In my article earlier this week about the Svalbard Archipelago, I introduced you to this remarkable region of the world and what it’s like as a photographer. Today, I will share a day-by-day travel diary from my trip this July, along with some of the photos I captured there.
July 4
My friend Alberto and I begin our journey to Svalbard with transfer flights. Unfortunately, our friend Marco can’t be with us on this trip.
It’s a busy day: Malpensa (Italy), Frankfurt (Germany), and Oslo (Norway), and finally, at 00:40 AM on July 5th, we arrive in Longyearbyen.
Stepping onto the runway, in the fresh air and the midnight sun, is a powerful emotion. On my wrist, the Garmin diligently indicates that the next sunset will be on August 25th, in 51 days!
July 5
At 2:00 AM, we’re at the Coal Miners, the hotel where we’ll stay for a few days before boarding an icebreaker and heading North.
A few hours of sleep, and a long walk, and we’re already taking photos at the edge of the permitted area. There are many birds here: Common Eider, Barnacle Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Red-throated Loon, Common Sandpiper, and Arctic Tern, in addition to the ubiquitous gulls. On our earlier trip here during the winter, we had also seen reindeer and foxes here, but now they don’t seem to be around.
We photograph until lunchtime, then grab a bite to eat and go get some rest. This evening, we have a tour with our guide, Laya. We meet at 6:00 PM.
Laya is a woman from Barcelona, Spain, with a gorgeous smile and fantastic dreadlocks, who moved here a few years ago to do the job she loves. We wander as a group until midnight, looking for arctic foxes. We’re not very lucky, though. Just a fleeting encounter with no photos captured. Driving us back to the hotel, she shows us a colony of pink-footed geese with tiny chicks.
July 6
Another early wake-up call, but we’re not here to sleep. Alberto and I take a long walk—we don’t have a car—to where Laya showed us the geese. My boots hurt my ankles; to save space in the luggage, I wore them during the flight and in the many airports with socks that were too thin, which caused bruising. At least it left space in my bag for my camera gear.
Geese are not there anymore! We search with binoculars, getting further and further away from where they were just a few hours ago. Eventually, we find them again; they’ve moved near the river.
We take our time, not wanting to disturb them, and we approach very, very slowly. It’s raining a bit, but what’s happening in front of us is beautiful: The geese are having their photos taken while bathing their chicks. It’s thrilling!
We photograph until lunchtime, then have a sandwich and a nap. In the afternoon, we find more geese around the Coal Miners hotel, then we head back to the tern colony we visited yesterday.
July 7
This morning, we focus on a pool where a pair of Red-throated Loons are about to nest. There are also some Sandpipers, Barnacle goose, and others…
Then we have lunch and relax until boarding time. Today is the big day: We’ll finally see the Kvitungen!!! That’s our ship for the journey North. And it truly feels like a working crab fishing vessel, with very few comforts. Perhaps because it is!
But the crew, six people including the captain, seems very competent. So does Vide, the General Manager of AWT, the operator who organized the trip. He’ll also be our guide, along with Erlend.
We meet the other photographers: a French couple, a Texan husband and wife, two English friends, an elderly German doctor, a Channel Islander, a Canadian, and a guy from Miami. What a diverse group!
During the pre-departure briefing, excitement grows, but also a bit of apprehension. Correctly, a lot of it is dedicated to safety: we need to consider where we are and where we’re going and be very careful about how we move and what we do to avoid injury. Vide explains that Longyearbyen has a highly efficient emergency center for sea rescue, but if you had a broken foot or toe hundreds of miles away, they’d probably ask the ship to return and not send a helicopter to pick you up. This would have repercussions for the injured person and the rest of the travelers. I must say I expected all of this, but hearing it said is different. So, remember: keep focused, pay attention to the slippery deck. One hand for you and one hand for the ship, always!
July 8
Today is a transfer day, which will last all night. We won’t reach the sea ice until tomorrow morning. But we’re in Svalbard, and everything is special. We pass glaciers that plunge into the sea and sharp peaks right on the coast. In particular, we make a stop at Bjørn Fjord & Smeerenburg Glacier. Splendid.
The night is incredible: we sail on a glassy sea.
July 9
A quiet night, and in the morning we’re in the pack ice.
Shortly after breakfast: POLAR BEAR! A truly imposing male. It’s a very peculiar situation, unheard of for me—it’s near a sperm whale carcass—though Vide says he experienced one like it a few years ago, on the land.
