Tag: history

The Antarctic Peninsula has a rich history of human exploration and science, much of which can be seen on an expedition cruise through the region. Some locations speak to the dark history of Antarctic whaling, such as the abandoned stations on Deception Island or the wreck of the Governoren. Other places are preserved as heritage […]

If there’s one thing that can be agreed on about the polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, it’s that he was a great inspirer of men. In the story of his ship Endurance, which sank at the start of his attempt to cross Antarctica, it can often feel like he saved his men from certain disaster […]

The big stories of Antarctic exploration tend to come in two main flavours: either a race to the South Pole, or a desperate survival story after a ship sinks after being in the ice. Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen, we’re looking at you. But no one has done more to change that popular perception in recent […]

Antarctica is a place shrouded in tales of epic exploration and adventure. In recent years, the vogue has been for Ernest Shackleton and the destruction of his ship Endurance in the pack ice – a disaster redeemed by the astonishing rescue of his men after the voyage of the tiny James Caird from Elephant Island […]

Ever since Captain James Cook made the first recorded crossing of the Antarctic Circle, brave explorers, sailors and scientists have sailed to Antarctica, in search of its wildlife and scientific secrets. Today’s Antarctic expedition cruise industry follows in its wake, with growing numbers of tourists making the voyage to explore the Antarctic Peninsula, albeit in […]

In the early 1990s, when the Antarctic cruise industry and the internet were still in their infancy , one of the biggest TV shows was The X-Files, where two FBI agents—one a skeptic, the other a true believer—would investigate mysteries from the extraterrestrial to the paranormal while shadowy government agents hid the truth from the […]

Standing on the deck of an expedition cruise ship as you arrive at the Antarctic Peninsula, don’t look for any flag flying high over the territory. It doesn’t have one. Research bases fly the flags of their nations and when visitors arrive on expedition cruise ships they proudly wave banners to celebrate landing on the […]

Three names dominate the public consciousness when it comes to famous Antarctic explorers, more than a century after they first stepped foot on the White Continent. ‘For scientific discovery give me Scott,’ wrote the old polar hand Raymond Priestley. ‘For speed and efficiency of travel give me Amundsen; but when disaster strikes and all hope […]