The cold land in the north, Svalbard. Brunnich’s guillemots in formation over ice-filled fjords, walruses with three-day beards, and polar bears on endless roam. The backdrop is jagged mountains and massive glaciers. Can you imagine a better setting for a wilderness dream? Join us on an epic boat journey around Svalbard with Natur&Foto in June 2027. Only 12 spots available.
The cold northern land of Svalbard comes alive on this expedition. Natur&Foto has chartered a boat to create a tailor-made journey for its readers. We depart from Longyearbyen and head north. The entire coastline is captivating, and we’ll stop wherever something interesting happens. The goal is to reach the far north outside the Norwegian continental shelf, where polar bears hunt seals resting on the ice.
With only 12 participants on board, you’ll have plenty of space, time, and peace to capture the magical Arctic moments. At this time of year, it’s light around the clock, and even when the boat is moving, guides in the wheelhouse are always on the lookout for exciting photographic subjects.
Highlights
Polar bears and walruses are clearly the main highlights of Svalbard, but the rest of the wildlife should not be forgotten. We’ll constantly be watching for whales — blue whales, humpback whales, minke whales, fin whales, sei whales, and belugas are all possible sightings. With a bit of luck, we may even spot blue whales and bowhead whales.
On Prins Karls Forland, you’ll find the world’s northernmost colony of bearded seals, which are completely unafraid of humans. And if you venture out in a zodiac near the huge Kongsbreen glacier in Kongsfjorden by Ny-Ålesund, you may encounter a bearded seal with its distinctive long whiskers. Like the walrus, it pays no attention to people in a boat just a few meters away, only slipping into the water when the zodiac pushes against the ice floe.
Kongsfjorden and other fjords on Spitsbergen, such as Raudfjorden, Magdalenafjorden, and Smeerenburgfjorden, are among the most beautiful the archipelago has to offer. Fjord arms with ice floes and small icebergs, a massive glacier at the head, and jagged mountains rising around it create a spectacular sight — it’s no wonder Spitsbergen earned its name.
Most of Svalbard is covered in ice, but there are also green, lush pockets with colorful flowers and grazing Svalbard reindeer and geese, mainly on central Spitsbergen. Svalbard reindeer are unusually tame, short-legged, and stocky, closely related to the high-Arctic Canadian Peary reindeer. Around 10,000 reindeer are spread across the archipelago.
Imposing bird cliffs line the entire coast. One of the most remarkable is “Alkefjellet” in Hinlopen Strait, which is home not to auks but tens of thousands of thick-billed murres nesting on steep cliffs above the sea. Another characteristic bird of Svalbard’s cliffs is the little Brünnich’s guillemot, which nests in thousands among the scree near Longyearbyen. They fly in tight flocks, accompanied by a strange laughter. These plankton-feeders reveal their catch in an enlarged throat pouch. Below these cliffs, Arctic fox families often find abundant food throughout the summer.
The Trip
The main focus of this expedition is photographing large marine mammals: polar bears, walruses, and bearded seals on ice. Everything depends on ice conditions and the weather. Landings are primarily for photographing walruses. Otherwise, the boat sails continuously, with minimal anchoring. We will rotate sleep shifts so someone is always on deck, ensuring we don’t miss polar bear sightings.
For clarity, wildlife can never be guaranteed, but we are confident this trip will provide exceptional encounters with polar bears.
Gallery images: Tom Schandy and Baard Næss
