West Spitsbergen & Polar Ice Edge

Welcome to Longyearbyen, the administrative
center of Svalbard and starting point of our Arctic
expedition. At the Longyearbyen airport, you will be
greeted by our staff and transferred to a quality
hotel, which has been arranged by us and is
included in the price of the program. Since guests
will be arriving on various flights during the day,
we ask you to stop by our Poseidon Welcome Desk
at the hotel where you will receive some
preliminary information and suggestions for dining
(on your own today).
Depending on your flight’s arrival, you may have time to visit some of the town’s cafes, restaurants, shops
and post office. If you notice that daytime has stretched well into the evening, get used to it! The sun
won’t set for the entire duration our time in Svalbard!

Following an early breakfast at the hotel, we go on
tour with the huskies. We get to know the dogs and
the life of the mushers on Svalbard, are allowed to
help with harnessing, unharnessing and feeding the
dogs and enjoy a very special tour through the
nature of Svalbard.
You will be transferred to the hotel, where an
included lunch will be served. This afternoon, we’ll
learn why Longyearbyen was settled in 1906, the
idea of an American mining industrialist, John
Munro Longyear. While he sold his stake before
WWI to a Norwegian company, mining remained the primary economic force here through the end of the
20th century. Just one mine remains functional, but we can visit a closed mine, Number 3. Support
buildings, equipment and the mine itself – mostly intact from the final production days 25 years ago – will
give you a true sense of the operation. Following a guided tour, enjoy a festive underground dinner with
your fellow travelers before transferring back to the hotel.

There’s time for a leisurely breakfast this morning
and getting luggage ready for the ship. At 11:00,
local guides will accompany you on a motorcoach
tour of the area followed by the excellent Svalbard
Museum. Return to the hotel for an included lunch
and briefing. Later this afternoon, you’ll be
transferred to the pier and your home-away-fromhome, the expedition vessel Sea Spirit.
Get settled in your spacious suite and explore the
ship; enjoy some coffee, tea and snacks in the
lounge. After getting underway, a full schedule of activities kicks off with informative briefings and
introductions from your expedition staff. After the first of many enjoyable dinners aboard, step out onto
the open decks to admire the gorgeous scenery in 24-hour daylight as we pass through the wildlife-rich
waters of Isfjorden.

The itinerary for this voyage focuses on the
spectacular fjords, coasts and islands of western
Spitsbergen, the main island of the Svalbard
archipelago. This area contains Svalbard’s most
impressive scenery and some of the Arctic’s best
wildlife viewing opportunities. Our exact schedule
and route will be shaped by the weather and ice
conditions we encounter. Polar bears and other
iconic Arctic animals can be spotted at anytime,
anywhere in our area of exploration.
One of the pristine natural areas on this itinerary is
South Spitsbergen National Park, a vast region of varied landscapes including polar deserts and
impassible mountain ranges. The centerpiece of this park is Hornsund, a picture-perfect fjord where
countless mighty glaciers cascade from soaring mountaintops into icy inlets. At this time of year, we are
sure to encounter fast ice—that is, sea ice that is fastened to the shore. This situation offers an excellent
chance of observing polar bears on the hunt for ringed seals. The park also includes the southern shores
of Bellsund, a picturesque bay where we find the remains of historical whaling operations, including
wooden boats, cabins and thousands of whale bones—a scene from the distant past, literally frozen in
time. This area also offers great hiking opportunities through landscapes rich with Arctic flora and
birdlife, as well as fascinating geology.
Also on our route is Northwest Spitsbergen National Park, the crown jewel of Svalbard’s scenic wonders.
Here we find deep fjords flanked by serrated mountain peaks and immense tidewater glaciers calving
icebergs into turquoise waters. The whole area is alive with migratory Arctic seabirds. On this voyage, we
are just in time to witness the return of millions of murres, guillemots and little auks to the small islands,

After filling up with one last buffet breakfast on
board, we bid you farewell in Longyearbyen. We
provide transfers to the airport or to the town
center in case you plan to stay longer in Svalbard.
By this time, you may already be making plans for
your next amazing trip with us into the polar
worlds!