Description
An exclusive safari led by professional award-winning photographer, David Yarrow. Experience the icy wilderness of Svalbard encountering polar bears and more Arctic wildlife, and learn how to take the best photographs.
Overview
Delve into the high Arctic in search of wild polar bears in a range of Arctic environments. Explore the Svalbard Archipelago with the best guides, as well as award-winning photographer, David Yarrow. Your time aboard will be about getting the best wildlife encounters possible, through great knowledge and real flexibility. David will be on hand giving seminars and presentations, helping you capture photos that will do your once-in-a-lifetime Arctic safari the justice that it deserves. Travelling early in the season, you will experience Svalbard away from the crowds and increase your chances of witnessing polar bear cubs.
On previous departures we have had polar bears right next to the ship, a curious bear attempting to break a harem of walrus, a bear with a recent kill, and sightings of a mother bear with her cubs.
What makes this trip extraordinary
- Receive expert, on-the-ground photography coaching from internationally acclaimed fine art photographer David Yarrow who led a similar safari to Svalbard onboard the Freya in 2019.
- Enjoy the dramatic scenery and incredible wildlife of Svalbard in the spring.
- Experience Svalbard’s incredible icy landscapes, cruise glistening ice fjords and see crashing glaciers.
- Search the pack ice for polar bears hunting seals, and mums and young cubs who emerged from their dens in early April.
- Watch for whales from the bow of the ship.
- Zodiac cruise in immense glacier-fed icy seas.
- Enjoy lectures by an expert naturalist.
Tour Start Date: May 2021
Itinerary
Today you will arrive in Longyearbyen ready to board your expedition ship in the afternoon and start your Arctic adventure, meet your fellow passengers and sail through the spectacular icy fjords of the Svalbard Archipelago. Your Expedition Leaders will be waiting to meet you at your hotel, where you will be transferred to the ship. You will be shown to your cabin and given time to settle in ready to set sail through the spectacular ice fjord in the evening. Please Note: We recommend arriving one day prior to the start of the trip where possible in case of flight delays or delayed luggage. We are happy to help you arrange an extra night in Longyearbyen.
Overnight: M/S Freya
(D)
Spend the next seven nights aboard the M/S Freya exploring the Svalbard Archipelago in search of Arctic wildlife. Svalbard in the spring is a pristine icy wonderland, with snow covering most of the land, and ice as far as the eye can see. Spring brings with it beautiful sunsets that streak across the skies, lighting up the ice with glowing pinks and purples, as the 24-hour daylight of the summer months haven’t yet arrived. Polar bears are setting out to hunt, mums and cubs are emerging from their dens and Svalbard is beginning to come to life again after the long, cold and dark winter. Your exact itinerary will depend upon the weather conditions, the density of the pack ice and wildlife viewing opportunities, but your expert team will be on hand to make sure you get the best out of your time in the land of the polar bear. Spend time cruising through the ice in search of the ‘King of the Arctic’, watch walrus lounging on ice floes, and hopefully catch a glimpse of white Arctic foxes as they hunt along the shores. With much of the archipelago inaccessible due to the thick ice, your trip will stick to as you sail along the edge of the ice. Where there is ice, there are bears! By not having a fixed itinerary we can ensure that we put you in the right place at the right time to maximise wildlife encounters. David Yarrow will be providing on the ground specialist photography coaching to ensure you get that perfect polar bear shot!
Overnight: M/S Freya
(B, L, D)
Having arrived back into Longyearbyen the previous evening, you will disembark the M/S Freya early this morning. Say goodbye to the crew and your fellow passengers before you begin your onward journey home. Depending on your onward travel plans, you will either be transferred directly to the airport or to a hotel in town.
(B)
Accommodation
M/S FREYA
The M/S Freya was built in 1981 in the Åsiverken shipyard in Amal as a lighthouse building vessel. Since then she has been used by the Swedish Coast Guard for environmental protection purposes; as a research ship by the University of Umeå, and has also spent time as a diving vessel. She has recently undergone a full refit as a passenger ship and undertaken her first season exploring the icy shores of Svalbard.
Cancellation Policy
Life is unpredictable and we understand that sometimes you have to cancel or change your trip dates and it is our endeavor to make it as easy as possible for you. However, please understand that we plan everything including guide fees, permits, accommodation and ration in advance. Therefore, any cancellation means inconvenience and certain losses to the people involved in various stages of the program. Keeping that in mind, our cancellation charges are as below,
- Cancellations prior to 30 days from the start of the event: Full refund as cash.
- Cancellations between 30 days and 15 days to the start of the event: 50 % refund as cash.
- Cancellations less than 15 days to the start of the event: No refund.
- Cancellations will be accepted only by email.
Note: We reserve the right to cancel a program before departure in the event of logistical problems arising due to natural calamities, strikes, wars or any other circumstances that make the event inadvisable. In this case, we will refund 50% of the event fees.
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