A Picture Perfect Experience in Svalbard

Weaving our way along the edge of the pack ice, we’re likely to be the most northerly civilian ship on Earth and we’re in the ideal place to find polar bears and other Arctic wildlife. The captain moves our small vessel expertly through frozen sea, before parking the bow in the ice. Silence. Absolute silence. All around us is an Arctic heaven. Untouched by man, this vast wilderness is home to polar bear, Arctic fox, walrus and other pinnipeds. Now, we just needed the wildlife to show itself.

Our home for this expedition voyage is the M/S Stockholm. She might be an older girl, but she’s strong – in fact Stockholm is able to go where many ships are not. She’s remarkably stable and has a shallow draft – the perfect base for a dedicated photography expedition, particularly with her two Zodiacs and a skilled team aboard.

After a full day exploring the pack ice, finding tracks of bears all over, we worked our way down the western shores of the island of Nordaustlandet. Standing on the bridge (the place to be when not enjoying the bow, or a coffee in the lounge), I spotted a cream object on the ice-laden shore. “I’m pretty sure it moved”, I said to our expedition leader Christian. Grabbing the scope, Christian confirmed my suspicions. It was our first bear of the expedition. Half of our group had already gone to bed, it was approaching 11pm, while the others were enjoying a nightcap. I knocked on cabin doors and told those enjoying their drinks, and within 10 minutes everyone was kitted up and boarding our Zodiacs.

The next couple of hours were mesmerising. A huge male polar bear put on quite a show. We gave the bear plenty of space, never encroaching and all the while capturing plenty of captivating images. Christian and Beau (our expedition team) expertly moved the Zodiacs, positioning us ahead of the polar bear as he wandered ever further northwards. With our memory cards bursting at the seams with images, we left the bear in peace, and made our way back to the ship. Unbelievable, mesmerising, life-changing, remarkable. The superlatives rolled off of everyone’s tongues. This was the first of seven different polar bears seen on the trip.

Having experienced incredible polar bear sightings on more traditional, larger vessels, this was on another level. The intimacy of the sighting with only two Zodiacs is incomparable and the photography unparalleled.

Of course, this stunning wilderness is home to so much more. We were treated to exceptional encounters with walrus, countless seabirds, some shy seals, and even some distant Svalbard reindeer. Undoubtedly though, it’s the stunning surrounds as winter refuses to relinquish its grip of this icy world.

If, like me, you love getting away from it all, exploring an area of outstanding beauty and you have a desire to capture stunning imagery of iconic wildlife, do join me aboard the M/S Stockholm for a trip of a lifetime.

Images may have been taken using lenses or zoom, which can make wildlife appear closer than it actually is. We adhere to strict wildlife-watching guidelines to ensure that our presence does not disturb the animals or their natural behaviour.

Find out more about our Svalbard Photo Expedition or contact our team today to book your place on a future departure.