A perfect portrait of an Antarctic ambassador, captured by a Quark passenger on our Antarctic Explorer voyage in Feb 2013. Leopard seals (named as such for their characteristic spotted coats), are one of the primary predators in Antarctica. In the wild they can survive up to 15 years, and are considered the most fearsome of all seal species. In this video  from National Geographic Live, Photographer Paul Nicklen describes how he [...]

A polar bear looks up at a passing ship full of Quark passengers. This polar bear has just finished having himself what looks like quite the meal!   Photo by passenger Melissa on our September 4, 2012 “Three Arctic Islands” voyage, named one of National Geographic Traveler’s “Tours of a Lifetime” in 2011.   Got an ice photo of your own to share? Post it to twitter and tag with [...]

A juvenile gentoo penguin chick lays on he ground, cooling off. Looks like this guy has a lot of …sole! (sorry for that terrible pun!) Gentoo Penguins can grow up to 30 inches tall and weigh up to 13 pounds. They tend to gather in large colonies of breeding pairs, sometimes many thousands of pairs! They are clumsy on land but speedy and graceful once in the water and can swim up [...]