PLA02-25, trip log, North Spitsbergen Explorer

The air buzzed with excitement as passengers gathered at the edge of the world—Longyearbyen, nestled in the stark, stunning wilderness of Svalbard. The sun hung high in a clear Arctic sky, casting brilliant reflections off the icy fjords. It was a rare sunny day, and the light made everything shimmer: snow-dusted mountains, the deep blue water, and the eager eyes of adventurers boarding the zodiacs.

The ride out to M/V Plancius was exhilarating. The zodiac skimmed over the choppy water, rising and falling with each swell as it made its way from the jetty in Longyearbyen toward the ship anchored just offshore. Sunlight sparkled off the sea, turning each spray of saltwater into a burst of light. Passengers clutched the ropes and grinned into the wind, their cheeks stung by the cold and the thrill. Behind them, the colorful buildings of Longyearbyen faded into the dramatic, snow-streaked mountains, while ahead, the deep blue silhouette of M/V Plancius grew larger—steadfast and waiting, ready to carry them into the Arctic wilderness.

Once on board we had the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the ship's layout—its winding corridors, cozy cabins, and the various decks that would soon become our floating home. Friendly crew members and expedition staff, always smiling and welcoming, were quick to introduce themselves, offering help and answering questions as we explored.

Soon, we gathered in the panoramic lounge, its large windows offering sweeping views of the surrounding Arctic seascape. There, we attended the mandatory safety drill, followed by an informative presentation by our Expedition Leader Jan, outlining the voyage ahead—our route, the planned landings, and what to expect in the coming days.

Afterwards, we headed to the dining room for our first dinner on board. The atmosphere was warm and lively, with the hum of conversation and clinking cutlery filling the space. Over a delicious meal, we began to settle in, bonding with fellow passengers and sharing the growing anticipation of the journey into the Northern area of the Svalbard archipelago.

Our first full day of expedition cruising in the Arctic! And what a beautiful scene to greet us – sunshine, blue skies and sea and the spectacular, snow covered mountains of the north-east coast of Spitzbergen on our starboard side. We soaked it all in before heading for breakfast, after which we gathered in the lounge to receive our mandatory for zodiac and polar bear safety. Both are absolutely essential and as we listened carefully it became clear, if we hadn’t realised fully before, just why they call this expedition cruising. We were truly in the Arctic and it's not a theme park!

After this we were able to relax whilst Plancius transported us into Smeerenburgfjorden. As we turned into the fjord from the open sea a fabulous vista opened out in front of us. Beautiful calm, blue water reflecting the snow covered mountains on either side and, at the far end, the majestic glacier itself. We slowly made our way in with everyone out on deck, taking the scenery and wildlife. In the water we spotted Brunnich’s Guillemots, Atlantinc Puffins and Common Eiders, joined by a relaxed Harbour Seal that came close to the ship at one point. An Arctic Skua was seen sitting on a piece of ice on the port side with many Arctic Terns doing the same on the starboard side of the ship. A Lesser Black-backed Gull of the sub-species intermedius was a good find for the birders. We then sailed through the channel to Smeerengburg itself, an old whaling station on the end of spit of land. Several centuries ago it was a hive of activity with up to 300 men working there during the arctic summer, catching whales and walrus and rendering the carcasses to extract the oil from the blubber, which was then distributed, sold and widely used in western Europe.

We dragged ourselves and went down to an excellent lunch whilst we sailed to our afternoon of destination of Raudfjorden. By the time we got to Hamiltonbukta by mid-afternoon the weather had changed significantly. The clear blue skies had become leaden with dark clouds which, of course, hid the sun. The wind was brisk and the sea a lot more lively than the flat calm of this morning. Again, we were reminded that this is the arctic. Our first (proper) zodiac cruise was certainly a learning experience; despite the best efforts of our experienced boat-handlers it was difficult to stay completely dry from the spray from the bow and staying warm was a luxury for those who knew what to expect. For the future, the rest of us learned quickly!! However, we all had the consolation of a warm ship and a hot shower on our return.

