Longyearbyen Disembarkation
Our time together drew to a close as we disembarked in Longyearbyen, where the voyage had begun a week earlier. From Hornsund's glacier-filled waters and beluga sightings, to polar bear encounters that reminded us who truly owned this landscape, and onward through fast ice, trapping stations, and th...
Ny-Ålesund
We arrived at Ny-Ålesund, opermanently inhabited settlement at nearly 79° north, and joined the expedition team for a guided walk through this remarkable place. We passed the old coal mine infrastructure and the mast from which Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile departed on their historic airship exp...
Ice Edge
We spent the day at sea, pressing north toward the sea ice. The morning offered a lecture on the glaciers of Svalbard — how they formed, how they moved, and how they had been changing — followed by a talk tracing the arc of human history on these islands, from the first whalers to the geopolitical c...
Texas Bar & Mushamna
A zodiac cruise in Monacobreen, named after Prince Albert I of Monaco who explored these waters at the turn of the 20th century, had to be cancelled as fast ice extended some seven miles from the glacier front, making a Zodiac cruise impossible. We redirected our morning and made our way ashore at T...
Gravnesodden & Bjørnfjorden
We made our way ashore at Gravnesodden, one of the most evocative landing sites on Spitsbergen's west coast. The beach held the remnants of a 17th-century whaling station, and we walked across a white landscape where weathered blubber ovens and rows of small grave mounds marked the final resting pla...
Bellsund
Just before we landed at Bamsebu, another bear was spotted at the landing site; in accordance with safety regulations, the landing was canceled, and we proceeded instead to Calypsobyen, where the impressive remains of a coal-mining endeavor formed the backdrop of our exploration ashore. As condition...
Hornsund
We sailed into the striking glacier-filled reaches of Brepollen, where towering ice formations and quiet waters created a dramatic Arctic panorama. The morning invited us to observe this frozen landscape up close, setting a contemplative tone, already enriched by two earlier polar bear sightings dur...
Longyearbyen
We gathered in Longyearbyen under a crisp Arctic sky, where anticipation quietly shaped the start of our journey. The afternoon unfolded with practical preparations, as we familiarized ourselves with expedition procedures and received essential equipment for the days ahead. A key moment followed wit...