Wildlife in Antarctica & the Arctic
Polar Bears
Known as nanuk by the Canadian Inuit, this cuddly-looking creature is anything but. Weighing up to 550kg, they feed mainly on the blubber of seals which they catch when the seal pops up through a breathing hole in the ice. The bears must follow the ice; the seals live at sea, and catching a swimming seal is near impossible. Beached whales provide a rare but welcome feast – if a carcass is spotted, your ship will likely make a diversion to see if any polar bears are feeding on it.
The polar bear’s Latin name, Ursus maritimus, means sea bear, and these creatures actually spend most of their time at sea. 350km is the furthest a polar bear has ever been recorded swimming – so you’ll need to keep an eye on the sea as well as the ice floes to spot the bear!
Our Antarctica & the Arctic Holidays
Classic Antarctica cruise & South Shetland Islands
Experience all that this remarkable area has to offer!
Arctic sailing voyages, Spitsbergen
Experience sailing in the fjords
Antarctic Peninsula Cruises
An inspiring wilderness & wildlife journey of a lifetime
Luxury Arctic cruise Spitsbergen & Franz Josef Land
A unique expedition to rarely visited Franz Josef Land
Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea cruise
Antarctica & Weddell Sea Emperor Penguins by ship/helicopter
Arctic wildlife holiday, Polar bear explorer
A wildlife focused Arctic safari in Svalbard
Arctic icebreaker cruise, Spitsbergen
Wildlife-focused, expert-led small ship Arctic cruises
Falkland Islands wildlife tour
10 day Falklands birds and wildlife adventure
Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica cruise
The Ultimate Antarctica Experience!
Chukotka and Wrangel Island wildlife cruises, Russia
Explore Russian Arctic - home to Polar Bears, walrus & more
North Spitsbergen cruise, in search of Polar Bears
Expert Led, Polar Bears, Whales, Birdlife, photography
Falkland Islands tour, birds and wildlife
A comprehensive Falklands birds and wildlife adventure
Antarctica small ship cruises
Ultimate Antarctica South Georgia small ship wildlife cruise
Spitsbergen Arctic Cruise
An exciting wildlife cruise around the Svalbard archipelago
Antarctica fly and cruise
Experience Antarctica without having to cruise the Drake!
Iceland circumnavigation cruise
A thrilling, complete Iceland experience!
Spitsbergen polar bear watching cruise
Venture into the staggering realm of the King of the Arctic
Antarctica and New Zealand Subantarctic Islands Wildlife Cruise
Travel from New Zealand on the ultimate Antarctic voyage.
Antarctic whale watching cruise
Witness an incredible wildlife spectacle in Antarctica
Antarctica cruises
Wildlife expeditions to Antarctica's legendary landscape!
Antarctic expedition cruise, fly the Drake passage
The quick way to and from Antarctica - A fly cruise
Antarctic cruise and hiking in Chile
Walk in Atacama and Patagonia before cruising Antarctica
Antarctic cruise with the World Wildlife Fund
An Antarctic cruise with the World Wildlife Fund Australia
Svalbard luxury cruise in the Arctic
Polar bears, glaciers and snow covered mountains in luxury
Spitsbergen 2 week cruise, in depth
Rugged, wild, unspoiled and utterly unforgettable
Antarctic diving expedition
An Antarctic expedition for divers & non-divers alike
Antarctica, South Georgia and Falklands cruise in 2022
Follow the trail of Sir Ernest Shackleton to Antarctica
Arctic wildlife cruise holiday, heart of the Arctic
Immerse yourself in Arctic culture and landscape
Arctic cruises, Spitsbergen to Franz Josef Land
Navigate to remote parts of the Arctic
Greenland voyage cruise and northern lights
The world's longest fjord & spectacular Aurora Borealis


Penguins
Seals & walrus
Elephant seals are found in Patagonia and the South Atlantic archipelagos. True to their name, males are up to 6m long with trunk-like noses. Leopard seals live around the Antarctic Peninsula, where they hunt penguins and other seals, as well as fish and seabirds. Diving trips reveal these master predators in action. Atlantic fur seals are cuter – especially the tiny pups, which can be seen in December and January. Over a million of them breed on the island of South Georgia alone.
Up in the Arctic, the walrus – with its whiskery moustache and old-man skin – has been anthropomorphised in contemporary and traditional culture. Their tusks help them haul their bodies – up to 3.5m long – out of the water and onto slippery ice. They are also used as dangerous weapons by territorial males. Walrus can be seen in Canada, Greenland, Russia and Alaska– often drifting on ice floes.
Our top Antarctica & the Arctic Holiday
Classic Antarctica cruise & South Shetland Islands
Experience all that this remarkable area has to offer!
2021: 3 Nov, 1 Dec, 10 Dec, 19 Dec, 29 Dec
2022: 8 Jan, 8 Feb, 17 Feb, 27 Feb, 17 Mar, 26 Mar

