{"id":672098,"date":"2025-06-02T22:55:32","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T20:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/?p=672098"},"modified":"2025-06-02T23:04:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T21:04:30","slug":"polar-thrills-in-svalbard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/frisson-polaire-au-svalbard\/","title":{"rendered":"Polar thrills in Svalbard"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Svalbard archipelago is a white paradise in the Arctic, explored with respect on the expedition cruises operated by \u00abGrands Espaces\u00bb. A unique voyage, but above all an adventure, where the unexpected is always on the agenda.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Eric Vancleynenbreugel<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EV photos<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 1: The city of extremes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Longyearbyen: the most northerly \u00abtown\u00bb on the planet has retained its image as a pioneer refuge. You can ski here almost all year round, and there are more sled dogs than inhabitants. It's forbidden to give birth or be buried here. No cats either, to protect the birds. And above all, you can't go outside the boundaries without a gun, because while reindeer roam the streets, polar bears are at home here too. After a quick tour, it's time to board the Ocean Nova, waiting for us in the bay. The seven or so passengers are ready for a week's sailing under the permanent light of the polar summer, supervised by a team of passionate naturalists. The aim of this expedition cruise is to reach the pack ice which, at this time of year, touches the north of the archipelago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the bridge and on the decks, the scientists on board are constantly scanning 360 degrees in search of wildlife. The afternoon is well underway, and the sun finally breaks through to illuminate the peaks of Isfjorden, the immense tongue of sea that cuts more than 100 kilometers across the island of Spitsbergen. Half an hour later, the Ocean Nova enters the open sea and immediately starts to pitch. Heading due north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Svalbard\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Day 2: Huge glaciers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After a night's sailing, the ship drops anchor in the Croix fjord. The sky is low this morning for our first zodiac outing to Lillieh\u00f6\u00f6k, but the birds are out in force: guillemots, fulmars, eiders and even the dwarf mergula, a miniature penguin. At the far end of the fjord, the glacier plunges into the ocean on a front 7 kilometers wide and 50 metres high. And yet, like many other glaciers in Svalbard, it is in sharp retreat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the afternoon, another zodiac outing in the Baie du 14 Juillet, encircled by high cliffs and a glacier displaying at least fifty shades of blue. On the heights, a colony of seabirds chirps. Just below, a dozen reindeer enjoy the meagre, barely cleared grasslands. A species that has returned to the archipelago after being decimated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Day 3: The bears... at last<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At 6:15 am, on the third day of sailing, the long-awaited announcement rang out in the cabin: \u00abDear passengers, we're watching a bear and belugas. For several hours, we had been hearing the rubbing of ice on the hull. The Ocean Nova had indeed reached the pack ice. Quickly, put on some warm clothes and head for the upper deck. The bear approaches slowly, sticking out his tongue and yawning, a sign that he's taking in the scents. He can smell a seal 60 km away! Not shy, he sits down a few metres from the boat and plays with a piece of wood carried by the currents. From the guide's memory, this is one of the most beautiful sightings in recent years. As luck would have it, we're standing on the very spot where, in 1774, the English explorer Phipps, accompanied by a certain Nelson, first described the polar bear. Today, there are around 3,000 polar bears in and around Svalbard. Its yellow fur is as hollow as an optical fiber, and its skin is actually black. An ideal combination which, in addition to a 5-centimeter layer of fat, attracts heat and protects against the cold. The polar bear is quite a nomad, and has even been discovered to sleep while walking. Marie, a naturalist and expedition leader, explains: \u00bbThanks to these cruises, the naturalists help us count and learn more about the fauna: whales, via an app that compiles observations, but also birds, especially if they're sick. The polar bear, for example, seems to be adapting to the changes, and is now interested in the beached carcasses of whales and narwhals, as well as the reindeer and walruses that abound in Svalbard.\u00ab<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Svalbard\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo EV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team decided to take a zodiac out to the pack ice, in the middle of the ice floes. The wind and currents decided otherwise, trapping the canoes one after the other. Fortunately, after a few manoeuvres, the boat cleared a new channel and we were back on board. Another attempt in the afternoon in clearer waters, this time landing on a stable patch of ice. On the way back, we were surprised to find the crew serving us what was probably the most northerly hot chocolate we'd ever had in our zodiacs, right out at sea, surrounded by pack ice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Svalbard\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Ocean Nova reached 80 degrees North before heading South, passing three bearded seals - the largest in the Arctic - lazing on the ice. Two more bears were spotted after supper. A mother and her playful cub, who runs, dives and bathes. For over half an hour, passengers are mesmerized by the magic of this natural spectacle. As it is forbidden to break the ice in the fjords (mainly to avoid disturbing the ringed seals that live there), the captain maneuvers carefully, but