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.

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 winter expedition you can expect to see wildlife as Arctic Foxes, Svalbard Reindeer and Svalbard Rock Ptarmigans. Sometimes we even see Polar Bears and species like Ringed Seals on the fjord ice. Bird life like Glaucous Gulls is normal to see even in the frozen landscapes of the Arctic winter. In winter time the light will be spectacular sometimes. We look for this and try to explore the landscapes for the experiences and the best situations for photography.

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

Driving snowmobile in Svalbard is one of the most dangerous things you do and we need to travel at at speed that is comfortable for all participants. All driving have to be done safely and like it was instructed from the operator and travel leader. We are cautious about crossing sea ice in case of water and open parts of water in the ice. All participants need to follow behind the next person. One guide will lead and one guide will drive as the last in a colony. During camping we follow the safety rules for avoiding Polar Bear attacks. All participants need to do their part of watching for Polar Bears and we arrange flares around the camp. The safer we feel, the easier it will be for all participants to concentrate on nature and photographic opportunities. The expedition operator and organizer use have all SAR insurances in case of emergency rescue situations.

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 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.

How to drive your snowmobile in Svalbard?

You will be given basic instructions about how to drive your snowmobile safely during the expedition. In the beginning of the expedition we will have several stops to make sure that everyone is comfortable about the driving. The conditions can be very varying from blue sky and a nice track to drive in to low visibility and more difficult tracks. All participants will look after each other and one guide will lead and the other guide will drive as the last in the group. If its really difficult terrain like step hills for short distances the guides will help everyone with the driving. 

Svalbard wildlife is restlessly moving around most of the time. A wildlife photographic expedition like this gives us some challenges about the photographic techniques.

The biggest challenge during an expedition by snowmobiles is to pack the equipment safely and at the same time have it accessible. We recommend to use a good backpack which is possible to place on the snowmobile itself, and not the sled, behind where you sit on the seat. This is the safest and best place to keep it. Its the most sturdy place and a place where the equipment is accessible. In this backpack you should keep the most important equipment you will use. Try to limit the amount of lenses you want to use. A long lens as minimum 500mm should be ready all the time. A zoom lens like 70-200mm is very useable for landscapes. A camera with a wider angle can also be useful. Together with the backpack you should also have a good tripod accessible.

You should bring several(4-5 of them for each camera) fully charged batteries and keep one or two inside your clothes because of the cold. We will have possibility to charge batteries if we accommodate at the cabin, but we rally don´t know if we will be doing that. We will bring a small generator to the cabin.

We will make several stops each day when we see interesting landscapes or wildlife. We also will be moving around a lot because of long distances in the Svalbard wilderness. Sometimes we can wait for hours when its good chances for some wildlife encounters. At this time of the year its daylight 24 hours and possible to photograph 24 hours. In middle of the night though you will not achieve very fast shutter speeds because of low light. You will definitely need a tripod. 

Guides and travel leaders
Accomodation
Snowmobiles for all participants
Gazoline for the snowmobiles
Outer clothing included warm boots and gloves
Helmets when driving
Lunch during the time out in the field
Snack/extra food in case long days
Coffe and tea

Overnight accommodation prior to and after the trip aboard the ship
Personal expenses related to mineral water, alcohol and souvenirs
Travel insurance and cancellation insurance
Airport transfers to/from Svalbard and Longyearbyen
Inner clothing and outdoor clothing