Birds and mammals in the KINGDOM of the POLAR BEAR!
NEW! Head to Svalbard in the Arctic Circle, with Bird Watching Magazine
This fabulous trip to the 'Kingdom of the Polar Bear' takes place in July and August 2023, and is organised by Bird Watching magazine in partnership with Heatherlea. We join a cruise which will seek out Polar Bear, Walrus and many arctic birds, and also enjoy the culture and history of this unique environment in the frozen far north. We have a particular focus on Polar Bear, and hope for a number of excellent sightings!
We travel around the entire archipelago, beginning and ending in the picturesque capital, Longyearbyen. We travel in late-July to give the best opportunity to see many bears, and the wonderful summer scenery and varied wildlife guarantee a fascinating tour. We take advantage of long daylight hours: be sure at the end of the day to spend time outside on deck and marvel at the low sun, lighting the mountains as the sea turns a vivid orangepink. It may be some time before you make it back to your cabin!
Wilderness tour
On this tour, we seek birds and mammals in the high-arctic wilderness, targetting all available species. Svalbard is home to countless birds nesting on spectacular cliffs, though by the time of our voyage, the breeding season is largely over, and most have left their nests and are found on open waters. There are huge populations of Little Auk, Brünnich’s Guillemot, Puffin, Razorbill and Kittiwake. Glaucous Gull, Fulmar and Black Guillemot. Snow Buntings, the only common passerine, are virtually everywhere. Purple Sandpiper, Red-throated Diver, Ptarmigan, Great and Arctic Skua, Long-tailed Duck and Eider are found widely, Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese breed on the many shoreline meadows where melting snows reveal vegetation, and Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua are usually seen. Ivory Gulls are often found singly, breeding Sabine's Gulls are rare though possible, King Eider and Red Phalarope are local but quite common, and we expect the unexpected, with occasional rarities including Pectoral Sandpiper.
As well as Polar Bear we seek Walrus, Arctic Fox, Svalbard Reindeer and other marine mammals including beautiful Beluga Whale, and Bearded and Harp Seals.
The days are still long at this time of year, and there will be plenty of birds around. N.B. even in late-July, it may be impossible to circumnavigate Svalbard owing to the accumulation of northern pack ice. Whatever happens, you will never forget the unique wildlife of this harsh, beautiful land, so join us on this experience of a lifetime!
We expect to see many, if not most, of these species;
BIRDS: Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Fulmar, Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose, Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Eider, King Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Ptarmigan, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Grey Phalarope, Pomarine Skua, Arctic Skua, Long-tailed Skua, Great Skua, Sabine’s Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Blackbacked Gull, Kittiwake, Ivory Gull, Arctic Tern, Common Guillemot, Brünnich’s Guillemot, Black Guillemot, Little Auk, Puffin, Snow Bunting.
MAMMALS: Polar Bear, Arctic Fox, Svalbard Reindeer, Walrus, Bearded Seal, Ringed Seal, Harp Seal, Common Seal, cetaceans including Beluga and Minke Whale.
OUTLINE ITINERARY
Day 1: Saturday 22 July 2023 Flights to Oslo
We fly from London to Oslo, then transfer to our comfortable hotel near the airport. Flights are available from other UK departure points.
Day 2: Oslo Longyearbyen
After breakfast, we return to the airport for our flight to Longyearbyen, the administrative centre of the Svalbard archipelago. We may have time to stroll around this colourful former mining town, adorned with Snow Buntings. Though the countryside round about appears stark and unforgiving, more than a hundred species of plant have been recorded on Spitsbergen and, at this time of year, we are likely to see quite a few, as we are there in the middle of their short flowering season. We board M/V Hondius in the afternoon, and by early evening our ship sails out of Isfjorden, where we might spot the first Minke Whale of the voyage.
Day 3: North to Krossfjorden
Heading north along the west coast, we will arrive in Krossfjorden where we may board the zodiacs for a cruise near the towering blue-white face of the Fourteenth of July Glacier. On the green slopes near the glacier, colourful flowers bloom and hundreds of Kittiwakes and Brünnich’s Guillemots nest on the cliffs, and some should still be present.
We have a good chance of spotting an Arctic Fox scouting for food, or a Bearded Seal paddling through the fjord.
