Photography Workshops

For our North Spitsbergen Voyage 18th – 25th June, we will be bringing onboard our above and below water photographer, Andy Davies, to provide onboard photography workshops and assist people with their camerawork when on shore. Most of Andy’s focus will be above water; but diving is an option on this voyage and for the benefit of those who dive, or those who just want to see what lives beneath the polar ice, Andy will be getting into the water to take images on a planned 2 – 3 occasions.

Andy will be joined on this voyage by polar marine expert and former Scientific Diving Supervisor for the British Antarctic Survey, Kelvin Murray, who will further be able to assist with interpretation of the Marine Life of Spitsbergen. Those who joined this voyage in June 2011 were lucky enough to see 5 species of whales, including blue whales, fin, minke, humpback and beluga whales. This is in addition to a dozen polar bears, walruses, Arctic foxes, ptarmigan, reindeer, ivory gulls and thousands of migratory seabirds.

This is a sample only based upon an 8 day voyage. The final itinerary will be determined by the Expedition Team and is influenced by local conditions such as sea ice, wind and weather. The extent of sea ice is particularly unpredictable time in the early summer, which helps to make for an altogether more exploratory feel to a voyage.

Day 1
Arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen.  Before embarking there is the opportunity to wander into and explore this former mining town.  We suggest you use the opportunity to visit the Svalbard Museum, which has an interesting collection on the history of Spitsbergen, the mining industry and polar exploration.  In the early evening the ship will sail out of Isfjorden.

Day 2
At Krossfjorden we take to the Zodiacs for an exhilarating cruise along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier. Large numbers of Kittiwakes and Brünnich's Guillemots nest on the nearby cliffs. There is a good chance of spotting Arctic Foxes, who patrol the base of the cliffs in case a hapless chick falls from its nest and Bearded Seals, who cruise this scenic fjord. In the afternoon we sail to Ny Ålesund, the world's most northerly settlement. Once a mining village - served by the world's most northerly railway, which can still be seen - Ny Ålesund is now a research centre. Close to the village is a breeding ground for Barnacle Geese, Pink-footed Geese and Arctic Terns. Visitors interested in the history of Arctic exploration will want to walk to the anchoring mast used by Amundsen and Nobile in the airship Norge in 1926 and Nobile in the airship Italia in 1928 before their flights to the North Pole.

Day 3
Depending in the weather, we may sail to the mouth of Liefdefjorden, and go ashore for a walk on the tundra island of Andøya.  A great number of common eiders and pink-footed geese nest here, the rarer king eider may also be seen.  Sailing into Liefdefjorden, we will cruise close to the face of the impressive Monaco Glacier.  The waters of the glacier front are a favoured feeding ground for thousands of kittiwakes and occasionally polar bears are spotted on the glacier, providing fantastic opportunities for photography.

Day 4
On and around the ice at the entrance to the Hinlopen Strait, there is a good chance of seeing Bearded and Ringed Seals, Polar Bears and Ivory Gulls. On the eastern side of Lomfjordshalvøya we take a Zodiac cruise through the ice floes to the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet, where thousands of Brünnich's Guillemots nest in a spectacular setting. The basalt pillars, rising hundreds of meters, and the overhanging ice cap with its waterfall are awe-inspiring sights. We hope to make an evening landing on the island of Nordaustlandet, the most northerly of the major Spitsbergen islands. Reindeer graze the sparse vegetation of this largely ice-covered island, where Pink-footed Geese, Walrus and a rare Ivory Gull colony are also found.

Day 5
Today we will reach our northernmost point at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet.  Here, at 81 degrees north and just 540 miles south of the geographic north pole, polar bears, ivory and Ross gulls inhabit this region.  Several hours may be spent in this pack ice environment taking in the spectacular Arctic landscape and spotting wildlife before turning south again.

Day 6
Retracing our route westwards, we visit Raudfjord on the north coast of West Spitsbergen, a beautiful fjord dominated by spectacular glaciers and favoured by Ringed and Bearded Seals.  The cliffs and shoreline of the fjord also support thriving seabird colonies and surprisingly rich vegetation which flourishes in sheltered spots.  On the offshore island of Ytre Norskøya, we visit the large graveyard of a 17th century Dutch whaling site - a poignant reminder of the threats posed to the oceans' great marine mammals.  The island's birdlife is prolific, with colonies of Little Auks, Black Guillemots, Brünnich's Guillemots, Puffins and Arctic Skuas accessible to visitors.

Day 7
We land at the northern tip of Prins Karls Forland near Fuglehuken, where Barentsz probably set foot on Spitbergen for the first time.  Seabirds nest on the cliffs and along the coast we see the only population of Harbour Seals in Spitsbergen.  Further on, we will also observe the remains of the Polar Bear hunting era, with demolished gun sets and bear traps - yet another reminder of the consequences of thoughtless exploitation.  The opposite site of Forlandsundet at Sarstangen, is where walruses haul themselves out of the water onto land.  Alternatively we sail into St. Johns Fjord or south to the mouth of Isfjorden and land at Alkhornet.  Seabirds nest on its cliffs and Arctic Foxes search the cliff base for fallen eggs and chicks, while Spitsbergen Reindeer graze the relatively luxuriant vegetation.  The reindeer are deceptively unpeturbed by human presence, but in fact, the animals must survive the harsh winter, when temperatures plummet and food is hard to find, so they preserve what energy they can, and flee only when absolutely necessary.  In the afternoon we cruise through beautiful Borebukta, following a glacier front before continuing to Longyearbyen.

Day 8
Return to Longyearbyen and disembark for the transfer to the airport and the flight to Oslo then home.