Svalbard wildlife
expedition

July 26 - August 05 2023

JOIN US IN EARLY AUGUST ONBOARD THE MS FREYA

Nature in the High Arctic constantly changes. On Svalbard, every day is different, and every year is different. Arctic Wildlife Tours guides leads this expedition to Svalbard, 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.

In August, Arctic nature is at its most intense and best. A lot of the snow has melted yet some of it remains, creating interesting patterns in the landscape. Polar bears and diverse birdlife are on the move and so it’s easier to see Svalbard wildlife at this time of year. Migrating birdlife is still at its nesting places. We still want to find the wildlife on ice so we go far north and search in the drift ice and perhaps in front of the glaciers.

Experience wildlife encounters in picture-perfect icy conditions by joining our Svalbard travel photography expedition in the summer. This exclusive small ship charter trip navigates through the Svalbard wilderness and icy waters of the High Arctic on board the expedition ship MS Freya. You will never forget it. Exclusively tour with maximum 12 guests onboard the spacious and modern ship MS Freya.

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

Dates: July 26 - August 05 2023
Duration: 10 nights/ 11 days
Embark: Longyearbyen, July 26 16:00
Disembark: Longyearbyen, August 05 09:00

Superior double cabin, private facilities, 0 spots available
NOK 97 500,- pr. pax

Double cabins, private facilities, 0 spots available
NOK 92 500,- pr. pax

Single cabins, private facilities, 0 spots available
NOK 92 500,- 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 would like to book one of our double cabins as a single occupancy, please ask us.

Ship: MS Freya

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 July the snow covered mountains have been replaces by only stripes of old snow in the landscapes and black and grey in between. The landscapes are still dramatic, depending on where in Svalbard you travel. At the north east corner of Spitsbergen we can watch very dramatic and alpine landscapes.

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, Minky Whales playing around the ship, Bearded Seals and birdlife at its best; Blue Whales and Bowhead Whales can be seen some places. We are talking about July. At this time of the year 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

Svalbard is situated at about 80 degrees north, so we schedule the expedition in accordance with prevailing weather and ice conditions. The map on this page shows the estimated route for this expedition. It might change according to ice situation and weather but this route will be possible to do in July. Sometimes we can reach almost 83 degrees north this time of the year. We will spend most of the time searching for Polar Bears, Bowhead Whales, Seals and some of the birdlife we will find in these areas.
We will also visit some interesting places on the islands of Svalbard and we may do some landings for Walruses or other wildlife.

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

Day 1 Departure from Longyearbyen throughout Isfjorden. Heading north to the drifting ice.

Day 2-10 Looking for wildlife around Sjuøyane and up in the drifting ice. Visiting Storøya, or even Kvitøya far east, if the weather is good. Depending on the ice conditions and weather we will choose the route for this Svalbard photo expedition. It will be varying from year to year and the ice conditions is the most important consideration we do before deciding where to go.

The route illustrated in the map on this page is just a estimate for where we will sail. It could be changed depending on the ice conditions. Maybe we have to sail much further to the north to reach the ice.

Day 11 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.