In the afternoon we continue on to Ny Ålesund – the northernmost settlement on Earth. Once a mining village served by the world’s most northerly railway – you can still see its tracks – Ny Ålesund is now a research centre. Close to the village is a breeding ground for Barnacle Geese, Pink-footed Geese, and noisy Arctic Terns. And, for those interested in the history of arctic exploration, we can visit the anchoring mast used by polar explorers Amundsen and Nobile in their airships, Norge (1926) and Italia (1928).
Day 4: The massive Monaco Glacier Depending on the weather, we may sail into Liefdefjorden and cruise within sight of the three-mile long face of the precipitous Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this glacier are a favourite feeding spot for thousands of birds, predominantly Kittiwake. And the base of the ice is a popular Polar Bear hunting ground. If ice conditions prevent sailing here, we may have to use an alternative route along the west coast of Spitsbergen.
Days 5 to 6: The Seven Islands
The northernmost point of our voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet, in the Seven Islands. Here we will reach 80° north, just 540 miles from the geographic North Pole. Polar Bears inhabit this region, so the ship may anchor for several hours among the pack ice to give us the best chance of seeing these mighty predators before we wheel around west again. If the edge of the sea ice is a long way from the
Seven Islands (as generally happens later in the summer season), we may spend a second day in this area. Alternatively, if the sea ice is nearer land, we may head to Sorgfjord, where we have the chance to find a herd of Walrus
not far from some graves of 17th Century whalers. A walk in this area should produce close-up views of Ptarmigan with young.
Day 7: The Many Highlights of Hinlopen Strait
Today, if sea ice allows, we sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to Bearded and Ringed Seals as well as Polar Bear. At the entrance to the Strait, keep your eyes peeled for the gigantic Blue Whale. After taking an exhilarating Zodiac ride through the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya, we will see Alkefjellet – a massive seabird cliff with its famous Brünnich’s Guillemot colony. Again, if the sea ice allows, we may attempt a landing on the east side of Hinlopen Strait where Svalbard Reindeer, Pink-footed Goose, and Walrus are likely sightings. We may also encounter Walrus on an (optional) coastline hike over raised beaches near Torrelneset, where the polar desert of Nordaustlandet can be found, next to the world’s third-largest ice cap. Highlights are plentiful today!
Day 8: Barentsøya’s many bounties
The plan is to land in Freemansundet, and although the sea ice isn’t likely to be a problem, Polar Bear activity sometimes make this impossible! Other potential stops on the island of Barentsøya include Sundneset (for an old trapper’s hut), Kapp Waldburg (for its Kittiwake colony), and Rindedalen (for a walk across the tundra habitat). On Kapp Lee there is a Walrus haul-out, some ruins of old Pomor buildings, and maybe even the chance for a stroll around Edgeøya to admire the views, the botany and the peace and beauty of the arctic environment.
Day 9: Land of the Pointed Mountains We cruise through the fjords of the Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, taking in the spire-like peaks: Hornsundtind rises to 4,700 feet and Bautaen is a perfect illustration of why early Dutch explorers named this island Spitsbergen, meaning ‘pointed mountains’. There are also 14 sizeable glaciers in this area, as well as opportunities for seeing several seal species, Beluga Whale and
Polar Bear.
Day 10: Bell Sund’s flora, fauna, and haunting history
The ocean currents in Bell Sund, one of the largest fjord systems in Svalbard, make this area slightly warmer than other areas in the archipelago. This slight change in ambient temperature and moisture shows in the relatively lush vegetation, and there are excellent opportunities to enjoy both history and wildlife. Ahlstrandhalvøya, at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden, has piles of Beluga skeletons – a macabre relic of the area’s rich whaling history. These remains of
19th Century whale slaughter are a haunting reminder of the consequences of rampant exploitation. Fortunately, Beluga were not hunted to extinction, and we have a good chance of coming across a pod during the day. Bell Sund also has a healthy population ofSvalbard Reindeer on the tundra, and Little Auk breed among the rocky mountains.
Day 11: Back to Civilisation!
After witnessing the best of the high arctic, we arrive back into Longyearbyen, where we disembark and, after bidding Svalbard fond farewells, we take onward flights to Oslo. Depending on flight times, we may spend one night in Oslo before flying back to the UK.
Day 12: Arrival back in the UK
If an overnight stay in Oslo is required, we will return to the UK this morning.
Please note: all itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and elements beyond our control (e.g. weather).