The Polar Regions & Iceland

Arctic wildlife

Diverse landscapes—from the sea ice to coastal wetlands, upland tundra, mountains, wide rivers, and the sea itself—support abundant wildlife and many cultures. Of all the wildlife in the Arctic, the polar bear is the most fitting icon for this region. It’s amazing adaptation to life in the harsh Arctic environment makes it an impressive species.

Apart from polar bears, the arctic offers a wide range of wildlife, including walruses, the arctic fox, seals, reindeers and mesmerizing flocks of nesting birds

Zodiac Cruises

Both our Arctic and Antarctic expeditions afford guests the ability to disembark the more traditional cruise ships, and jump on board the more agile Zodiac boats, allowing for regular landfalls to explore the polar wilderness and to enjoy closeups with spectacular wildlife.

Our voyages are primarily defined as explorations and we spend as much time ashore as possible. We can be flexible, taking advantage of wildlife opportunities by using our zodiacs for both landings and cruises. Our knowledgeable guides assist on these outings, providing detailed information. This is supplemented by lectures on board which covers topics such as wildlife, nature and history.

Antarctic penguin colonies

Mid to late February is an exciting time to witness penguin colonies in Antarctica. Young penguin chicks start fledging and learning to swim in the shallows and are typically very active and curious, chasing parents for food as soon as they return from fishing trips.

Their colonies — known as rookeries — are often huge, with up to a million nesting pairs. In the pure Antarctic air, you can smell a penguin rookery from a long way away! Penguins generally breed on exposed rock, beaches or tussock grass, with the exception of the emperor, which breeds on sea-ice

Northern Lights

Nothing sums up the magic of Iceland quite like the Aurora Borealis. The ethereal northern lights have inspired wonder and awe for generations. The result of a particular solar activity, it’s no wonder it seems like something from another planet!

Waterfalls and ice caves of Iceland

Although the skies above Iceland are as dramatic as anything you will see, sometimes there’s magic to be found underground. Unique cave systems and waterfalls shift with the changing glacier every year. The ocean blue ice crystals make for an incredible composition, and the light dancing off the crystals all around means this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for any photographer.

Entering an ice cave feels like leaving reality behind and entering a fairy tale. Sparkling like a diamond, cyan blue, and crystal clear, ice caves have a surreal atmosphere that cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world, only deep inside the body of a glacier.

Eleven percent of Iceland’s total land area is covered by glaciers. This allows you the greatest selection of these enthralling natural wonders. With crystal blue caves, black ice caves, ice walls that are striped with layers of volcanic ash, man-made ice tunnels, and even indoor ice caves, Iceland has you covered!