At recap, Jan told us the plans for this evening of a ships cruise in Raudfjorden, looking for wildlife on the glacier front. He also produced our first Plan B for tomorrow; thick ice meant that our planned landing at Texas Bar was not possible and we would head to Mushamna to assess the conditions for a possible hike in the snow. So to dinner and a walk on deck to view the amazing scenery. Plancius had moved deeper into the southern part of Raudfjorden and with good reason since eventually a small white-yellow creamy dot was spotted by the bridge and some of us walking from east to west along the fast ice: the platform of sea ice fasten on land that was still present at the beginning of the summer.

Our first polar bear, right after at the end of our first day up in the far north of the Svalbard archipelago. Despite being from a considerable distance, yet it was a magical moment, seen an apex predator in its natural habitat. The scene was incredible with the snowcapped mountains, the reflective shelf of sea ice connecting two sides of the bay and the bear walking, galloping, rolling, sniffing, diving into a hole in the ice, hauling himself out, then resting again and so forth. A very active behaviour that we respectfully observed from a good distance with binoculars and scopes.

Arrival at Mushamna brought a quiet Arctic welcome — snowflakes drifting gently through a veil of fog. As the sun began to burn off the fog, the outline of the cabins gradually emerged, their silhouettes taking shape against the softening light. Behind them, the mountain landscape revealed itself, streaked with exposed rock that resembled the stripes of a tiger.

Once ashore, the expedition split into three groups for a snow excursion: sportive, medium-paced, and leisurely. Along the shoreline, Purple Sandpipers flitted nimbly between patches of exposed beach and snow-dusted stones.

Nestled on the eastern shore of Woodfjorden, Mushamna is more than just a cabin — it stands as a symbol of Arctic resilience. Built in 1987 by trapper Reidar Hovelsrud using driftwood, it remains the largest trapper’s cabin in northern Svalbard. Today, it's maintained by the Governor of Svalbard and serves as a seasonal base for overwintering trappers and visiting researchers. Around the site, fresh reindeer tracks crisscrossed the snow, while old polar bear prints hinted at past activity. The morning’s soundtrack was provided by singing Snow Buntings, their cheerful calls echoing across the tundra. Arctic Terns, newly returned from their epic migrations, perched watchfully around the cabins, their sharp eyes tracking every movement.

Just twenty minutes after our return to the ship, excitement rippled through the ship - a Polar Bear was spotted strolling along the shoreline. We watched in silence as it sniffed the air, slowly following our snowshoe tracks toward the cabins. Two polar bear encounters in as many days — can our streak of Arctic luck continue?

Later in the afternoon, we set out on a Zodiac cruise through the icy waters of Liefdefjorden. The ice was alive with wildlife: groups of Brünnich’s Guillemots displaying on the floes, while both Brünnich’s and Black Guillemots fished in open water. We were also treated to close encounters with feeding Minke Whales along the ice edge and some fantastic views of Reindeer along the shoreline. Cameras clicked nonstop as we soaked in the spectacle, reluctantly returning to the ship our cruise continued onward.

The plan for the following day was presented by Expedition Leader Jan, followed by Koen’s tips to improve our photographic skills and Werner quiz of North vs South species. Then dinner was served while M/V Plancius sailed north towards the 80 degrees rounding the small island of Moffen, where walruses and many species of birds were seeing flying around and hauling out into this protected sanctuary at the northern tip of Spitsbergen.

Overnight we sailed east following a parallel trajectory along the northern part of the island of Spitsbergen. Early in the morning, our heading changed towards the east-south south-east aiming to the entrance of the Hinlopen strait. Since it is early in the season, we had fear that the entrance could be covered with sea ice, consequently, our plan-A could be thwarted. Operating in this area requires endless patience and a good bunch of luck in terms of ice conditions and weather. These last two have the last word over any activity we propose.

