82.46 Degrees North

I came to the Arctic because I'm worried about global warming and feel I only have a superficial knowledge of what is happening to pack ice and what that looks like in relation to the eco-system. My research into sustainable tourism to visit pack ice and polar bears in Svalbard led me to Oceanwide and I'm so pleased it did as they went above and beyond all the statutory wildlife viewing requirements with their investment into eco-tourism including everything from a reusable bottle on arrival to a special electric boat motor on Plancius, in order to be the least obtrusive icebreaker in the Arctic. The ashore walks were very carefully arranged for the safety of the wildlife and the guests and when we had to sail all the way to 82.46 degrees just to reach the pack ice, the significance of finding polar bears 150 miles from the nearest land to stay on the ice resonated with everyone. This is a really important trip to make if you're in the same position I was and I would highly recommend Oceanwide's tour programme to North Spitsbergen as the experience of sailing among pack ice was truly unique and honestly as exciting as seeing a polar bear. I hope to see it again one day.