Final Up to date on December 8, 2022 by Nellie Huang
“And I inform you, you probably have the will for information and the facility to present it bodily expression, exit and discover.” So stated Apsley Cherry-Garrard, who accompanied Captain Scott on his doomed expedition to Antarctica and famously documented their experiences in his memoir The Worst Journey within the World.
Fortunately, discovering the polar areas not has to ivolve such a feat of endurance. At present, they are often explored in secure, small-scale expedition vessels with specialist guiding.
Even when expedition circumstances immediately are significantly extra comfy than these skilled by the primary hardy polar explorers, visiting the poles nonetheless deserves the title of ‘journey of a lifetime’.
To expertise the Arctic or Antarctic is to expertise utter remoteness. It’s about witnessing a number of the final undisturbed areas of pure magnificence on earth – earlier than they disappear. It’s about being awed by a way of scale, drawing alongside nice icy mountainous peaks and glaciers and being dwarfed by their shadow. It’s about watching completely different species, reminiscent of whales and walruses, of their pure habitats and marvelling that these apparently stark locations are such biodiverse environments.
The place Do You Go on a Polar Cruise?
Begin to plan your polar cruise by deciding which itinerary you’d like. There are normally a couple of choices to select from when it comes to itinerary.
Most Arctic cruises depart from Spitsbergen within the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. The traditional route is to circumnavigate the archipelago, cruising into its fjords and crusing throughout ice fields. You’ll additionally get to go on land and hike on its tundra fields and even climb up glaciers.
Antarctica cruises normally depart from the southern a part of Argentina. Most cruises go to the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, cruising previous icebergs which are larger than buildings, zipping by pods of whales and seals, visiting whaling stations and watching 1000’s of penguins on land. Some cruises additionally go to the sub-Antarctic Falkland Islands and South Georgia, residence to a number of the largest Emperor Penguin populations on the earth.
What to Anticipate: Every day Life on a Polar Cruise
Whether or not you’re on an expedition cruise within the Arctic or Antarctica, day-to-day life takes an analogous sample.
Climate and ice circumstances allowing, the crew will goal to get you off the ship and out on zodiacs (motorised dinghies) no less than twice a day. This might contain wildlife-spotting, visiting a placing viewpoint or ice formation, exploring a historic website (reminiscent of analysis stations or outdated whaling huts), and even venturing ashore.
There are alternatives for extra adventurous actions, reminiscent of kayaking, and in Antarctica, diving or tenting on the ice. (The polar bear inhabitants within the Arctic makes it unsafe to camp on land.)
However the polar areas are additionally about stillness, and time spent considering these otherworldly landscapes. Ice, you’ll come to grasp, is never white: it will probably generally be many hues of blue – turquoise, cerulean – and even greenish.
Throughout sea days and a few evenings there are lectures by expedition guides, who’re all specialists of their discipline – whether or not or not it’s glaciology, geology, marine biology or polar historical past: polar cruising is an actual studying expertise.
On some expeditions, there’s even the chance to participate in real-life science experiments, reminiscent of gathering water samples for monitoring ranges of plankton, or photographically documenting completely different whale flukes.
When to Go to the Polar Areas
Antarctic cruises depart within the northern hemisphere’s winter to discover the Antarctic Peninsula through the southern hemisphere’s summertime. Chilly-weather clothes with numerous layers is clearly essential for each environments, though it’s not fairly as chilly as you might anticipate – except you participate in a polar plunge, in fact…
Wildlife within the Polar Areas
Wildlife viewing is a spotlight of all polar cruises. One in every of our favourite Antarctic moments was stumbling throughout a lazing Weddell seal simply because the clouds parted. The seal appeared to understand the sudden break within the clouds as a lot as we did, and he basked within the solar as we crept previous, whispering our shock at seeing him so unfazed by our proximity.
In addition to recognizing quite a lot of seals at both pole, there’s a good likelihood of seeing whales as they feed or come to research the moored ships, providing you with an opportunity to look at habits reminiscent of breaching and spyhopping (when whales increase up vertically and pop their heads out of the water).
The species of whales you’ll see range relying on vacation spot. The Arctic is residence to the shy beluga whale with its distinctive white colouration, whereas humpback and minke whales may be seen at both pole. It’s wondrous to see whales surfacing close to your zodiac, however that is additionally nature crimson in tooth and claw: you might glimpse large petrels or glaucous gulls swooping down to choose off unguarded penguin or guillemot chicks.
