Svalbard spring
Expedition

April 29 - May 07 2019

SVALBARD SPRING PHOTO EXPEDITION 2019 OVERVIEW

Explore the Arctic wildlife into the ice

WHY THIS SVALBARD POLAR BEAR
EXPEDITION WILL BE UNIQUE

Our expeditions is the ultimate in polar exploration. Svalbard is the Norwegian owned company Arctic Wildlife Tours a well known back yard. This is a land where the guides and travel leaders need to know how to handle the constantly changing weather, drifting ice conditions and wildlife on its move 24 hours a day. Every day is different and every year is different, the High Arctic nature is in a ever lasting changing mode.

Join this exclusive small ship charter navigating through the Svalbard wilderness and icy waters of the High Arctic. We do focus on photographic opportunities but our expeditions are well suited for anyone interested in wildlife experiences. The guides aboard the small vessel MS Malmö are Norwegian and Swedish, all of them have long experiences hiking and exploring the Norwegian and Svalbard nature. From 2019 we will also bring an assisting guide that will work together with the travel leader and main guide to spot wildlife.The expedition ship MS Malmö is a well suited ship to do expeditions in Svalbard. During our expeditions we are commonly used to find between 10-20 Polar Bears, sometimes between 30-40. Please contact us and talk to us about what you can expect and for more information.

This will be a specialized Svalbard photo expedition, but not only for the professionals. If you are an amateur or a new beginner with your camera this journey still suites you! This particular Svalbard expedition and photo tour will last 8 nights onboard MS Malmö. Read about some of the previous trips on Be Inspired pages.

Dates: April 29 - May 07 2019
Duration: 8 nights
Embark: Longyearbyen, April 29 16:00
Disembark: Longyearbyen, May 07 09:00

Superior cabin, private facilities,0 places available
NOK 65 000,- pr. pax

Double cabins, private facilities,0 places available
NOK 55 000,- pr. pax

Double cabins, shared facilities, 0 places available
NOK 52 500,- pr. pax

Ship: MS Malmö

Practical information

WHY WE PREFER SVALBARD

Dramatic landscapes
The landscapes are still lit by a low sun and some mountain tops will be colored from the redish late evening light, mountains are still covered with snow and the glaziers are still frozen in the grip of the winter.

Polar Bear viewings
After our opinion this is the best place in the world to find and experience Polar Bears. Its truly something unique to nature enthusiasts and modern explorers.

Other wildlife
Polar Bears of course, Walruses resting on ice or on land, Blue Whales playing around the ship and swarms of birdlife; 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. Normally we will still have the drift ice close in June/July and where we can sail will be a decision made from the ice situation. We will have two alternative routes, either to the vest and north or to the south and east. In April/May the areas that is accessible probably will be more limited than later in summer.

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.

Day 1-8 We set course for the areas where we know we will meet the drift ice. If we sail north or south this will be the focus. Some of the fjords and islands is 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. The photo tour ends.

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.

Booking Inquiry

READ SOME OF THE BLOGS FROM THE SVALBARD TOURS

Blog posts about Svalbard

stefano unterthiner

National Geographic photographer Stefano Unterthiner

24. January 2023

Stefano Unterthiner join us regularly for doing workshops we now have named Masterclass onboard. Stefano recently gave out his book about climate changes on Svalbard. Growing up in the mountains of Northwest Italy, Stefano Unterthiner…

Read more
svalbard photography opportunities

The return of the Walrus on Svalbard

26. December 2022

The Walrus is one of the species we see more and more in Svalbard. The populations are growing after being almost exterminated back in the 1960`s. The story about the return of the Walrus on Svalbard…

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arctic photography expeditions

Photographer Ömer Acar on photographing polar bears and swimming in polar water

8. November 2022

With a love for spending time in nature, and wanting to photograph wildlife in the arctic circles, Ömer Acar booked a trip to exotic Svalbard through Arctic Wildlife Tours AS.

Read more