Epic Memories of Svalbard
I was recently in Svalbard, a remote archipelago in the North Sea, located between Greenland and Norway, and between 74° and 81° North latitude. The isolated region is dominated by towering mountains, vast glaciers, and deep fjords shaped by the harsh polar climate, and captivating in its ruggedness and rich history.
It is a place steeped in history with its first documented discovery in 1596 by Dutch seafarer Willem Barentz. There are still traces of the prolific whaling activities dating back to the 17th-century, with whale bones piled along the beach, rusting tools, abandoned huts and even stone covered graves for those who perished. The discovery of minerals brought a shift to mining and a different type of settlement and international presence. It has been governed by The Svalbard Treaty of 1920, which makes Svalbard a unique geopolitical entity – a Norwegian territory, yet with shared resource rights. Norway has implemented strict environmental protections in Svalbard, including preserving over 65% of the archipelago as national parks, nature reserves, and bird sanctuaries, ensuring its fragile Arctic ecosystem remains largely untouched by human activity, but allowing Longyearbyen to be settled and serve as the gateway to the archipelago. This small but vibrant community plays a crucial role as a hub for international Arctic research, tourism, and logistics, and is also home to the Global Seed Vault, emphasizing its role in safeguarding the future.
Tourism in Svalbard is adventure-based with snow mobile safaris, dog sledding, kayaking, hiking to glaciers and exploring ice caves, as well as skiing and snowboarding. However, as the majority of the archipelago is protected and there are requirements to carry firearms due to polar bears, expedition cruising is the easiest and most immersive way to explore the fjords and remote areas in comfort and safety. I travelled on the Seabourn Venture.
One of the features of expedition travel that make it so special is the unpredictability of what you might experience – you are completely at the whim of nature. And while you can research in advance or watch videos, there is nothing like the actual experience of being in front of a glacier and feeling the cool air and the smell of the salt water and the sound of ancient ice moving, or the thrill of seeing a polar bear on the shore or an Atlantic puffin skimming across the waves.
This trip was filled with zodiac excursions and fascinating lectures and beautiful scenes from the deck as we cruised into misty fjords, or past glistening glaciers set against crystal blue skies. Every day was new and filled with anticipation. But there are a few memories that will stay with me for a lifetime, and I’d like to share these.
The absolute standout for me was our zodiac excursion to Poolepynten. Luca, our expedition leader, had given us a wonderful lecture the day prior on what to expect as we visited a peninsula known as being a resting area for a herd of walruses. We were told that we’d land a distance away from the herd to avoid disturbing them, and we would walk along a gravel beach, across a short stream and to the tip of the peninsula where the walruses were resting. As they are skittish animals, we had to walk softly and be as quiet as possible to enjoy the experience without disturbing them. Guests onboard had previously been divided into manageable groups for excursions, and my group was called up for the first excursion of the day – a great turn of luck.
It was incredible to see so many walruses huddled together, sleeping, snorting, and with a few watchful ones keeping an eye on our group. The scene was spectacular with the sea, mountains, glaciers and blue skies in the background. As I strolled back to the landing area, I realized that there had been no zodiacs arriving or leaving for a while and then I saw a larger group of guests standing on the beach; I quickened my step. Right next to the zodiacs, three large male walruses had swum over out of curiosity to visit our group! Everyone was quiet of course but the excitement was palpable. The largest male with enormous tusks got a little too close to one of the zodiacs – one puncture short of disaster – so the expedition guide tapped a pole against the wall of the zodiac and he moved away. It was 20 minutes I will never forget.
Three curious walruses get too close to a zodiac in Svalbard
One afternoon, we enjoyed a few hours of zodiac cruising through the waters at Lilliehookbreen Fjord, home to a vast glacier. The day was clear with blue skies and that beautiful gentle light of the far north. Our expedition leader, Jonathan, was exceptionally knowledgeable and had a lovely way of sharing his knowledge through conversation with guests, inviting questions and providing us all a wonderful space in which to take in the amazing setting. We cruised around mini icebergs, in front of the glacier (safely distanced of course!), saw and listened to glacier calving, talked about the birds we saw, and so much more. He also found us a piece of ancient clear ice where the air bubbles had been compressed through millenia and explained about its dangers to boats and ships. We also took time to just be; to take in the majesty of this incredible setting.
For scale, in the middle photo below, you can see a zodiac on the left dwarfed by the glacier.
Bamsebu is a modest wooden cabin used by whalers until the 1930s, set on a remote peninsula with a wide bay and a beach littered with hundreds of skeletons from beluga whales. The little cabin, now with signature red heart painted on the door, was recently used by two women scientists (Sunniva Sorby and Hilde Falun Strom) who overwintered in 2019-2020 to conduct research on climate change through their program called Hearts in the Ice. They had no insulation, no electricity, no running water, and only themselves for safety and companionship. There were constant threats from polar bears; the window shutters and doors have spikes facing outward as protection. The two women returned for another winter in 2020-2021 to continue their research. I was left in awe of their incredible bravery during this excursion, seeing firsthand the isolation and could only imagine the endurance and commitment they required to survive.
11 pm in Svalbard
Very late one evening onboard, as we were enjoying cocktails in the gently waning sunshine, one of the guests spotted a polar bear swimming across a chanel (the one on the far left). A quick announcement from the Captain and a dash to the side of the ship gave us a distant view of the large bear walking quickly along a peninsula. During our expedition lectures, we had been warned about the speed of polar bears and of course every excursion onto the land included multiple expedition guides situated a good distance away from our group, armed with firearms and taking turns as “spotters”. Polar bears can walk an average of 5.5 kph or run up to 40 kph for short distances; significantly faster than any human. This was a very surreal experience – standing in the sunshine at 11 pm watching a polar bear striding rapidly across a remote beach with enormous snowcapped mountains as a backdrop. Sadly, the bear was too far away for me to photograph clearly, but the memories remain.
On this excursion, we enjoyed a morning of zodiac cruising in a misty fjord where countless birds were nesting. One of the expedition leaders had spotted an arctic fox, so our group raced over hoping for the same good luck. The tiny fox, now in its summer brown fur, was running up and down incredibly steep inclines and using tiny strips of greenery on cliff faces as camouflage. It was moving so quickly that a second’s glance away meant having to search for it again on the rocky slopes. The persistent little fox was trying to reach birds’ nests on the edge of cliffs, only to be chased away repeatedly. Down another cliff and up again to another rookery, and finally success – it managed to get a large egg for its well-earned meal. We were not the only witnesses to this hunt; a sea lion had emerged from the depths and delighted us with the occasional curious peek as we cruised back to our ship.
Exploring the pristine wilderness of Svalbard was nothing short of inspiring - a journey that reminded me of the beauty, fragility, and power of our planet. From towering glaciers to unforgettable wildlife encounters, it was an experience that will stay with me forever.
If this kind of adventure speaks to your soul, I’d love to help you plan your own life-changing expedition.