The bear was sleeping soundly, but then it wakes up and tries to eat. It can’t. The carcass is very large and tough, and the bear literally can’t get a bite. He tries for a while, licking the skin. Vide explains that this way the bears will gradually start eating. For now, the whale is mostly intact. After a while, the bear goes back to sleep, wakes up, and tries again. We spend 12 hours together. Incredible!
July 10
We spend the night—odd to call it that, considering it never gets dark—with the engine off, floating amidst the ice. We drift many miles. It’s truly strange to experience this, staying still yet moving with the ice.
In the morning, we set off again to explore further north. We encounter a curious, young, and truly beautiful female bear approaching us. And another old male bear, its face covered in blood and scars memory of a thousand battles, sleeping. Far away, we spot another, but it’s going its own way in the distance.
This is the essence of the journey: we don’t follow the bears. We’re a passive presence; they decide where they want to go. I’m truly appreciating the qualities of the ship, the crew, and the guides: at ease among the ice and ethically motivated both to explain what’s happening and to respect the animals.
July 11
We continue along the edge of the pack ice, searching for the whale carcass from a couple of days prior. We know it is the magnet for the polar bears. We struggle to find it; obviously, it’s nowhere near where it was two days ago. Eventually, we encounter it again. There’s thick fog. It’s a truly unique atmosphere, not easy to capture photographically. So, I photograph the ship.
July 12
A very foggy morning, and we couldn’t see anything for a very long time. Very depressing. But then it clears a bit, and we manage to get our bearings. We see the whale again, and also the bears. There are four of them; one is eating, and three are sleeping! Another one arrives. And then another female with a young one. Then a large male. WOW!
It will be an incredible day; not only will we photograph seven different polar bears, almost continuously from noon to midnight, but also with an unparalleled array of behaviors and situations.
Late in the evening, the cloud cover—a constant until now—opens up, and the sun comes out. Two bears are playfully arguing…
By midnight, I can’t take it anymore; I’m cold, physically exhausted, and emotionally overwhelmed. I must rest a bit, but others stay on deck continuing to enjoy this truly incredible situation.
It is one of the longest and most special photographic days of my life!
July 13
Shortly after 4:00 AM, I’m back on deck again, and the fog is thick. But there are also two bears moving around us. Gradually, the fog clears a bit. We take photos for an hour, then set sail to the south.
We could have stayed longer here; that was part of the original plan, as our expedition was dedicated to the ice pack. But we’re all aware of how extraordinary what we’ve experienced is, and it’s time to look for different things. So, we set off. The plan is to spend some time near to the islands to see if we can find any walruses and explore a bird colony, some of the archipelago’s many natural wonders.
The following hours have no story; everyone is lost in their thoughts or looking at the images. Late in the evening, we arrive at the Seven Islands. Walruses are there to greet us.
July 14
Today’s plan is to visit the Bird Cliffs of Alkefjellet, which is truly a natural spectacle, and one I had already seen in 2022. To get closer, we take a boat trip. The wind is fierce today, and the birds are numerous.
We’re also treated to an encounter with an Arctic Fox, patrolling the shore in search of prey.
Back at the ship, it’s time to set off again westward.
July 15
At 2:00 a.m., we pass Fair Haven, an area of glaciers tumbling into the sea and jagged peaks. I set my alarm for 1:30 AM to see it. It’s a stunning night, almost too stunning. Only Erhard is outside, silent as he’s been throughout the entire voyage.
It’s truly emotional. I think back to the days gone by and the future. What I want from the next years of my life. It’s hard to share.
After about an hour, I was about to move back to bed, filled with a rare peace and a sense of fulfillment. The captain warns me that the weather will worsen quickly. I take two seasickness pills and go to sleep. I barely closed my eyes, or at least I think I did, since I’m extremely tired, when I woke up from the movement of everything. We’re sailing with hurricane-force winds and very rough seas, whipped by foam. That is what Vide will tell me later. At the time, I didn’t leave the cabin and waited in the fetal position for it to pass.
In the morning, we return to calm seas, heading for Kross Fjord and a colony of Puffins. We also see a pod of Beluga whales. After lunch, we move to Kongsfjorden (King’s Bay), where we take a smaller boat trip among icebergs. During this, we encountered a beautiful Bearded Seal and some Svalbard Reindeer on the land. In the distance, a family of bears—a mother and two cubs.
