Svalbard & Spitsbergen: Realm of the Polar Bear

Svalbard expedition voyages typically range from 8 to 15 days, almost all embarking and disembarking at the administrative hub of Longyearbyen:

• Round-Spitsbergen (Circumnavigation, 10-14 Days): The crown jewel of Arctic cruising. When ice conditions permit in July and August, ice-class expedition vessels transit the Hinlopen Strait and circumnavigate the entire main island, crossing 80° North into the permanent polar ice cap.
• Spitsbergen Highlights (7-9 Days): Focuses on the dramatic western and northwestern fjords—Kongsfjorden, Krossfjorden, Magdalenefjorden, and the magnificent blue face of Monaco Glacier in Liefdefjorden. Ideal for travelers with tighter schedules.
• Svalbard & East Greenland Odyssey (14-16 Days): Combines polar bear tracking in Svalbard with the massive fjords and icebergs of Scoresby Sund, terminating in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Svalbard is home to more polar bears (approximately 3,000 in the Barents Sea population) than human residents. Key wildlife encounters include:

• Polar Bears on Summer Pack Ice: Under AECO guidelines, captains maneuver vessels into loose drift ice north of Spitsbergen where polar bears hunt seals on ice floes. Encounters from the ship's bow or open observation decks provide world-class, ethical photography opportunities.
• Walrus Haul-Outs at Poolepynten & Moffen Island: Massive Atlantic walruses with ivory tusks congregate in hundreds on low-lying gravel spits, socializing and basking under the midnight sun.
• Alkefjellet 'Guillemot Fortress': Towering 300-foot dolerite cliffs rising sheer from the sea, home to over 60,000 pairs of Brünnich's guillemots nesting in deafening, dramatic spectacle.