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A Svalbard expedition cruise - arctic wildlife & landscapes
Svalbard (or Spitzbergen in German) is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, halfway between the European mainland and the North Pole. It is under Norwegian sovereignty, but is subject to special legal and economic provisions under the 1920 Treaty of Spitzbergen. Spitsbergen is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the archipelago. The administrative centre is Longyearbyen. In early july 2026, I boarded the expedition vessel Plancius to explore the spectacular landscapes of northern Spitsbergen, before venturing into the pack ice of the far north, home to Arctic wildlife such as polar bears, whales, walruses, and seabirds.
Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) in its summer coat, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Arctic
Overlooking a glacier from the top of a mountain ridge, Valentinryggen, St. Jonsfjorden, Svalbarg, Arctic
Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) shows its tail fin before diving, Svalbarg, Arctic
norway Gallery
In early July 2026, I spent nine nights on board the expedition vessel Plancius, exploring the spectacular landscapes in the north of Spitsbergen both from the ship and on foot. We spent a great deal of time in the pack ice north of Spitsbergen to increase our chances of encountering Arctic wildlife and in the hope of spotting polar bears roaming the ice far away from the usual cruise traffic. In addition, I spent some extra time in Longyearbyen, one of the world's northernmost permanent settlements.
tour info
The Plancius cruise to the Svalbard archipelago in early July 2026 was organised by Diamir, Germany. Tour operator was Oceanwide Expeditions.
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Sightings of blue whales and bowhead whales close to our ship in the pack ice.