category: Stories & Inspiration

One of the highlights of any trip to South Georgia is a visit to Grytviken and the South Georgia Museum. At the heart of the old abandoned whaling station, overlooked by mountains and facing out to the wide sweep of King Edward Cove, few museums have a more spectacular location. On our most recent visit, […]

Whether you’re counting down the days until you set out on your Antarctic adventure or just daydreaming of icebergs and penguins from the comfort of your armchair, there is a host of podcasts out there to get you in an Antarctica state of mind. We’ve sorted through the best Antarctica podcasts worth listening to. Just […]

My name is Bob Gilmore, and I’ve been working and guiding in the polar regions for over 20 years now. I first reached Antarctica in 1996 with the USAP (United States Antarctic Program) at McMurdo Station. I was instantly hooked, it was magic in all directions, and when I discovered the Polar tourism industry in […]

One of the most common pre-voyage questions I get asked is: “What’s the Drake Passage like?” Returning clients rarely mention the Drake, especially if they enjoyed two easy crossings (one there and one back). With an estimated one in three crossing being a bit lumpy, those who have experienced the storms and rocked their way […]

I have now sailed into Wilhelmina Bay on two separate voyages, and kayaked there once. Along with Cuverville Island, it’s my favourite place on the Antarctic peninsular. If the sun is shining, Wilhelmina, literally sparkles, huge mountains rise from a crystal sea, and the icebergs are the size of houses, with shapes, moulded by time […]

“No matter how well travelled anyone was, we all had the same sense of childlike wonder in Antarctica. It exceeded all expectations: the scale, serenity and beauty of the continent makes an indelible mark on the soul.” Swoop Antarctica customer Declan took the trip of a lifetime on Swoop’s Antarctic Basecamp Adventure in December 2016. […]

Polar plunges are quite literally the coolest thing you can do in Antarctica. On my last voyage 48 out of 92 people jumped into the icy water; that’s quite a lot. I’m going to take some credit for that enthusiasm. I was ready for the jump well ahead of time, walking around the lounge of […]

John, one of Swoop’s polar specialists, shares his top tips for getting the most out of your apps when in Antarctica: There is no denying the usefulness of apps on our smart devices. Whilst I’m sure we would all agree that too much screen time in Antarctica would be a bad thing, there are a […]