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For those who only consider the very low temperatures of the poles, picturing the ice that caps and packs the extreme ends of the earth, it’s an easy assumption to make that both regions are inhospitable landscapes – but it’s an incorrect one. Antarctica certainly may be a lesser-explored area of thrilling challenges and heroic tales of early (and relatively recent) exploration, but the Arctic is marginally less cold, with plants, rivers, lakes, hills and mountains spread over the eight countries that make up the Arctic; Norway, Sweden,

Finland, Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark (Greenland) and Iceland. Sure, the Arctic has its frosty plains and tundra, but life has found a way here and it’s colourful and fascinating, from the wild flowers to the textiles weft by indigenous people.

People have lived in the Arctic for generations; including the Inuit, Chukchi, Sami, Yupik and Inupiat.

The Inuit communities of the Arctic welcome you to villages on Baffin, Canada’s largest island, where we learn of traditional arts, crafts, hunting and more.

Hearing their perspective makes for a culturally enriching experience that only the Arctic can provide. We learn more about their lives, hearing stories of resilience and discovering what it’s like to co-exist alongside the extraordinary creatures that share this remote place, including Arctic foxes, seals, 17 species of whale and an abundance of birdlife. Then, of course, there’s the mighty polar bear, which can only be found on this northernmost edge of the world. Watching from afar as these glorious carnivores roam the ice is often a bucket list experience for travellers who journey to see them and who find much more than they bargained for. Choosing a trip here often depends on your schedule; we visit when the average summer temperature hovers somewhere around 0°C, so expeditions are best from May to September. While that does leave ample opportunity to see the botanical delights of the Arctic, you’ll also see icebergs dramatically calve off the Greenland Ice Sheet. Paddling along in a kayak, a flask of hot chocolate to warm you up, you’ll pass nesting bird colonies, keeping your eyes peeled for seals and whales. Few moments compare to spotting a pod of orca, the horizon scattered with glaciers. A flash of white may not necessarily be ice, however; mythical-looking narwhals play here too, and you can capture your most precious encounters on camera. Award-winning fine art wildlife, nature and underwater photographer Scott Portelli joins us on board on selected journeys, sharing his knowledge of the polar light and the behaviour of Arctic creatures to ensure you document the magical moments – memories to keep as a reminder of what is, for many, a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

The Arctic

Unlike the Antarctic, first discovered in 1820, the Arctic has a storied human history of surviving, and thriving, for thousands of years. The Antarctic

The coldest place on planet Earth, the Antarctic is often unpredictable, a pristine environment at the mercy of the elements. As such, it provides the most thrilling expeditions.

Given the Antarctic was only discovered 200 years ago, there’s still so much about it that we can learn on every journey south. While guides, such as ornithologist and marine mammal expert Dr Alex Cowan (read more about his adventures on page 17–19), have observed the wildlife here for years, studied the weather and traversed the most challenging channels, every excursion offers plenty of opportunities to experience something extraordinary. Nothing is guaranteed on these trips, not even our itineraries, so we surrender to the elements and let Antarctica take the lead.

The weather is extreme, colder than the north, and so you won’t find communities of people living off the land, we can only visit this complete continent during Antarctic summer; it’s unreachable for half of the year. But just because people haven’t set up home here, doesn’t mean that the region is devoid of life – quite the opposite is true. Eight species of penguin visit in pairs to nest in the open, huddled in their millions on the white, pristine wilderness.

Gentoo, Adélie, chinstrap, king, rockhopper, Magellanic and macaroni species can be found across the peninsula, as can the more elusive (and rarely seen) emperor. This region is perfect for budding ornithologists too, with migrating species in vast numbers offering prolific bird spotting opportunities; wandering albatross, skua and storm petrels are real highlights. Unlike the Arctic, there’s little in the way of vegetation to see, with mountains, glaciers and sheet ice that stretch for miles on the horizon. With much frostier temperatures, compared to the Arctic, there’s lots to learn about the brave voyagers who risked life and limb to first venture to the southernmost pole. Consider Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men, whose ship Endurance was crushed by ice and plummeted into the blue back in 1915 as they endeavoured to explore a new world (read more about that on pages 9–11). The sheer will to survive took the band of adventurers on an extraordinary journey back to civilisation and it’s one we regularly follow, a chance to connect with the past. In the present, whales migrate to Antarctica to hunt for krill in November and December; later in the season, you’ll become accustomed to spotting humpback flukes rising and disappearing beneath the surface of the cold water. Then there are the five seal species, rolling in the waves; the Antarctic fur seal, Weddell, crabeater, leopard and elephant. We stay on polar ships when we visit, remaining ever in the heart of Antarctica. Aboard, we have the chance to reflect and learn more from the experts that know this place best, logging our findings and contributing to the research of a region that still has so many mysteries to be unveiled.