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Arctic Kayaking Trips On Top Of The World

If you’re looking for a different type of travel experience in one of the most remote places on Earth, we …

Top Things To Do In Aberdeen Before Your Arctic Circle Cruise

Perched at the top of Britain, Scotland is characterised by its historic cities, winding roads and rugged terrain. The city …

Spitsbergen Birdlife To Spot On Your Arctic Cruise

The isle of Spitsbergen in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is one of our favourite destinations, with jaw-dropping landscapes and …

Aurora Expeditions’ Makes History On Russia’s North East Passage

Australian expedition-cruise company, Aurora Expeditions, has become one the first companies to ever complete Russia’s North East Passage in an …

Best Birding Tours – A Birder’s Paradise

Aurora Expeditions’ voyages offer unique opportunities to experience some of our planet’s most extraordinary and rare bird and wildlife. Below …

Stepping Up Your Smartphone Photography

When you set out on a once in a lifetime voyage with Aurora Expeditions, you’ll want to capture the experience …

World Wildlife Day – Our Top 5 Polar Animals

Every year on March 3, it’s World Wildlife Day! This is a time when we are all encouraged to celebrate …

Arctic Travel Guide

Recently in the Arctic on board Polar Pioneer, Sandy Greenwood shares with us her impressions of a colourful land. Tall …

A Brief Travel Guide To Spitsbergen

Have you ever heard of Spitsbergen? It’s the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, which can be found north of …

Exploring Film Locations With Aurora Expeditions

Do you get excited about relaxing in front of your favourite show after a long day? Well, how would you …

Interview With Skye Marr-Whelan – AEL & Operations Coordinator

Adventure is in the blood of this young expeditioner, whose résumé includes an impressive list of exciting expeditions with the …

Our 10 Most Popular Instagram Posts Of 2016

It’s been a great year for amazing photos, from Antarctica to the Arctic and to all the places in between. …

Clean Up Svalbard, By Dr. Roger Kirkwood

Aurora Expeditions’ passengers and staff have excelled in the Clean Up Svalbard campaign this year with consistent collections of plastic …

Interview With Liz Pope – Assistant Expedition Leader

With years of leading groups and travelling up her sleeve, this friendly and patient assistant expedition leader is always happy …

Solo Adventure Vacations: Why You Should Go

It doesn’t matter whether you’re joining us around Antarctica or the European Arctic, undertaking a group holiday as a solo …

Atlantic Puffin Facts & Information Guide

When you head into the waters of the North Sea on board Aurora Expeditions’ Wild Scotland tour, prepare to have …

Escape To Norway With Aurora Expeditions

For some of us, the idea of a holiday doesn’t just summon up thoughts of relaxation, but the spirit of …

Why The Poles Are Perfect For Romantic Trips For 2

Ahh, Valentine’s Day. This celebration of love is upon us once again, when couples across the globe will be dreaming …

2018 Arctic Photography Competition

Announcing our Arctic photography competition winners! The results are in from our 2018 Arctic Photography Competition! Thank you to all …

Arctic Fox Facts & Information Guide

During your shore excursions in the Arctic, via the Polar Pioneer, you may want to keep your eye out for a …

Expedition Staff Summarise Spitsbergen Odyssey

Aurora Expeditions Sales Executive Mael Ressos is currently on our ‘Spitsbergen Odyssey’ expedition. The staff on board have sent us …

Sound vs Fjord – What’s The Difference?

Fjord. Sound. The words alone conjure images of majestic, untamed landscapes: dazzling mountain reflections gleaming in deep, placid waters far …

Lonely Planet Picks Greenland

Greenland has been on our passenger’s bucket list for years. However it’s not until now, almost 20 years after we first travelled to …

How Old Is Skara Brae? And Who Used To Live There? The Full Story

Scotland and its many islands date back not just centuries, but millennia. No matter what the weather threw at those …

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Icebergs are in a constant state of evolution. Waves, wind, currents and tides work to fashion these ever-changing ice sculptures into spectacular forms day after day. But every now and then they topple, flip, crumble or calve. This is why we're always sure to remain a good distance from icebergs when we're Zodiac cruising or sea kayaking. It would be wise to give this iceberg a particularly wide berth. Any ideas why? 📸 credit: to our expedition team member Justine @postcard_famous

