Days 3–6 ⎸ 26–29 May 2025: High Arctic Exploration

Over the next few days, you journey deeper into the High Arctic, where both land and sky come alive with wildlife. At Sallyhamna, you step ashore to find a lonely trapper’s hut from 1937, surrounded by relics of the 17th-century whaling era — a quiet testament to those who once battled for survival here. As you venture further north, the ever-changing ice edge stretches before you, a realm of drifting floes and shifting light where seals lounge on the ice and polar bears roam in search of prey. Along the coastlines and cliffs, the Arctic summer reveals its full abundance. Dovekies and Thick-billed Murres call from dense, bustling colonies. Atlantic Puffins flash by in bursts of color. Sabine’s Gulls wheel gracefully above the water. On the tundra, Snow Buntings sing their high, bright notes, and you may spot Rock Ptarmigans camouflaged among the rocky outcrops. Pressing onward, you reach the remote island of Kvitøya, where walrus colonies crowd the shores and the solemn site of Andreeneset tells stories of lost expeditions. Pomerine and Parasitic Jaegers skim low over the waves, and Arctic Terns elegantly dart through the air, occasionally dipping into the water, hunting for small fish, invertebrates, and insects close to the surface. From the Zodiacs, you navigate the swift currents of Storisstraumen and cruise the immense glacial wall of Bråsvellbreen, part of the Austfonna ice cap. As you explore, keep watch for Ivory and Glaucous Gulls soaring in the cold, clean air. At Alkefjellet, the cliffs erupt with life: tens of thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes, Razorbills, and both Common and Thick-billed Murres create a vibrant tapestry of sound and motion. Along the quieter shorelines, Dunlins, Purple Sandpipers, and Ringed Plovers forage among the stones, while flocks of Barnacle Geese, Brant Geese, and Greater White-fronted Geese move through the skies above. In the sheltered bay of Alicehamna, you step ashore where history lingers at the site of Bruceneset. At Hamburgbukta, you trace the fading outlines of whaling stations, feeling history breathe beneath the Arctic winds. Nearby waters are alive with Northern Fulmars, Red-throated Loons, and occasionally a Ruddy Shelduck or Green-winged Teal. At Ny-Ålesund, you walk through a living outpost of Arctic science, where researchers study climate, geology, and ecology year-round. In nearby Kongsfjorden, flocks of Common Eiders and Long-tailed Ducks gather on the water, while Herring Gulls, Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls soar over the fjords. With each step and Zodiac cruise, you encounter more of Svalbard’s vibrant birdlife: Pectoral Sandpipers feeding along muddy inlets, Common Redshanks calling from the shoreline, Red Knots flashing through the air, and the occasional spectacular sight of a Gyrfalcon cutting across the cliffs in pursuit of prey. Finally, as you reach Alkhornet — where the broad plateau breaks into rugged alpine peaks — you stand in one of the Arctic’s most striking landscapes, surrounded by wildlife and scenery found nowhere else on Earth.