When the seemingly eternal Arctic summer finally comes to its end, nature in the high north treats us with a short and intense autumn. Long sunrises and sunsets and low sun levels create a beautiful, soft light all day long. The first powder snow falls on the sharp peaks. And we are here, exploring Svalbard on a photographic expedition, just before it dives into a long and dark winter sleep.
During autumn, the migratory birds prepare for their flight southwards, and the animals and plants get ready for winter on the tundra. Autumn is very short here, and the landscape changes quickly. The Midnight Sun is over, and the evenings get darker. A beautiful, low sun colours the landscapes golden.
We explore the waters around Svalbard with an ice-strengthened ship and discover the autumn colours on land and at sea. The ideal combination for landscape and wildlife photographers, as we also get up close to the arctic animals to photograph them in this beautiful scenery.
Trip information
Due to its inaccessibility, the nature in Svalbard has remained pristine, and the fauna is unique. The archipelago exerts a great attraction on explorers. That’s why we stay away from large groups and charter a small ship to explore the wilderness of the islands. It’s as close to the North Pole as many of us will ever get, and an experience that will leave you speechless.
During autumn, the migratory birds prepare for their flight southwards, and the animals and plants get ready for winter on the tundra. Autumn is very short here, and the landscape changes quickly. The Midnight Sun is over, and the evenings get darker. A beautiful, low sun colours the landscapes golden.
We explore the waters around Svalbard with an ice-strengthened ship and discover the autumn colours on land and from the ship or zodiac. The ideal combination for landscape and wildlife photographers alike, as we also get up close to the arctic animals to photograph them in this beautiful scenery.
Summary
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Where are we going?
Our route will be determined by wind, weather, ice and wildlife. This assures many amazing surprises, but there are some sights we always aim to achieve.
- Cruising in front of the glaciers, with many photographic opportunities such as sea birds, ice, landscapes, seals on ice and Polar bears.
- Pack ice, where larger mammals such as walrus and bearded seal come to rest, and Polar bears come to hunt.
- A landing at a walrus haul-out, one of the most impressive Svalbard animals. Since the hunting ban of 1952 their population has increased to an estimated 5000.
- Bird colonies: little auks, black-legged kittiwakes and Brunichs guillemots all come to nest in large numbers and are oblivious to our presence, granting us great photo opportunities.
Day to day
Departure: flight to Longyearbyen, where we check in to the hotel. Being present one day before the departure of the ship is highly recommended, to avoid trouble with cancelled flights or delays. The extra day gives you a great opportunity to experience daily life in the high Arctic.
We embark the MS Kinfish, which will be our home for the next 8 days. You will explore one of the worlds wildest and most beautiful areas, making daily landings and discovering Arctic wildlife. This is an expedition, so ultimately our route will be determined by wind, weather, ice and the presence of wildlife. Patience and flexibility are key for the ultimate Svalbard experience!
After breakfast, we check out of the ship at 9 AM.
Guides
Vera Simonsson
Vera lives on a small farm in Norway with her family. She is a certified Arctic guide, glacier instructor, and…
Yves Adams
A celebrated wildlife and landscape photographer from Belgium, Yves is passionate about the Arctic. This passion has brought him to…
Ship
Kinfish
We work exclusively with small, ice-strengthened vessels that we have chosen carefully for our trips in the high Arctic. The MS Kinfish is one of our trusted ships. This is the perfect vessel for Arctic photo-expeditions: strongly built, spacious inside and ideally sized outside, equipped to sail quickly in harsh conditions. The open deck gives us plenty of space to shoot from the ship. Aboard the MS Kinfish, an excellent team is ready to offer you a once-in-a-lifetime experience, 24/7. We have an open bridge policy most of the time, so feel free to come and sail with us. You’ll experience firsthand what it feels like to explore the Arctic waters. We use two strong, very large Zodiacs for our sea or fjord excursions and landings, so everybody gets plenty of space for their cameras and lenses. Because we are a small group, we remain flexible and adjust our planning…
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