Overview
Participate in polar bear photo-safari cruise in continuous Arctic daylight. Discover seals and whales amongst the Arctic pack ice as we explore far above the Arctic Circle – only 600 miles from the North Pole. The mountains of Svalbard provide a continuous, spectacular backdrop and the expedition reaches all the way to seldom-visited, glacier capped White Island. All this in exclusive comfort on board the luxurious M/V Sea Spirit
Day 1: Arrival in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (hotel night)
Welcome to Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Svalbard and
starting point of our Arctic expedition! At the Longyearbyen airport,
you will be greeted by our staff and transferred to a quality hotel,
which has been arranged by us and is included in the price of your
trip. You will then be free to explore the charming, walkable town
center. We recommend starting your discovery of this fascinating
Norwegian High Arctic territory at the excellent Svalbard Museum,
where you can also purchase hard-to-find polar books and maps.
Afterward, you can enjoy dinner at one of Longyearbyen’s restaurants
or cafes. If you are still awake at midnight, you will notice the sun
has not set. In fact, the sun will not set for the entire duration of
our time in Svalbard.
Day 2: Welcome Aboard!
After breakfast at your hotel, you will have the morning to enjoy
Longyearbyen. Take in the views of icy fjords and glaciated mountains
surrounding this historic former coal-mining town. Take advantage of
shopping for souvenirs or some last-minute necessities such as
cold-weather gear, a cap or gloves. Just remember, you will soon
receive your very own parka to keep and waterproof boots to borrow
while aboard the ship. For lunch, Longyearbyen offers quick and easy
meal options including the most northerly pizzas and kebabs in the
world. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the pier where we
will warmly welcome you aboard our expedition vessel Sea Spirit. Get
settled in your comfortable suite and explore the ship that will be
your home-away-from-home during the extraordinary adventure to come.
Once the ship is underway, a full schedule of events kicks off with
informative briefings and introductions from your expedition team.
After the first of many delicious dinners on board, step out onto the
open decks to admire the gorgeous scenery in 24-hour daylight as we
pass through the wildlife-rich waters of Isfjorden.
Days 3-13: Arctic wilderness Polar Bear search
During our expedition, we hope to experience the many facets of this
incredible High Arctic territory. Our exact schedule and route will be
shaped by the weather, sea ice and experience of our expedition leader
and captain. At the peak of the summer season, we will almost
certainly find the ice conditions to be favorable for a full
circumnavigation, so we will make an attempt to go around Spitsbergen,
the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago and even to the
northeastern most part of the archipelago – Kvitøya. Much of the
pristine nature of Spitsbergen is protected by a system of national
parks, and we will try to visit some of them during the voyage. Below,
please find a brief summary of what we might expect. Human habitation
– rare along our route – can be found at Ny Ålesund, a former mining
town and airship base that is now home to an international community
of Arctic researchers. This is one of the world’s most northerly
settlements where we find a museum, gift shop and post office.
Northwest Spitsbergen National Park is the crown jewel of Svalbard’s
scenic wonders. Here we find deep fjords flanked by serrated mountain
ranges and immense tidewater glaciers calving icebergs into turquoise
waters. The skies are filled with millions of murres, guillemots and
little auks, whose eggs are just now hatching at countless breeding
colonies located on small islands, mountainsides and sea cliffs within
the park. This is also a great time to encounter marine mammals,
including beluga whales and various Arctic seals. Set among this
incredible scenery and wildlife activity, we also find evidence of
Svalbard’s earliest sealers and whalers.
Northwest Svalbard Nature Reserve
During this voyage, we expect to encounter significant sea ice
concentrations in the enormous Northwest Svalbard Nature Reserve. In
this remote and isolated region, ice can persist very late into the
summer. This reserve covers the rugged northwestern parts of
Spitsbergen and the entirety of Nordaustlandet, the second largest
island in Svalbard. Here we find the massive Austfonna ice cap, part
of which meets the sea along the 45-kilometer ice cliff known as
Bråsvellbreen—one of the great wonders of the Arctic world. The polar
desert environment supports little in the way of vegetation but hosts
prodigious numbers of seabirds at breeding sites such as the
spectacular sea cliffs of Alkefjellet. The probability of encountering
polar bears and walrus in this icy wilderness is very high.
Kvitøya
On this departure, we will go to the eastern and northern regions of
the Svalbard Archipelago – infrequently visited aboard expedition
ships – experiencing the isolation and beautiful remoteness of
Svalbard’s Arctic wilderness areas. We will explore Kvitøya (White
Island), the most rarely visited and closest island to Franz Josef
Land. This island, almost completely covered by ice, became the final
resting place of the balloon expedition of the Swedish polar explorer
Salomon August Andrée. Kvitøya is not always accessible to expedition
ships, but it may provide another opportunity to observe polar bears
in their natural habitat. Another site we hope to explore will be Karl
XII Öya, which is the northernmost part of Svalbard. Polar explorers
Alfred Gabriel Nathorst and Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld visited this
remote island in the 19th century, and now we hope to explore it on a
Zodiac cruise.
Southeast Svalbard Nature Reserve
Truly a pristine and rarely visited wilderness containing hundreds of
uninhabited islands. On the large islands of Edgeøya and Barentsøya,
broad tundra valleys support the territory’s densest population of
endemic Svalbard reindeer. The valleys are also important breeding
areas for ground-nesting birds such as geese, eiders and sandpipers.
Arctic foxes prowl the vast landscape, seeking to provide food for
their young cubs, who are just now emerging from their dens. Shallow,
murky seas are ideal feeding grounds for walrus, which can be seen
resting in large numbers on gently sloping beaches. Historical sites
throughout the islands provide glimpses into the region’s bygone era
of trapping and hunting.
South Spitsbergen National Park
A vast region of varied landscapes including polar deserts and
impassible mountain ranges. The centerpiece of this park is Hornsund,
a picture-perfect fjord where countless mighty glaciers cascade from
soaring mountaintops into icy inlets. The park also includes the
southern shores of Bellsund, a picturesque bay where we find the
remains of historical whaling operations, including wooden boats,
cabins, and thousands of whale bones — a scene from the distant past,
literally frozen in time. Throughout the park, there is always a high
probability of wildlife sightings. There are also plenty of
opportunities for exhilarating hiking through wild polar landscapes
offering fascinating geological stories. Wildflowers will be at their
peak during this time. Because of its extended length, this ambitious
and in-depth Svalbard circumnavigation expedition cruise offers a
comprehensive view of the Arctic’s many faces. Every day offers
something new and exciting. We will not miss a single opportunity to
encounter amazing Arctic wildlife, to witness incredible polar
scenery, and to walk in the footsteps of historic expeditions that
came before.
Day 14: Disembarkation in Longyearbyen, Svalbard
After you enjoy one last buffet breakfast on board, we bid you
farewell in Longyearbyen. We provide transfers to the airport or to
the town center in case you plan to stay longer in Svalbard. By this
time, you may already be making plans for your next amazing trip with
us into the polar realm!