Svalbard wildlife
expedition

May 10 - 18 2022

ARCTIC WILDLIFE TOURS EARLY MAY EXPEDITION 2022 OVERVIEW

Welcome to one of our Svalbard tours in May 2022. The early summer season is a truly unique month, when the sky is bright yet the landscape remains covered in snow and ice. Svalbard changes rapidly at this time of the year. The drift ice and fjord ice melts, forcing the wildlife to follow. We will also meet flocks of birds migrating northwards.

By May there is already constant light from the midnight sun. The light will be harsh if the sky is clear in the daytime, but the sun is lower in the sky during the night. Clouds will lower the impact from the sunlight and create different patterns and possibilities for pictures. Nights can still be very cold and it’s possible to see wildlife resting and hunting on the ice-covered fjords.

In this bright winter-like environment, you can experience wildlife encounters in picture-perfect icy conditions by joining our Svalbard photo expedition. Our wildlife expeditions are the ultimate in polar exploration at any time of year, but in May the light conditions combined with snow and ice covered landscapes create some iconic photo opportunities.

Nature in the High Arctic constantly changes. On Svalbard, every day is different, and every year is different. The Norwegian-owned company Arctic Wildlife Tours leads this Svalbard tour, a remote area we know and love. That’s important, because this is a land where your guides must know how to handle the constantly-changing weather conditions, drift ice, and wildlife on the move 24 hours a day.

The expedition ship MS Malmö is a ship well-suited to polar explorations. Our Norwegian and Swedish guides that will lead the trip together with experienced crew members all speak excellent English and have long experience hiking and exploring Svalbard.

Wondering what to expect? Please get in touch for more information and to talk about what you can expect.

Also, you can read about some of our previous trips on our Be Inspired pages.

Dates: May 10 - 18 2022
Duration: 8 nights/9 days
Embark the ship: Longyearbyen, May 10 16:00
Disembark the ship: Longyearbyen, May 18 09:00

Superior cabin, private facilities,0 spots available
NOK 72 500,- pr. pax

Double cabins, private facilities,0 spots available
NOK 65 500,- pr. pax

Single cabin, shared facilities, 0 spots available
NOK 69 500,- pr. pax

Available spots might not be updated at all times. Please ask for update on how many cabins that still are available and which type of cabins by sending us an inquiry. The cabins are double shared cabins, in case you need a single cabin, please ask us.

Ship: MS Malmö

BOOKING INQUIRY

Practical information

General information about Svalbard

The Svalbard Islands are located in the Arctic Ocean, halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Here, you will find untouched arctic wilderness and unique wildlife in a setting that is both rugged and fragile at the same time.

In addition to a few thousand polar bears, the islands are home to almost 3,000 human inhabitants, over 2,000 of which live in Longyearbyen, the administrative centre and largest settlement of the islands. This small and colourful community has gone from a typical village town to a modern community with different kinds of businesses and industries, and with a surprisingly wide range of cultural activities and opportunities, such as concerts, shows, festivals and exhibitions.

“Svalbard” means “cold coasts” and was first mentioned in Icelandic texts in the 12th century. However, the archipelago has a relatively mild climate compared to other areas at the same latitude. In Longyearbyen, the average temperature ranges from -14°C in winter to 6°C in summer. The lowest temperatures in winter can reach -30°C and in summer nearly 20°C.

What you can expect on this Svalbard tour

The trip will be flexible. Photographic opportunities are the most important issue but for those that only come for experiencing the wildlife and Svalbard nature this is a nice opportunity. During this photo and wildlife expedition we will eat when we have time and photograph when the light is the best, and when we have the good situations.

Svalbard is situated at 78-79 degrees north and you are in the High Arctic when you arrive there. The weather is constantly changing at these latitudes. Please study the information about clothing and travels to Svalbard. During our expedition you can expect to se wildlife as Polar Bears, Walruses, Seals, Whales, Arctic Foxes, Svalbard Reindeer and a variety of bird species that is common in these Arctic regions. Sometimes we do long transport legs of sailing and sometimes we stay in one spot experiencing and photographing the nature and wildlife.

Safety in the Arctic

Our safety will have top priority during the entire photo expedition and security will be provided by the Svalbard expedition leaders, guides and the crew. We adhere to all applicable safety regulations, especially with regards to polar bears.

This also pertains to use of the Zodiac boats (inflatable’s) in close proximity to icebergs and glacial edges where there may be elements of risk which are not apparent. The safer we feel, the easier it will be for all participants to concentrate on nature and photographic opportunities. The expeditions and the ships we use have all SAR insurances in case of emergency rescue situations.

Ethics for wildlife viewing

We shall not during this wildlife expedition contribute to existing negative impressions of nature photographers and travellers who visit Svalbard.

We will therefore be scheduling longer stops than usual when going ashore in order to provide participants with ample time needed to get excellent pictures without exposing the wildlife to unnecessary stress. Our strategy will be to await situations with wildlife and let the wildlife come to us and not opposite by chasing it. Often this gives us real interesting photographic opportunities and great wildlife experiences in the fragile refuges of the High Arctic Svalbard areas.

