The best sea adventures on the planet

See Antarctica from the air and underwater

Among the many ways to discover the beauty of the seventh continent, helicopter tours are the most impressive. Only when you rise above the expanses of untouched snow can you appreciate how huge Antarctica is!

Such 10-15 minute tours are included in the polar expedition program on the innovative Ultramarine from Quark Expeditions. The latest generation helicopter is virtually silent, and there are enough seats by the window for everyone. Separately, there are excursions to untouched corners of Antarctica, accessible only to a few, such as Snow Hill Island in the Weddell Sea, where a colony of emperor penguins has been discovered and which can only be reached by helicopter. In order not to disturb these wonderful birds, you will land a couple of kilometers away from them and cover the rest of the way on foot.

Also don't miss the opportunity to dive into the waters of the Southern Ocean in a mini-submarine with a 280-degree view, which is included in the program of the expeditions on Seabourn Pursuit and Seabourn Venture. In 45 minutes underwater, you will descend to the ocean floor, immerse yourself in complete silence, see octopuses, sponges and jellyfish, as if you were on another planet.

Reach the geographic North Pole

Ponant's icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot, the only icebreaker of the second ice class (year-round operation in multi-year ice of moderate thickness), was the first in the world to reach the Pole of Inaccessibility and cross the geographic North Pole, as evidenced by their memorial plaque there. And you too can visit 90 degrees north latitude, 700 km from land, for example, as part of an expedition in July 2026, with a starting and ending point in Spitsbergen.

 You will travel among thousand-year-old glaciers and untouched drifting ice floes, mountains and fjords. You will touch the imaginary axis around which the Earth rotates, the point where all meridians converge, a mystical place where day and night replace each other every six months.

The same icebreaker will set off on an expedition to East Antarctica and the French Southern Territories in February next year, rounding half of the White Continent in 29 days, starting the route in the Australian city of Hobart, crossing the magnetic South Pole, sailing along the Shackleton Ice Shelf and finishing the expedition in Cape Town.

Le Commandant Charcot is the world's only luxury icebreaker originally created for scientific research. On board are laboratories and lecture halls, a library, two telescopes, 16 Zodiacs and a heliport. On each expedition, guests are accompanied by an expedition leader with many years of experience sailing to the poles and a team of more than 20 experts: biologists, naturalists, geologists, engineers, glaciologists, who help to better understand what they have seen.

The luxury status is emphasized by heated pools, a spa center (430 sq. m), a sauna and a snow room, a fitness room with Technogym exercise machines, as well as the cuisine of three restaurants, designed by Alain Ducasse, on board.

Learn to steer a submarine

When diving on a submarine, travelers are accompanied by an experienced pilot. And now you have the opportunity to be at the helm, having studied at the only center in the world - Sub Center Curacao. Here there are both one-day introductory courses with a short theoretical part and diving practice, and full-fledged programs with obtaining a certificate of chief submarine pilot. The course lasts 18 days and includes a minimum of 20 dives and 7 exams in diving theory and practice.

The courses are held on the Caribbean island of Curacao with the support of U-Boat Worx (Netherlands), which builds submarines for research, the film industry and tourism.

The underwater world off the coast of Curacao is rich in sharks, manta rays, barracudas and sea turtles, which guarantees an unforgettable experience. There are a great many dive sites, coral reefs of all colors and configurations.

The training program is best combined with a vacation in Curacao: visit the Christoffel National Park, which is home to the rarest white-tailed deer, play golf, enjoy luxury and romance in the Baoase Luxury Resort Curacao, or with a cruise on the Caribbean Sea.

Follow in Darwin's Footsteps in the Galapagos

The Galapagos is a tiny archipelago in the Pacific Ocean and a legendary destination for wildlife enthusiasts. People travel thousands of miles to see giant tortoises, land and marine iguanas, Galapagos sea lions and many other species. Each species in the Galapagos has its own story about how it got there. Sea lions, for example, were washed up from the coast of South America by a storm. Although they can be seen here all year round, the best time to see them is from June to November, when, in addition to the adults, there are many adorable cubs.

Swimming with them is every snorkeler's dream, and it is possible in the Galapagos. Here you will also see Galapagos green turtles, which come here to give birth from December to May from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru and Chile. They are amazing in that they get rid of excess salt in the body by “crying” it out through the tear ducts. While swimming, sea turtles reach speeds of up to 55 km/h and can even sleep underwater for several hours. Moreover, stress, for example from an encounter with a predator, shortens this period, reducing the chances of survival.

Frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies live on North Seymour Island, and blue-footed, red-footed and Nasca boobies live on San Cristobal.

Whales and dolphins of 24 species, sharks of 30 species and manta rays live off the coast of Galapagos. In the Galapagos you will see beaches with black, red, light and even green sand! For example, the “Martian” red color of the sand on the island of Rabida is due to the high iron content in the lava, and the green in Cormorant Point on the island of Floreana and in Ballena Bay, or Whale Bay, on the island of Santa Cruz is due to a cluster of olivine crystals, also of volcanic origin.

On Santa Cruz there is also Las Bachas beach with light sand of coral origin. This is one of the main nesting sites for green sea turtles. Not far from Las Bachas you will see flamingos.

One of the most comfortable ways to travel to the Galapagos is offered by Celebrity Cruises. Their luxury megayacht for 100 guests Celebrity Flora was built specifically for expeditions to these lost islands. It's a floating hotel with luxury cabins and a penthouse, floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, complimentary champagne and Ecuadorian chocolates, high-end marine binoculars, stargazing, constellation gazing and even glamping on board.