Realm of the Polar Bear in Depth

Embark on a voyage into the kingdom of the polar bear, exploring the striking glaciers, tundra and fjords of the Svalbard archipelago. Keep your eyes peeled for beluga whale breaking the surface and walrus lazing on the pack ice, as migratory birds call overhead.

Before Constantine John Phipps sailed towards the North Pole in 1773, no scientific descriptions of a polar bear had ever been logged. The explorers didn’t know that the spectacular beasts could weigh as much as ten men, or that the marine mammals could swim, without a break, for days at a time. While the Royal Navy expedition was scuppered by ice in Svalbard, putting an end to plans to make it to the pole, it must have been extraordinary for the sailors to glimpse a precious polar bear for the very first time. While we might know much more about them today, allowing us to do more to protect them, the feeling of seeing one in a frosty landscape that is also home to walrus, whales, puffins and Arctic terns, is as awe-inspiring as ever.

Duration: 12 days

Ship: M/V Greg Mortimer

Depart: May – August

Prices from: US $9,570pp

CA $12,280pp (trip only)

Carbon footprint: 2,119kg CO2e (average pp)

Itinerary

Day 1 Trip starts in Longyearbyen

Day 2 Embark the M/V Greg Mortimer

Day 3 Visit Magdalenefjorden

Days 4-7 Explore Spitsbergen’s Northwest Coast

Days 8-9 Discover Hinlopen Strait and Alkefjellt

Day 10 Cruising around South Cape

Day 11 Sail towards Hornsund and Bellsund Fjords

Day 12 Trip ends in Longyearbyen

Find out more exploreworldwide.com/ GMSO Optional activites

Kayaking

Add on experiences in Longyearbyen (pre/post trip):

Dogsledding on wheels

Electric bike sightseeing

Wilderness evening

Kayak tours