We are back after two months on Svalbard, having cruised through all the magic of Arctic winter. Conditions were great with plenty of sea ice and we were extremely lucky with the weather more or less throughout the entire stay. The fjords had frozen more than usual, thanks to the pack ice of the north, that had drifted south and embraced the islands earlier this year. This gave a cooling effect leading to more local ice. Even though the long term trend with melting ice is clear, there are still some variations from year to year. Great right now for the polar bears of Svalbard who desperately need this ice to thrive and survive. We had countless of beautiful encounters with polar bears, some of them very unique. We spent time with bear mothers and small cubs, had orcas around the ship for hours, experienced the last few weeks before the midnight sun with the most amazing colors and sunsets over the ice, we visited the North Pole pack-ice above 80° north, had walrus investigating us and the ship (one almost stole a camera), met seals, foxes, reindeer, belugas… and of course all the stunning scenery around Svalbard which was more beautiful than ever. But best of all has been the wonderful people we have had the privilege of sharing all this with. Friendships for life. Thank you all.
You can read more about past expeditions here.