Zodiac boats in Arctic waters

We will use 2 Zodiacs when we cruise the Arctic waters of Svalbard searching for wildlife or going ashore for hiking. This will give all photographers great flexibility when taking pictures.

The boats will be used to get closer to photo subjects or having different angels to the subjects we will photograph. Getting closer also means greater wildlife experinces. It is a good idea to bring rubber boots due to certain wet conditions when exploring ashore. We will use life wests whilst in the zodiacs during normal summer expeditions by ships. If needed, extra clothing can be provided by the crew onboard the ship. Zodiac cruises can last from one hour to several hours depending on what we se of interest. Please ask the guides or crew about what clothing you need during the cruises.

Info concerning photography

Svalbard wildlife is restlessly moving around most of the time. During summer the lighting is good, also during night, because of midnight sun. A wildlife photographic expedition like this gives us some challenges about the photographic techniques.

The ship’s engine and movements in the sea may present problems when photographing polar bears, etc. A monopod, IS (VR) lenses or handheld photography may present a solution. This problem is minimal under lighting conditions that allow a min. 1/1600 sec shutter speed even with a 600mm lens mounted on a tripod. It is advisable to bring a laptop in order to transfer and review pictures as quickly as possible. You can easily surpass 10,000+ exposures during your expedition to Svalbard, so an external hard drive or lots of available space on your computer’s drive is the best way to go. There are 220V outlets in the ship for charging batteries, etc. There may be ocean fog and poor lighting conditions on Svalbard so fast optics are a definite advantage.

Food onboard

Included in the Svalbard Tour Price

Not included in the Svalbard Tour Price

WHY WE PREFER SVALBARD

Dramatic landscapes
In April the landscapes are still lit by a low sun during evenings and mornings and mountain tops will be colored from the redish late evening light. The landscapes are still covered with snow and the glaziers are still frozen in the grip of the winter. Wildlife still rest and live on the ice covered fjords after a long winter.

Polar Bear viewings
After our opinion Svalbard is the best place in the world to find and experience Polar Bears. Its truly something unique to nature enthusiasts, photographers and modern explorers. In spring, like early May, Svalbard is still covered by snow and the fjords are frozen. This is great places to search for wildlife.

Other wildlife
We will see Walruses resting on ice or on land, Minky Whales playing around the ship, Bearded Seals and migrating birds from south is increasing day by day; there is an unbelievable amount of wildlife to encounter during an adventure around Svalbard.

SVALBARD AND THE SEASONS

Often referred to by the name of its largest island, Spitsbergen, Svalbard forms part of Norway and, with just 2000 inhabitants, has a very small population. Compared to this the Svalbard population of Polar Bears is 3000 animals. The main cause of this is the harsh weather conditions - in the winter months, thick ice and snow carpets the archipelago. Spitsbergen were discovered by explorer Willem Barentzs in 1596, whilst finding a route to the Far East.

The best time to see polar bears in Svalbard is usually in the summer months, as the ice encompassing the archipelago melts enough for us to navigate the icy waters. At this time, the midnight sun reigns over the dramatic landscapes, casting an ever-glowing, ambient light on the surroundings. In autumn, when the midnight sun is replaced by some fascinating sunsets, the red colors from the sunlight shining through the atmosphere bring back some stunning light situations throughout the Svalbard nature before the polar night covers everything in darkness.

Estimated travel route during this photo tour

Itinerary

This photo tour and itinerary will be planned in accordance with prevailing weather and ice conditions. In early May it will still be lot of fjord ice and drifting ice, which limit the areas that is accessible, on the other hand the conditions with snow covered landscapes and frozen fjords will be great experiences this time of the year.

Day 0 We always recommend to arrive Longyearbyen at least one day and night in advance.

Day 1 Departure from Longyearbyen through Isfjorden. Heading north or south, depending on the drift ice situation, into the drifting ice. We also search in the fjords, which will still be frozen and give great opportunities for seeing wildlife.

Day 1-8 We set course for the areas where we know we will meet the drift ice. No matter if we sail north or south this will be the focus. Some of the fjords and islands will be interesting to visit and we will search systematically for wildlife wherever we go. The fjords will still be frozen in this time of the year.

The route is just a estimate for where we can sail. This can, and probably will, be changed as we know this from our earlier expeditions.

Day 9 Leaving the ship after breakfast and prepare the travel home.

Booking Information

Booking Inquiry for Svalbard photo expedition

Registration: You register by sending in the booking forms we send you upon your request. This inquiry is not a binding booking.

After sending us an inquiry we will send you the booking forms by email. Send in the completed reservation/booking after receiving them. We will inform you about deposit payments and payment method as soon as you inquire with us. Payments can be done either by wire transfer or credit card payments. Receiving your booking form and a deposit payment will be a confirmed booking.