Realm of the Polar Bear
WEEKLY EXCURSIONS – JUNE, JULY & AUGUST

During the course of one week you will be able to experience the wildlife and extreme environment of the Arctic Ocean. The birdlife is so remarkable that even the most blasé orni­thologists are completely astonished. You will also see seals, in all probability whales and wal­ruses and the ‘king’ himself; the polar bear, in his natural habitat.

The Expedition Leader and the guides will share with you their knowledge of the wildlife, Arctic conditions and history of the area. You will discover hunters’ shelters and other evidence of the fierce conditions endured by the early polar pioneers. We go ashore one or two times every day by zodiacs. Shore excursions normally last two or three hours.

The tour itinerary: The final itinerary is dependent on ice- and weather-conditions, which have to be assessed during the voyage. First we visit Barentsburg and Ny-Ålesund, then we leave civilisation behind. Our aim is to sail to the remote Polar Regions in order to experience the Arctic wilder­ness, drift ice, flora and fauna. The further north and east that we sail, the more ice we will meet. The ice will gradually build up until we see large ice floes with seals resting on them. This is polar bear country, where the bears hunt for their food, and here is your best chance of seeing ‘The King of the Arctic’.

Some years it is possible to sail through the Hinlopen-Strait early in the season, while other years there is a great deal of ice, which makes it hard to sail. We recommend the early tours for those who are keen to see large ice floes and the richest bird life. For those who would rather travel further east and maybe sail around Spitsbergen, a tour later in the season is more advis­able.

Nordaustlandet is the second largest island in the Svalbard archipelago and it lies northeast of Spitsbergen. Most of the island is covered by two huge glaciers. The largest, Austfonna, has a massive ice sheet, 200 kilometres wide. Svalbard’s largest icebergs are formed here.

King Winter never fully lets go of the east coast, as opposed to the west coast where the Gulf Stream provides better opportunities for life both in the sea and on land. The east coast of Sval­bard is magnificent in its infinite stillness. But life in the sea is still plentiful, with krill and other small creatures, which provide the basis of existence for the rich bird life and the mammals of the Arctic Ocean. In earlier times hunters tried their skills here as well, attracted by the large numbers of bears, foxes and walruses. There are many, often tragic, stories about those who struggled to stay alive through the grim winters. Traces of this hunting history may be found at several of the places where we will go ashore.