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

Practical information

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.

Polarstar Drivis
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

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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.

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