Polar Bears, Bowhead Whales, Walruses and More!

This expedition will focus on the diversity of north Spitsbergen's stunning landscapes, vast spans of sea ice, and the many opportunities to spot iconic Arctic wildlife such as whales, Polar Bears, seabirds, Walruses and Reindeer. The Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund  (milijovernfondet.no) recieves a donation included in the price of the trip through Oceanwide Expeditions. Weather permitting, there may be a beach clean-up activity also.

June 9 is the travel day to Svalbard Airport, Longyearbyen, Norway. We will sail for 8 days/7 nights aboard the Plancius, a 293-foot research vessel that was fully rebuilt in 2009. It accommodates 108 passengers in quadruple and twin rooms, each with private shower and toilet. The ship will embark from Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway on the evening of June 10, and returns to port on the morning of June 17 in time to catch flights home.

Land excursions will be made via Zodiac raft. Knowledgeable guides will take advantage of wildlife opportunities and provide detailed information and lectures on wildlife, nature, and history. We will venture into the pack ice and along the remote shorelines of rugged north Spitsbergen for wildlife sightings.

Places we plan to visit include:

Raudfjord

On the north coast of Spitsbergen, we will explore an expansive fjord spilling with glaciers, and may even be visited by Ringed and Bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline at Hamiltonbukta support thriving seabird colonies including rare Brünnich's Guillemots. Here, we will possibly get our first sighting of Polar Bears.

Ytre Norskøya

This small island was used for many years as a lookout point for Dutch whalers, and in fact, we can still follow their tracks to the summit of the island. The remains of 17th-century blubber ovens can also be seen near about 200 whaler’s graves. The north side of the island offers the rare opportunity to see Puffins near their breeding places, and there is even a small colony of Kittiwakes.

Monaco Glacier

Depending on the weather and sea ice, we will sail into Liefdefjorden, and land within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of the glacier are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of Kittiwakes, and the base of the ice is a popular Polar Bear hunting ground.

Northwest of Raudfjord

We aim to sail into the pack ice outside the territorial waters of Svalbard, watching for Polar Bears and Greenland (Bowhead) Whales. As we sail into the Arctic Circle along and in the outer fringes of the ice edge, we will also look for Harp Seals, Hooded Seals, Polar Bears, and migrating seabirds like Little Auks, Brünnich’s Guillemots, and Kittiwakes. Previous voyages in this area have seen up to one hundred Bowhead Whales. We also have the chance to see Northern Bottlenose Whales and the first Fin Whales of the season. The pack ice sailing will be a highlight of this voyage and may take up to three days.

Forlandsundet, St. Johns Fjord, or Alkhornet

Walruses sometimes haul themselves out of the water to sun themselves in Forlandsundet at Poolepynten and seabirds nest on the cliffs. Here, Arctic Foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and Reindeer graze the sparse vegetation.