Category: Planning & Tips

There are plenty of ways to explore Antarctica by cruise ship. Taking a zodiac cruise through its bays to pull up at a landing site to step foot on the continent – maybe taking in a penguin colony or two – will always remain the essential experience. But today’s expedition cruise ships offer plenty of […]

Antarctica is one of the world’s great wildlife watching destinations, and even more so if you add the island of South Georgia into the mix. But for the first time visitor it’s not always easy to work out what you’re seeing. The different types of penguin sort themselves out pretty quickly, but there are times […]

I’ve been lucky enough to travel as a professional photographer to some of the most far flung destinations on our planet. From Patagonia and the Galapagos Islands to the Canadian Arctic and Greenland, the list goes on – and yet it’s Antarctica that captures my heart most. Antarctica draws you in like nowhere else. It […]

It’s always an exciting moment when a new vessel joins the polar fleet. Autumn 2022 brought another arrival in the shape of the Sylvia Earle. Named for the celebrated marine biologist, its striking X-Bow hull cuts a neat dash through the waves. The Sylvia Earle carries an average of just 132 passengers, promising an intimate […]

The Seaventure ship is a big favourite of both Swoop Antarctica staff and passengers. Originally designed for around 180 passengers, a complete refit for polar cruising reduced the number of berths to a maximum of 139 as well as upgrading the vessel to a 1-A ice class rating – the highest possible maritime rating. When […]

A trip to the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia is the trip of a lifetime for many, taking in some of the most sublime nature anywhere in the world, from icebergs sculpted by a surrealist hand to the cacophony of hundreds of thousands of penguins in a single colony. These cruises also take in a […]

One of my favourite places in Grytviken in South Georgia is somewhere overlooked. Tucked into an anteroom of the Norwegian Church is the old whaling station’s forgotten library. After browsing the shelves, you can flick through 1950s registration books to discover which whalers were the most avid readers. It’s a gently moving experience: while nature […]

At the end of 2022 I was able to tick off one of my big bucket list destinations when I travelled south to join an expedition cruise sailing to South Georgia and Antarctica. While I packed up my warm clothes and checked my spare memory cards and batteries for my camera I was bubbling over […]