Aqua-Firma

A voyage on the waters of the Arctic seas is not one you merely take to reach your destination, but one to savour in itself, giving time and space to remove urban cobwebs and revitalise the mind. From the outset the seascape is both rich and expansive, where one may marvel at the spectacle of dolphin acrobatics at the bow, view tail flukes of whales on the horizon or witness polar bears cruise by on the ice below. Our ships are modern and comfortable ice strengthened research vessels. Carrying up to 54 to 176 passengers, they are the smallest and friendliest ships exploring the High Arctic waters. The entire vessel from the panoramic ship’s bridge where there are excellent view points to ...Read more >

This expedition cruise, over many years, has successfully fulfilled the ambition of those keen to observe a wide array of Arctic landscapes and wildlife, including polar bears. Depending upon prevailing ice conditions, we will head to North Spitsbergen and beyond in search of the Arctic Ice edge, where Polar Bears migrate in search of their main prey: the ringed seal, out onto the vast sea ice. These special voyages will provide fascinating insights into the behaviour and breeding of polar bears and enhance your understanding of them through talks and presentations. In addition to polar bears, we often see walruses, ringed and bearded seals, Arctic fox, reindeer; and a great diversity of ...Read more >

A voyage to cross the Antarctic Circle is one many dream of, venturing deeper south than most have travelled - beyond latitude 66°33'39" and into the region of continuous daylight. Aqua-Firma guides and scientists have explored this region in-depth. You will be accompanied by leading natural history professionals, eager to introduce you to some of the most dramatic coastal mountain, glacier and iceberg scenery; and inspire you with their knowledge of the wildlife, geology, marine life and polar history. You will explore both from the mother ship and onboard rigid inflatable boats, deployed to skirt close to the coast and enable you to maximise your time on land. Beyond the Polar Circle ...Read more >

Our Antarctic Peninsula Voyages operate throughout the southern summer November to March. Carrying between 54 and 189 passengers, our voyages are onboard some of the smallest and friendliest ships exploring the Antarctic waters. Each vessel is open to all, including the decks at all levels and the panoramic ship's bridge from which there are excellent view points. Each ship carries a full complement of Zodiac craft (rigid inflatables boats), which are excellent for small group expert-led landings with the opportunity for close encounters with wildlife. All our voyages have the objective of exploring off the ship with first hand close up experience of the polar environment. There is a ...Read more >

Our East Greenland voyages are ideal for those seeking to experience one of the Earth's most dramatic landscapes at the edge of the Greenland ice cap, spotting whales, cruising around Antarctic sized icebergs, and gaining an insight into local Inuit culture. The voyage timing (late Aug/September) also invites wonderful opportunities to see the Northern Lights (Aurora borealis). The voyage starts and ends in Iceland which is itself an excellent location to explore either before or after your voyage with again more northern light opportunities. From Iceland we cross the Denmark Strait to Greenland, watching out for Blue Whales and other marine life along the way. We will be exploring East ...Read more >

The Weddell Sea is a remote and wild region, lying to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula. Together, the Antarctic Peninsula & Weddell Sea make up the most diverse and productive Antarctic marine ecosystem. It was here that Shackleton's ship Endurance was trapped and crushed by the ice in 1915. Further back in Geological time, it is believed that this is the place where Gondwanaland began to break up to form the continents of the Earth we know today and is rich in fossils. This stunningly beautiful area remains locked in ice throughout the cold Antarctic Winter. The sea ice retreats in summer leaving behind magnificent tabular icebergs, many stretching for several miles. The Weddell Sea ...Read more >

Swimming with whales is an extraordinary privilege. In 1996, the Silver Bank, Dominican Republic, was declared a Sanctuary for Marine Mammals. In joining our swimming with humpbacks and whale watching experience, you will step onboard a wonderful liveaboard motor yacht for a week-long encounter, surrounded by humpbacks. This is a carefully managed programme and we have secured a special permit to spend time inside the Silver Bank sanctuary, which is otherwise off limits to visitors. Silver Banks, lying 100km north of Dominican Republic, is a remote chain of shallow coral shoals and pinnacles, home to the greatest whale breeding ground in the World. More than 4,000 North Atlantic Humpback ...Read more >

Join an international & local expert team of whale shark researchers, marine biologists, photographers & filmers amongst the world's biggest aggregation of whale sharks peak season. Accommodation at all-inclusive 5 star hotel with careful COVID-safe protocols. The experience of snorkelling with the largest fish in the sea, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is not one you are likely to forget. These gentle plankton eating giants grow as large as 20 metres, display beautiful spot patterns from above, block out the light of day from below and often carry with them a living reef of fish life. This exclusive experience off the Caribbean coast of Mexico allows as small group of people to join ...Read more >

From the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, this experience combines Costa Rica's most abundant lowland rainforest habitats, some of its best marine life and a huge variety of ecological zones from coast to coast, with its cloud forest-clad volcanic Central Highlands in between. Expert local guides will help you to explore 7 of the country's most important protected areas. Three of these are in the highlands of Costa Rica comprising the Monteverde National Park, the inspiring community owned cloud forest reserve of Santa Elena, and cloud forests of the Arenal Volcano National Park. On the Pacific coast we take you to the Corcovado National Park where primary rainforest runs unbroken from ...Read more >

The Ross Sea is one of the most remote and least visited areas of the Antarctic continent. Reached via New Zealand, this 28 day expedition invites the opportunity to explore the wildlife rich sub Antarctic islands such as the Snares, Enderby, Macquarie and Campbell Islands. Weather and ice permitting you will have the opportunity to visit Shackelton's hut at Cape Royds, Scott's hut at Cape Evans and other significant historic huts of Mawson and Borchgrevinks. Wildlife is abundant during just 2 summer months when the area is not locked in ice. This is one of the rare locations where you may be privileged to encounter a great diversity of penguins, on Macquarie for example along are King, ...Read more >