Your every day schedule might change simply and unpredictability, though this may add to the thrill. It’s commonplace for dinner to be interrupted as a result of a pod of whales have made a sudden look portside, or for deliberate actions to be disrupted by unpredictable climate.
Within the Arctic, any sighting of a bear can be referred to as out over the tannoy, so maintain your coat and digicam with you always. In Antarctica, you’re allowed to roam independently for brief distances, however once more, you have to to go rapidly again to the zodiac ought to dangerous climate are available.
Penguins vs Polar Bears
Selecting your polar cruise is a query of priorities. Journey time could also be one (see beneath). However that apart, it comes all the way down to wildlife. Which creatures are you most wanting to see?
Big colonies of penguins are present in Antarctica, with scientists apparently with the ability to find colonies from house, whereas the Arctic has bigger mammals – you may see herds of reindeer, and tusked walruses lurching throughout the ice floes. After which there’s the polar bear. All are fascinating in their very own methods.
In Antarctica, you’re more likely to see Gentoo, Adélie and Chinstrap penguins, and whereas they’ll appear ungainly and comical as they waddle overland (look out for his or her energy-efficient slides downhill on their stomachs), they’re modern within the water as they shoot by means of shoals of krill, producing a waterproofing and friction-reducing oil that spreads over their feathers. Their foremost predator is the fearsome leopard seal and also you may spot one snoozing on an ice floe in between looking (however maintain your distance – their warning growls defend their private house).
The sheer remoteness of Antarctica implies that penguins don’t have any land predators, and they also really feel unthreatened by human presence. Interplay with wildlife is forbidden underneath Antarctic treaty, however don’t be shocked if a couple of penguins flout that rule and are available and examine you.
Polar bears are extra elusive, and dealing with extinction. As world warming causes sea ice to soften earlier and reform later, polar bears’ looking time is decreased. They’re solitary animals, who hunt and reside alone as soon as they’ve been weaned from their moms, with the males being significantly aggressive. Sightings are by no means 100% assured and are totally unpredictable – however this solely makes the prospect extra thrilling.
Svalbard is residence to three,000 polar bears and the sight of a white bear is memorable. You may even see one foraging on a shoreline, coming to smell a moored boat, swimming amid ice floes or crashing by means of pack ice with its entrance legs.
Getting There
For Antarctica, getting there may be all a part of the enjoyable – a flight to Buenos Aires after which on to Ushuaia, the world’s most southerly metropolis, and the departure level for crossing Drake’s Passage to the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Crossings are notoriously tough, and you might end up gaping at 15 to twenty metre-high waves crashing across the ship, so it’s a check of your sea legs. Nevertheless, there may be the choice to fly to hitch your cruise ship on the South Shetland Islands in the event you want to keep away from this explicit ceremony of passage.
In contrast, journeying to the Arctic is far faster and might typically be achieved in the identical day, flying to Longyearbyen, one of many world’s most northerly settlements positioned within the northern reaches of Norway. Surroundings-wise, you possibly can anticipate extra free drifting icebergs in Antarctica, whereas cruising within the Arctic usually includes progressing by means of pack ice to get to the day’s locations and extra spectacular surroundings, such because the sculpted ice of the Sparreneset headland.
Ships that lead expeditions to Antarctica through the northern hemisphere’s winter usually sail as much as Spitsbergen for the Arctic summer season. One in every of our present favorite vessels is the MS Expedition. Carrying 132 passengers, the ship has an open-air panoramic remark deck and cozy interiors.
We suggest vessels that carry fewer than 200 passengers, as they’re able to supply a higher variety of journeys on the zodiacs. However cruising within the polar areas is basically in regards to the high quality of the guiding and we now have been impressed by the expedition leaders on MS Expedition. All are polar journey veterans and reside and breathe their specialisms.
Polar Packing Ideas
Some cruises present expedition jackets, however you also needs to pack thermals, waterproof trousers, and no less than two pairs of gloves (swap them over whereas one pair is drying out).
Lastly – and surprisingly – don’t underestimate the necessity for polarised sun shades and solar cream: the ozone layer is thinnest on the poles, and the solar’s glare throughout miles and miles of sensible whiteness may be blinding. The slightest motion, whether or not a tickle of wind or the sluggish rumble of the boat’s engine, blurs the picture, just like the light wash of a brush over a fragile watercolour portray.