As we entered the Hinlopen strait, the conditions were calm and visibility was excellent. However, as the time to wake up the ship came, visibility dropped and turned against us. When our expedition leader came to the bridge visibility dropped to a few tens of meters, the wind increased to more than 25 knots and snow started to fall. Little we imagined that the forecast was going to be more extreme than expected. We approached our intended site for activities, the imposing area of Alkefjellet - The Cliffs of the Auks. This incredible geological feature made of dolerites, is the place where thousands of birds auks, kittiwakes and various types of gulls among other species of birds nest. As we approached the place we commenced our operations launching our zodiacs. We managed to launch three zodiacs, however as our operation continued conditions deteriorated, visibility reduced and the wind started to gust up to 30 knots. Safety of our operations is of utmost importance for us and knowing that the forecasted wind was due to increase, our Expedition Leader Jan and our Assistant Expedition Leader Eduardo decided to cancel the operation. Hence, zodiacs came back in a choppy sea. We retrieved all passengers from the first three zodiacs back on board and shortly after, we brought all our zodiacs back on board.

We stayed in the area a couple of hours keeping a distance of about one kilometre to the cliff so our ornithologists could enjoy a few views of the cliffs and the nesting birds at least. By midday we relocated our vessel and we started to head towards our next target, Torrellneset. This transit was very pleasant and by 2 in the afternoon we started to see the polar caps as well as the raised beaches of Nordaustlandet. Immediately to our port side, towards East was the Vestfona ice cap showing its smooth-rounded shaped ice.

The landscape turned dramatically. From the jagged peaks we got used to see during the first days of our cruise, to these smooth ice caps and some table-shaped mountains. By 2:00 as we approached Torellneset the South wind that had been blowing over the last hours pushed large brash ice into the area of our landing site. Both landing possibilities at Torellneset, either in the south or towards the west, were blocked by densely packed brash-ice making zodiac operations impossible. Consequently we decided to reverse our course, and sail back along the Hinlopen strait towards the Wahlenbergfjord.

Named after the Swedish naturalist Göran Wahlenberg, this vast fjord penetrates 46 kilometres into the eastern part of Nordaustlandet. This is the fifth largest fjord in the Svalbard Archipelago and offers unique views of this desolate-almost alien-landscape. The fjord has a smaller bay, called Palanderbukta, after a Swedish naval officer, Louis Palander. As we entered the main fjord, we could see that half of it was still covered in sea ice; the perfect place to find polar bears. Hence, our naturalist on board, our guides and officers in the bridge, started to comb every corner of the distant fjord. Many seals lying in the ice were soon identified as well as large flocks of birds like guillemots and kittiwakes. An occasional walrus came to the surface to breath. Scouting with all the instruments on board we could see signs of life in this desolate landscape and soon, Eduardo announced the sight of a distant polar bear in the area of Idunfjellet, exactly between the Idunbreen and Frazerbreen glacier fronts. The bear could be seen walking in the distance for a while. About half an hour after, another bear was spotted. Eduardo announced it and indeed, far in the distance, at the base of Zeipelfjellet mountains, a bear could be seen walking slowly among the ice. This were two telescopic bears that despite their distance, proved that wildlife exist here.

The sun shone for a while making the sight of these bears agreeable in the outer decks. Around 17:30 we left the area of Whalenbergfjord and headed towards the north. In our way out, we pass the island of Gyldénoøyane, where to our surprise we found a third bear lying on the ice! After a careful inspection of this area, we found a fourth bear! Now we think this couple was a mother and a cub, having a break after having a meal. Close to them we identified a carcass from which a few birds were still feeding. This mother and her cub were a bit closer, and gave good sights to all of us.

After last night’s sighting of mother and semi adult cub, we were ready to have a classic polar bear on the ice. We woke up seeing the edge of the Arctic pack ice from our windows and soon we would navigate into it. That would be after breakfast as pushing ice floes will cause the ship to shake and make sudden movements which is not so comfortable during the breakfast service. First things first, right?!

After we had filled our bellies, we moved more into the ice and we enjoyed the amazing landscapes that lay ahead of us. In the meantime, many of us were scouting the ice floes for that furry creamy dot. The expedition staff was on the bridge and outside doing the same eager to find us another bear. However, finding a bear in this environment is a true challenge. Despite the landscape being open, the ice surfaces aren’t flat and it is very easy for a bear to go out of sight. And then there’s the infinite distances that require the highest concentration, and more importantly, a big dose of patience.

At one point we reached 81° 18’N and at that moment we were the most northerly civilian ship in the world. That was pretty cool! If the ice we were in would freeze together we could literally have walked towards the North Pole. Maybe not the best idea as it was still a bit more than 900km away, but being out there it felt as if we were almost there. Fantastic!

