Whether it’s navigating the fabled Northwest Passage, an exploration of Greenland’s coast, or an entire circumnavigation of the North Pole, a voyage through the frigid wastes north of the Arctic Circle is an extraordinary experience, an adventure that makes you revise how you view the world around you. From ship and aboard a helicopter, the natural landscapes are astounding, the gargantuan ice floes both managing to appear both savage and tranquil; the sound of calving glaciers as clear a demonstrations of nature’s terrible power as you’ll ever hear; cathedral-size icebergs dotting the waters, dwarfing all around them. Between some of earth’s most remote communities and landscapes untouched by human hand, the wildlife too is equally memorable: the walruses of Svalbard’s Moffen Island, the musk ox and arctic fox, and of course the grand beast of the top end, the majestic polar bear. A journey into the Arctic is a discovery of one of earth’s true wildernesses.
The Arctic is one of nature’s last, most remote and marvellous strongholds: the basic raw elements of creation and constant struggle for survival in a harsh climate. It is a savage land of rock and ice, which is home to a rich range of bird and animal life.
The Arctic, centred on the North Pole includes the regions north of the tree line; Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat), Svalbard, and other polar islands; the northern parts of the mainland of Siberia, Alaska, and Canada; the coasts of Labrador; the north of Iceland. Conditions typical of Arctic lands are extreme fluctuations between summer and winter temperatures, permanent snow and ice in the high country and grasses, sedges, and low shrubs in the lowlands and permanently frozen ground (permafrost).
The Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, adopted Inuit ways of travel by dogsled and hunting in his bid for the North Pole and his search for the North West Passage and today the native people’s art and rich mythology fascinates. At the top of the food chain Polar bears are the undisputed monarchs of the Arctic with seals being a favourite prey. They can swim in icy waters for more than a day at a time and adult males can reach over 3 metres in length, weighing up to 800 kilograms: their beauty is to be admired, their strength respected.
The name Arctic derives from the Greek 'arktos' or bear referring to the constellation of the Great Bear (or Big Dipper) above the North Pole, with Antarktikos reserved for the continent ‘opposite the Bear’- Antarctica.
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Our Favourite Trips
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Spitsbergen in Depth - Akademik Sergey Vavilov 2011
- 14 days
- From USD $5,790
- Countries Visited: Svalbard (Spitsbergen)
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Introduction to Spitsbergen - Akademik Sergey Vavilov 2011
- 8 days
- From USD $2,690
- Countries Visited: Svalbard (Spitsbergen)
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Spitsbergen Explorer 2011
- 11 days
- From USD $4,490
- Countries Visited: Svalbard (Spitsbergen)
"Go out every day do not miss a trip even if the weather dose not look great because it changes and you will miss so much each trip is a new adventure not to be missed"