without reaching the pack ice. Around 10:30 pm, the sky opens up a little, offering an endless sunset, while the bears decide to change course and head back towards the heights of the fjord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Day 4: Walruses and mergulas<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On the morning of the fourth day, the ship drops anchor in the fjord of Smeerenburg (literally \u00abthe village of fat\u00bb) in the extreme north of the archipelago. It's time for another zodiac outing in what was once a whaling den. A hut and ancient stone ovens stand witness to what was once a Dutch settlement protected by a fort. The archipelago was once divided into sectors allocated to the various whaling nations. Oil was used to light up the rich homes of the whole of Europe, including the Palace of Versailles. As one of the expedition's scientists explains, \u00abit was the discovery and use of oil that saved what was left of the whales, i.e. 5 to 10% of the original numbers\u00bb. We come across a few white belugas and a bearded seal in full mating call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Svalbard\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the afternoon, we stop off in Magdalen Bay, first to observe a cliff where mergulas and terns nest, then to approach the front of a glacier and finally to set foot on the Gullybukta shore. A large herd of male walruses has settled here, lazing in the sun. Our guides are armed, as bears are never far away. As for the walruses, they take no notice of us and carry on scratching, lounging and grumbling about any troublesome neighbors. Walruses were also victims of intensive hunting. Now that they're protected, they've returned to colonize the archipelago from Fran\u00e7ois Joseph Land in the Russian Arctic. There are now more than 4500 of them. The same is true of the reindeer, now found in huge numbers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Day 5: Polar barbecue<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The night took us to King's Bay for an early-morning hike across the tundra to a small bird cliff. On the slope, reindeer feed on the first shoots of spring. At the edge of a n\u00e9v\u00e9, a pair of ptarmigan let themselves be approached. From above, you can see the peaks of the Three Crowns, three pyramidal mountains emblematic of Svalbard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The archipelago was also coveted for its geological resources: coal, still mined, but also marble, as evidenced by this afternoon's stopover in Ny London at what was once an improbably small mine, probably the most northerly on the planet. The venture lasted from 1911 to 1913 and ended in failure: 70 men worked in Dantean conditions to extract the marble. Due to temperature differences, the shipments arrived in England broken. Today, the industrial site is protected and bears witness to a time when anything seemed possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the evening, a surprise awaits us on deck 5: a polar barbecue... under the midnight sun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Day 6: Return to Isfjorden<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The following day, the weather turned foggy, even pea-soupy: no way to leave by zodiac, so the captain decided to retreat to St Jonfjord. Surrounded by glacial tongues, it runs deep into the island. The location is perfect for a hike or a zodiac trip to the ice front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isfjorden is reputed to attract cetaceans, but perhaps they haven't yet come up from the south. We're right in the middle of what a cruise-expedition is all about,\u00ab says Marie. We have to adapt to the weather and to the observations that the wildlife allows us to make. At the end of the afternoon, we made our last outing in a partly ice-covered bay, where we made some excellent seal sightings. But now it's time to set course for the port of Longyearbyen the following day, the end of a journey that has brought us face to face with the wonders of this frozen world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Svalbard\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Carnet de voyage<\/u><\/strong> :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Large Spaces<\/strong> was the brainchild of Christian Kempf, a fervent environmentalist and fellow explorer Paul-Emile Victor. His goal: to train ambassadors for these fragile environments. He has imposed strict specifications on himself: sharing observations, total respect for wildlife approach rules, offset CO2 emissions (boat and flights), financial contribution to Svalbard National Park monitoring, no discharge of black or grey water, no single-use plastics on board...<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infos : www.grands-espaces.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Svalbard\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Svalbard\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photos Eric Vancleynenbreugel<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

V\u00e9ritable condens\u00e9 de l\u2019Arctique, l\u2019archipel du Svalbard est un paradis blanc que l\u2019on explore avec respect lors des croisi\u00e8res- exp\u00e9ditions men\u00e9es par le croisi\u00e9riste \u00ab\u00a0Grands Espaces\u00a0\u00bb. Un voyage unique en son genre mais avant tout une aventure, o\u00f9 l\u2019impr\u00e9vu est en permanence au programme. Par Eric Vancleynenbreugel Photos EV Jour 1 : La ville de l\u2019extr\u00eame […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":672110,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-672098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=672098"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":672151,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/672098\/revisions\/672151"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/672110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=672098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=672098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisimaguide.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=672098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}