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Julie

Julie is a cold-climate travel expert who has cruised both Antarctica and the Arctic. She’s done everything from kayaking with whales to spotting polar bears (and admired plenty of icebergs along the way). Julie has worked in adventure travel for almost 20 years, helping avid explorers plan marine voyages worldwide.

My Polar Highlights Photos More About Me

My Antarctic stats

Number of polar expeditions: 3
Began working in travel: 2005
Polar plunges braved: 2

My No. 1 Antarctic travel tip? You need to pack less than you think! Your ship will have a laundry, so you can easily wash your clothes instead of hauling too many across the world with you.

Julie Ruston Antarctica Specialist

My top Antarctic experiences

Weaving through the thick sea ice on a late-season trip to the lesser visited Weddell Sea region of Antarctica
Witnessing the bumbling antics of chinstrap penguins. They’re so comical to watch!
Being mesmerised by the number of whales popping up in the astoundingly beautiful Lemaire Channel – we must have seen 40 spouting next to us
Gazing in awe at the enormous, and numerous, elephant seals at Hannah Point in the South Shetland Islands
Enjoying the pristine – and plentiful – snow during an early-season trip. It was exactly the fluffy kind of white stuff I always think about when I picture Antarctica

A woman stands out in flurries of snow on the deck of an Antarctic ship

Snowy scenes on deck during an early-season Antarctic voyage

My photos of Antarctica

Gentoo penguins cluster together on the rocks in Antarctica

Penguins were everywhere during my early-season Antarctic trip

Zodiac cruising in Mikkelsen Harbor

Taking part in citizen science on an Antarctic recce

Kayakers in the distance in front of a classic Antarctic scene

Watching kayakers in Antarctica

A decrepit wooden building in Antarctica

An old building at the former whaling station at Whalers Bay

I loved seeing all the incredible icebergs in Antarctica

A view from my cabin

More about me

Located in Toronto, Canada, I’m no stranger to chilly weather
I love travel and have been to the Canadian Arctic and Greenland as well as Antarctica
I’m a true foodie and enjoy learning about different cuisines. In fact, I always try to take a hands-on cooking class when visiting a new country
I have been vegan for over a decade, which sometimes presents difficulties in more remote destinations – but I’m always up to the challenge of sourcing fresh produce
Having sailed in Turkey, yachted in the Galapagos and taken two reggae cruises in the Caribbean, I have plenty of experience of travelling by ship

Swoop team member Julie smiles for the camera in front of an icy Antarctic backdrop

An icy selfie at Foyn Harbour

What our customers think of Julie

10/10 - I loved working with Julie Ruston with our booking, she was well informed and we ended up on a perfect boat and trip and timing. Read the full review

Travelled: January 2025

Oscar Jack Orchard Arnott - Canada

Swoop staffers are professional, highly skilled at their jobs, and available. I was most impressed by how quickly my questions were answered and how easy and efficiently changes were made to our schedule. Read the full review

Travelled: January 2025

William Kevin McLuen - USA

10/10 - It was one of the best experiences to work with Swoop. If possible, we would like to extend our personal thank you to Julie and Carola, who did a fantastic job in helping us out. Read the full review

Travelled: December 2024

Rohit Pandharipande - India

Review:

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