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Would you cross the crevassed, mountainous island of South Georgia? In May 1916, Ernest Shackleton and three companions arrived on the western shore of South Georgia, utterly exhausted. They had just spent 17 months at sea. They had watched their ship as it was crushed by ice and sank to the bottom of the Weddell Sea. They had spent 6 months camping on precarious, shifting sea ice. They had endured a terrifying journey to Elephant Island in small boats, where they left 24 men and sailed into the unknown. They were aiming for South Georgia, over 800km away across the roughest seas on earth. Somehow, in their tiny sailboat, they made it. The alpine crossing they made from their landing point at King Haakon Bay on the west coast, to Stromness on the east coast is the stuff of legends. Almost 100 years later, in February 2001, Aurora Expeditions became the first expedition cruise company to offer our expeditioners the chance to retrace Shackleton's footsteps across South Georgia in one of the most challenging guided adventures available. Traversing from King Haakon Bay to Stromness, you can make the crossing on skis or snowshoes - this is an optional activity for the truly fit, adventurous Shackleton fans among us! 💕 🙌 📸 Photo credit to one of our expert alpine trekking and ski touring guides, Tarn Pilkington

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Are you interested in experiencing Antarctica? Join one of our online information sessions either tomorrow or next week to hear more about Antarctica from Antarctica expert, Dr. Roger Kirkwood. Roger is an accomplished marine biologist whom spent a year living with Emperor penguins on the Mawson Coast of Antarctica and has published over 100 scientific articles. He is one of our expert Expedition Leaders and an excellent person to answer any of your niggling questions about Antarctica. Sign up via the link in our bio to join or receive the recording ‪FYI - don't worry If you can’t make it as you will be sent a link of the recording afterwards Photo credit 📸 @petereastway

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Do you have a favourite place in South Georgia? For many who have been fortunate enough to visit this phenomenal wildlife haven in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, the answer is Gold Harbour. It may not have the largest king penguin colony or the longest beach, but Gold Harbour has enchanted many subantarctic travellers with its tumbling glaciers, lush hillsides and luminous cliffs at sunrise. 📸 Photo credit: Pip Smith

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There is no doubt that in South Georgia in November, the doe-eyed elephant seal weaners steal the show with their irrepressible curiosity and gymnastic antics. You'd be forgiven for thinking their name comes from their decidedly 'wiener'-shaped form, but 'weaner' actually refers to their recently-weaned state. Elephant seal pups suckle for only 28 days, but their mothers' milk is so rich that it's enough to sustain them for months until they take to the sea. Until then they are beach-bound, where they play-flight, snort, flip sand, loll about and curiously explore their sandy abode in search of entertainment. Sharing the beach with elephant seal weaners in South Georgia is an unforgettable experience! Thanks for the cute pic @sylepr #weaner #elephantseal #nature #naturelovers #auroraexpeditions #naturephotography #southgeorgia

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What makes icebergs blue? 💎 It's one of the most common questions we hear in the icy wonderlands of Antarctica and The Arctic, and it's a bit of a long story. In fact it begins thousands, or even tens of thousands of years ago, when the ice first fell as a snow flake. All icebergs begin their lives as snow falling on land, where they become part of glaciers that calve into the sea, forming icebergs. But why do they look blue? As we know, when snow falls it looks white. This is because the pockets of air in amongst the icy lattice of the snowflake scatter and reflect white light, which our eyes perceive as the colour white. Over time, as more snow falls on top, the weight of the new snow presses the air pockets out of the layers beneath. At the deeper layers of a glacier, buried beneath metres - even kilometres! - of snow, there is no air, only frozen water. Just as the ocean looks blue, so does the frozen water within icebergs. But why? Ice absorbs light at the red end of the spectrum, reflecting light at the blue end, making the ice look blue. Ice undertakes a remarkable journey to arrive in this breathtaking blue state for a short time before melting into the sea. This is just one of the reasons seeing them is so precious! 💕 With thanks to @handrphotography for the incredible 📸! #ice #iceberg #arctic #svalbard #antarctica #natgeoyourshot #bbctravel

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