Spitsbergen Photography Adventure – 14 days
Just like a true Arctic adventurer, throw away the itinerary, grab your camera and let wildlife and pack ice decide your route around Svalbard. Guided by your experienced expedition leaders and coached by a team of professional photographers, set off from Longyearbyen and explore the archipelago’s collection of fjords, glaciers and weathered historical sites. 24 hours of daylight will give you plenty of time to search for Arctic wildlife like polar bears and walrus, whales and seabirds, Arctic fox and reindeer. This one-off adventure is the perfect chance to experience the Arctic and bring back incredible images and memories of this unique untouched region.
Trip overview
- Start – Helsinki, Finland
- Finish – Helsinki, Finland
- Destinations – Norway, Finland
- Physical rating – 1/5
- Group size – Max 199
- Refine your skills and become a photography expert, capturing some of the most remote and extraordinary landscapes on earth. Better yet, you’ve got a team of photography experts on hand to help.
- See onboard environmental and scientific lectures and seminars to give you all the Spitsbergen knowledge, plus a couple of photography masterclasses to hone your technique.
- Twice daily zodiac excursions mean there’s plenty of opportunities to get up close to glaciers, icebergs and all types of wildlife. There are more polar bears than people on Svalbard, so get snapping!
- Did someone say midnight snack? Because of the time of year, you’ll experience almost 24 hours of daylight, allowing for sightseeing any time of the day, or night!
- With a flexible voyage itinerary, you’ll only hit the places which are worthwhile and have the best conditions, as your expert polar team to maximise wildlife spotting opportunities each day.
- As you’d expect, temperatures in the Arctic are freezing. A warm parka will be provided along with waterproof boots, but you should also bring base layers and lots of warm clothing. Please see the Essential Trip Information for further important information about what to bring.
- Weather depending, you will be making regular excursions in a Zodiac boat to explore the local area and look for wildlife. If waves are choppy it can get cold and wet on the Zodiac, so make sure you have dressed appropriately and that you keep your camera safe and dry.
- Sturdy sea legs are needed as you make wet and dry landings from the boat, and on steep terrain, snow and other uneven surfaces. Internal stairs are used to navigate between the different levels of the ship, so please hold on to the handrails if seas are rough.
- The weather plays a pivotal part in this adventure and, while your expedition crew will try their best to stick to an itinerary, there are no guarantees that you’ll be able to do everything that is planned for. A level of flexibility and openness to embracing the unexpected are important in expedition travel, especially in such a remote area.
- This trip takes places during the Arctic summer, which features an incredible 24 hours of daylight. Just one of the benefits of this is that wildlife can be seen at any time of the day.
- Polar bears are one of the most incredible and awe-inspiring animals on the planet, but they are also powerful predators with little fear of humans. Your expedition leaders are trained in polar bear safety and it is therefore crucial that you follow your leader’s instructions and do not stray from your group. If you catch sight of a bear never approach it – stay calm and immediately inform your guide. Lastly, never leave food anywhere in an attempt to lure polar bears.
Boats
If you’re looking to take your polar adventure to the next level, Ultramarine is designed to help you discover amazing new places.
Itinerary
Your arctic adventure begins in Helsinki, where you may arrive at any time today. Known for its extraordinary architecture, Helsinki is a great place to spend time, exploring the many museums, galleries and restaurants. Perhaps relax at a Finnish sauna or wander the vibrant Design District before retiring at your included hotel.
This morning, transfer to the airport and board your private charter flight to Longyearbyen – Spitsbergen’s largest settlement – where you’ll have some time to explore before boarding the ship. You may want to visit the Svalbard or North Pole museums to learn more about the local history, or perhaps grab a beer at the Svalbard Brewery. After boarding the ship, head out on deck to enjoy great vistas of the mountainous landscape that serves as a backdrop for this historic town.
You will be transferred from the airport to Longyearbyen town for some free time until the afternoon. Your luggage will then be transferred directly to the ship to be placed in your cabin. A shuttle will be arranged to pick you up from the centre of town later in the afternoon when the ship is ready to depart. A more detailed itinerary of the day’s events will be provided closer to date as part of your final pre-departure briefing.
Spitsbergen is graced with an unspoiled beauty that’s just waiting to be discovered. On this one-of-a-kind cruise, you’ll sail along the west coast of this magical island, exploring the coastal fjords and smaller, outlying islands. Each day will be a surprise, treating you to spectacular new sightings and experiences.
Every expedition is unique, depending on the weather and ice conditions, but we do hope to visit a few of our favorite landing sites, which will be chosen as much for their optimal wildlife-viewing opportunities as for their stunning scenery, historical significance and hiking activities. With no fixed itinerary (unusual amongst polar cruises), our main goal will be to sail in a constant search for polar bears on the prowl, based on ice and weather conditions, with the aim to maximize wildlife encounters and prioritize photographic opportunities. This means we may not move the ship every day as we do on regular voyages, especially if we find abundant wildlife in one place. Like true explorers, we’ll let the wildlife and pack ice—not a set schedule—guide our route!
Presentations by onboard experts in areas of photography, history and the natural sciences will prepare you for the adventures that await, and with continuous daylight during this time of year, photo opportunities abound. You’ll have ample time to photograph any bears we are fortunate to find hunting on the ice edge, but they’re not the only wildlife we hope to encounter. The food-rich waters attract walrus, whales and seabirds, so you’ll want to keep your binoculars nearby while cruising. Arctic fox and the endemic Svalbard reindeer may also be spotted on Zodiac excursions to shore.
A haven for present-day explorers, Spitsbergen and the surrounding area offer unforgettable polar experiences that will keep you and your camera active for the duration of the expedition. Although 60 percent of the landscape is covered in glaciers and much of the terrain is mountainous, Spitsbergen (which means “pointed mountains”) surprises visitors with stretches of colorful tundra that burst with wildflowers in summer, perfect for macro photography. Optional hiking activities get you up close—though never obtrusively—to the abundant wildlife. At day’s end, you’ll have plenty of prized photographs and exciting stories to share with your shipmates.
Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy and excitement of expedition travel. When traveling in extremely remote regions, your expedition staff must allow the sea, the ice and the weather to guide route and itinerary details. This itinerary is a tentative outline of what you’ll experience on this voyage; please be aware that no specific itinerary can be guaranteed.
Your adventure ends in the frontier-style settlement of Longyearbyen. From here, we’ll transfer you to the airport for your return group charter flight to Helsinki.
If you wish to organise an onward connection from Helsinki, please book flights departing three hours after your charter flight lands. Exact flight details will be sent to you in the final joining instructions.
Inclusions
