Poseidon Expeditions Blog - Posts with tag "Antarctica"

When you hear the word “penguins”, your mind might jump straight to Antarctica and its snow-covered mountains and valleys. However, several penguin species disagree with that assumption! They prefer a milder climate and believe there is nothing wrong with laying eggs in tussac grass or muddy ground rather than rocks and snow. Who could these unconventional rebels be? Of course, we mean the king penguins, and given the name, they are rightfully entitled to their opinion. Indeed, these species inhabit the subantarctic islands – the Falklands and South Georgia – rather than the continent of Antarctica.

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Everyone and no one. Those four words describe perhaps the simplest way of answering questions about the sovereignty of the Seventh Continent. And, the description has been relatively accurate since 1961 when the Antarctic Treaty, signed two years earlier, came into force.

Claims of ownership by Spain of Terra Australis Incognita – lands south of South American and Africa – go back to the 15th and 16th centuries. But it wasn’t until the 18th and 19th centuries, when hardy navigators first set eyes on the continent and ice sheet surrounding it, that more serious stakes were put forth. Spain’s original claims became those of Argentina and Chile, and five other nations jumped into the picture: Norway, France, Britain and the latter’s major colonies of the time, Australia and New Zealand. Because any type of border was practically impossible to enforce, many of the territorial claims overlapped.

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Visiting the gravesite of Sir Ernest Shackleton is an emotional stop on an Antarctic cruise that includes exploration of South Georgia. A renowned polar explorer, Shackleton died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1922, at the beginning of a new voyage. South Georgia played a key role in his previous expeditions and was very dear to him, and that is why Grytviken was chosen as the final resting place of Sir Ernest Shackleton. Paying respects to the great explorer is a special experience for many Antarctic travelers.

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The Falkland Islands are a United Kingdom territory consisting of more than 700 islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. History buffs know this place as a war zone in the 1982 conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom. But traveling to the Falklands just to see the capital, Stanley, would certainly be an oversight. These windswept islands are one of the world’s premier wildlife-viewing destinations, a paradise for birders and nature photographers. Whether you get to see the Falklands on an expedition cruise or as an independent traveler, here are the top attractions not to be missed:

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Seeing Antarctica for the first time can be life-changing. An expedition cruise is a chance for many travelers to check seven out of seven continents off their bucket list, see whales and penguins in their natural habitat, and experience landscapes and scenery beyond belief.

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Visiting Antarctica is something in the back of every avid traveler's mind. Checking off all continents from your bucket list, seeing penguins and whales, following the footsteps of great explorers and becoming one yourself - these are just some of the things that make a trip to Antarctica so special.

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Sure, we can take ourselves to great places around the world through books, movies and even YouTube, and we’ve all been doing a lot of that at home the past month.

But there’s nothing like the real deal – taking an international flight to an exciting new destination, boarding a small-capacity expedition ship and heading off into the remote polar wilderness of…[here, Dear Reader, insert your bucket-list spot: Antarctica, East Greenland, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, North Pole, etc.].

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Early exploration of the polar regions seems to go hand in hand with heroism and drama. The tragic story of the race to the South Pole is one of the most resonate examples of that. In 1911, two teams set out for Antarctica to be the first ever to reach the southernmost point of the globe. There are several books depicting the endeavors of men led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen, but one of our favorites is The Coldest March: Scott's Fatal Antarctic Expedition by Susan Solomon.

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Currently, public and social life is standing still. And at Poseidon Expeditions, too, with almost all our colleagues currently work in the "home office" and practicing social distancing. For our marketing manager and avid bookworm Christian Hoppe, this is a perfect opportunity to realize a project that he’s had in mind for a long time: The Poseidon Expeditions Book Club.

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Can you plan the perfect adventure? With expedition cruising, you have the best of both worlds – set dates, accommodation, and a rich edutainment schedule, and, at the same time, room for exploration, discovery, and flexibility. This fluid style of travel takes advantage of occasional or rare opportunities. Witnessing a solar eclipse in Antarctica might just be the most unique of them all.

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