This is a true High- Arctic voyage, providing the opportunity to explore three very different regions: Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland in one journey. This voyage offers the incredible variety of the Arctic: ever-changing landscapes, inspiring wildlife observations and the rich historical past of this remote and breath-taking region. The journey starts in western Spitsbergen, an area of spectacular scenery: fjords, glaciers and dramatic mountains. Highlights of past expeditions have included observations of polar bears, seals and walruses, Arctic birdlife and whales. A team of scuba divers will be on board documenting and providing an insight into the submarine Arctic environment for ...Read more >

This journey from the Pacific to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica takes you to some of Central America’s best wildlife and marine life viewing opportunities. It also provides an intense experience of rainforest, cloud forest, marine turtle and primate research and conservation. Corcovado National Park For wildlife and marine life, the Corcovado National Park in the Osa Peninsula is a must for any visit to Costa Rica. The area has been described by National Geographic magazine as '..the most wildlife intense place on earth', both because of its primaeval forest and abundant offshore life. The western side of the Corcovado provides more than 30 miles of beach where the rainforest meets the ...Read more >

This 15 day Around Spitsbergen sailing voyage provides our longest exploration of the Svalbard Archipelago with its mountains, fjords, glaciers and spectacular wildlife. Planned for late July, when sea ice has receded sufficiently to permit access to the east coast - an area, which for most of the year is blocked by ice. This timing provides the best chance to fully circumnavigate Spitsbergen, with opportunities to observe enigmatic Arctic wildlife including walruses, reindeer, Arctic foxes and polar bears. Of marine life, past voyages have enjoyed sightings of the ghostly white beluga whales, fin whales, minke whales, sei whales and even the rare bowhead whale. Bearded and ringed seals ...Read more >

This Arctic diving expedition is one of a kind. It offers exploration above and below water within the World’s largest National Park, home to Scoresby Sund the longest fjord in the World. Antarctic sized icebergs choke these calm, clear, avenues of ice water, sheltered by 2000m high mountains and crowned by the impressive Greenland ice sheet. This is a magnificent and tranquil area where you can witness the Greenland Ice Sheet pouring seawards in a series of stunning glaciers, the icebergs beautifully sculpted beneath the water in hues of tropical turquoise. Some of these bergs stand up to 100 metres high and at up to a kilometre in length, rival only those of Antarctica. Your journey ...Read more >

This expedition cruises across great ocean wildernesses to some of the most remote places on the planet. The ship travels from Ushuaia on Tierra del Fuego across to the penguin-filled Falkland Islands, then onto windswept South Georgia before reaching the icy waters of Antarctica. This Antarctica small ship cruise is an adventure – but a comfortable one. Our vessels carry 54-189 passengers, and lectures take place on board with our natural history guides, who share information on the geography, flora and fauna of Antarctica. Most days there will be the opportunity to disembark and explore these isolated islands, standing surrounded by thousands of king penguins, visiting the grave of Sir ...Read more >

The Semi-circumnavigation of Antarctica is one of the longest and most pioneering voyages and in our opinion is the ultimate in Antarctic exploration. This incredible journey hopes to bring you into contact with Antarctica's most impressive wildlife: Chinstrap, Adelie, Southern Rockhopper, Cape and hopefully Emperor penguins; as well as plentiful sightings of seals, feeding whales and Antarctic birdlife. All this set against a backdrop of the most spectacular and least visited landscapes on the planet. This exploratory adventure commences in Argentina and concludes in New Zealand. Strong enough to navigate through solid ice and loose pack ice, the vessel also has plentiful open deck ...Read more >

Our trips are led by experienced natural history experts and we aim to navigate deep inside dramatic fjords and enjoy daily guided walks across spectacular tundra, dotted with a unique flora, fauna and a fascinating human history.~ Spitsbergen is home to more than 2,000 polar bears, large numbers of walruses, reindeer and Arctic foxes, as well as huge colonies of birds, The Midnight sun and ice-free shores help facilitate the exploration of the unspoilt natural beauty of this area. With its rugged mountains, sweeping tundra and ancient glaciers, Svalbard lies just 600 miles from the North Pole. This true Arctic wilderness represents a remote and fragile region, steeped in history and ...Read more >

These Antarctic Diving Expeditions offer a unique opportunity for above and below the water insights into the white continent which few have been privileged to experience. We offer a variety of different diving and wildlife voyages, including those that explore the Antarctic peninsula only, those that venture into the Weddell Sea and those that journey across the Polar Circle. Divers on this voyage will enjoy guidance from an onboard team of diving professionals. Rather than dive from a hole in the ice, we dive off the edges of ice flows and around spectacular icebergs where we hope to observe penguins from beneath the surface as they plunge en masse into the sea. The ice itself forms one ...Read more >

Baffin Island is magnificent, remote and unspoilt - one of the most wild and places left on Earth. The wildlife and scenery of Baffin will be the focus of this inspiring ice strengthened ship based expedition led by a team of experts which will include Marine Scientist, Charlotte Caffrey. From Iqaluit natural history expert guides will help us explore the wild east coast of Baffin Island discovering the deep fjords, soaring mountains and immense glacial systems. The landscape is breath-taking particularly where almost vertical mountain cliffs extend to the sea along the islands north east shore. Polar bears, an icon of the arctic north and high on everyone's list to see roam the area in ...Read more >