Back on the ship, thanks to our friend Susanna, we enjoy a Champagne flute on deck to celebrate our trip before the return journey begins.
July 16
We sailed back toward Longyearbyen in sunny, warm weather; it didn’t feel like we were in the Arctic. We docked in the late afternoon. After dinner, in town, at the pub that proclaims itself the northernmost on the planet, we went for a drink to celebrate this wonderful adventure and say goodbye. Except for a few of us. Alberto and I are planning to stay a few more days to pursue our Arctic fox dream, while our friend Matthew plans to kayak and camp in the abandoned settlement of Piramiden!
July 17
We disembark early in the morning and head to Guestjuset, where we’ll spend the last two nights.
In the afternoon, we wander with Laya until nightfall in search of the arctic fox, but we’re not lucky.
July 18
A full day with Laya, and the goal is still the arctic fox. But it’s too hot, and we don’t see anything. It doesn’t feel that far north!
A few more photos of the Arctic Terns, but now Alberto and I are thinking about home and family. I miss Anna and Margherita so much. It’s time to return home.
July 19
Return flights, retracing the same route we took on the way there. Given its success, this could have been my last trip to these parts. But I’m already feeling nostalgic and eager to return one day!
Some Interesting Stats
- In our wanderings, we’ve gone beyond the 82nd parallel. Upon returning to port, we’ll discover that, according to Vessel Finder, we had become the third-northernmost ship on the planet!
- The icebreaker trip was 753 NM / 1395 KM long
- We spotted 20 Polar bears, photographing 17 of them
- We had 3 short cruises with the Zodiacs
The Photographic Equipment
In a previous article of mine, here, I outlined the contents of the photography backpack I was planning to bring on this trip. How did it all work out?
- The two Nikon Z9s proved reliable and versatile. They are cameras that remain cutting-edge, despite the time that has passed since their announcement, and having two cameras has allowed me to work easily with different focal lengths, avoiding frequent lens changes. Two cameras in this class aren’t essential; you can get by with smaller and less expensive bodies. But having the two of them is fantastic.
- The lenses I chose (24-120mm f/4, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, and 600mm f/4) proved perfect. The wide-angle lens doesn’t need to be pushed further than 24mm in these conditions, while a long focal length (at least 600mm) is essential. During the two weeks, I took around 24,000 shots, an exceptional number for me, reduced to 5,390 after the initial selection. Here’s the breakdown by lens:
- 24-120mm f/4: 614 (with 156 at 24mm)
- 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6: 2,022 (with 974 at 400mm)
- 600mm f/4 TC VR S: 2,754 (with 1,359 at 600mm and 1,395 at 840mm)
As much as I love the quality of this gear, I must emphasize that with two Z6 III bodies and a 24-120mm + 180-600mm, a great deal of what I did could have been achieved. Consider that 4,795 of those 5,390 images were taken at ISO 800 or lower (3,654 at ISO 500), so slower lenses wouldn’t have impacted the results most of the time. A good DSLR kit also would have been quit viable for the trip and perhaps saved even more money.
But it is a fact that the most-used camera on the ship among all of us photographers was the Z9. If I’m not wrong, seven Z9 cameras were on the ship. And they performed great in this punishing environment.
How to Organize a Trip Like This
A trip like this presents many challenges, but also offers an incredible opportunity for personal and photographic growth in a unique environment. I’m not partnered with any tour company and have no affiliations or sponsorships with them. It is just from my own experience that I wanted to thank Arctic Wildlife Tours for organizing this trip. They are experienced professionals with deep knowledge of the area. I’ve traveled with them on two of the three trips I’ve taken there, and I recommend them without hesitation. I also want to recommend Laya from Snowfox Travel for her expertise around Longyearbyen. If you travel to Svalbard, you will greatly appreciate tour guides like these.
Conclusion
I hope this article inspires the same love I feel for these places and the animals that inhabit them. This trip to Svalbard and the pack ice was much more than a photographic adventure; it was an immersion in an extreme and splendid atmosphere, with the opportunity to see and photograph wonderful animals while they last. A truly transformative experience.
For any questions, comments, or thoughts, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.
Please note that I am traveling right now and may not have access to the internet for several weeks. Though I will read every comment as soon as possible, I will not be able to respond to them as usual. Thank you for your understanding, and please feel free to leave comments and questions anyway!