While scouting the ice, suddenly a Beluga whale surfaced. Unfortunately, it was very brief as the white whale submerged immediately leaving us wondering where it could surface again. We didn’t find it again, but it was a good sign that more Belugas might be around as they often travel in bigger groups. That proved to be true as soon after we spotted more Beluga’s. In the ice it is hard to give clear and easy directions as to where to look, but it looked like many of us were able to see a glance of the creamy white whales. Belugas are well adapted to living in between the ice and the lack of having a dorsal fin is one example of that. A dorsal fin would not be practical when swimming right below the surface as it would easily damage their skin and thus evolution took care of it.

Being outside in the cold had made us quite hungry so when lunch was called, we made our way to the restaurant for a hot soup and then more delicious food. The galley team had outdone itself once again and we ate more than we had anticipated.

After lunch some of us went for a small nap whereas others joined the expedition team in their search for more wildlife. As time progressed hopes slowly faded away, but the expedition team assured us not to give up as very often we find a bear at the end of the day.

At 16:00 our expedition leader Jan did a presentation on Arctic exploration and some of its heroic expeditioners. Jan talked about Salomon Andrée and his attempt to reach the North Pole by hydrogen balloon. Unfortunately, Salomon’s attempt failed and he and his men died after their balloon had crashed. Jan also talked about famous Norwegian explores Nansen and Roald Amundsen. The latter being the the first person to sail through the North-West Passage, the first man to reach the South Pole and the first to take a transarctic flight across the North Pole.

At 18:30 it was time for our daily recap. After Jan had explained the plans for the day ahead, it was Koen who told us a bit more about the Beluga whale before Edu started his creative recap on why ice often looks blue or greenish. His recap involved many of the expedition team members which made for a highly fun and entertaining way to share with us a scientific explanation for a beautiful nature phenomenon.

The day wasn’t over yet. The galley and hotel team had prepared a BBQ dinner, however due to the cold wind many of us decided to enjoy the grilled food inside the warm and cozy dining room. Some of us were brave enough to sit outside on the back deck, but soon they also made it inside as M/V Plancius’ dance captain Prince started showing us his incredible dance moves. And this inspired us to join him instantly. We didn’t find a bear today, but the day had been wonderful. Being in such a remote and unique environment was a wonderful experience and something we would never forget.

We woke up this morning to a peaceful scene: the ship gently resting at the edge of the sea ice, surrounded by a vast frozen landscape stretching all the way to the horizon. A quiet, cloudy sky hung above us—not dramatic, not gloomy, just a soft Arctic grey that made everything feel still and timeless. Basically, the perfect setting for sipping coffee in your fleece.

Despite a slightly slower start (last night’s BBQ party may or may not have involved an impromptu dance floor), guests rallied surprisingly well. After a coffee (or two), spirits were lifted—especially by the promise of wildlife.

We spent the morning navigating through the sea ice in the northwest corner of Svalbard, scanning the horizon for signs of Arctic fauna. Fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots and even a few ivory gulls accompanied us. To everyone's delight, hot chocolate was served on the back deck. For those who needed a little extra “boost morale” there was the optional splash of rum!

Just as we were preparing to leave the ice behind and head south, excitement rippled through the decks: a polar bear had been spotted!

It was wandering across the ice at its own relaxed pace, occasionally vanishing behind ridges and hummocks of sea which had been pushed up by floes collisions. The mighty bear moved like it had a flair for suspense. It gave us hope by changing direction toward the ship... then, as if remembering it had other plans, it turned and wandered away again. A brief, beautiful encounter—just enough to remind us who really runs the Arctic.

We enjoyed another excellent lunch (honestly, how are we going to go back to normal food after this?). The afternoon brought us a fascinating presentation by Eduardo on extraterrestrial life. From the deep seas to the moons of Saturn and Jupiter, he made space feel just a little closer.

As the MV Plancius continued her way south toward more biologically productive waters, the clouds lingered peacefully overhead. The atmosphere was mellow, perfect for settling into the observation lounge for a BBC polar bear documentary—which, it must be said, featured several bears less camera-shy than ours.

The day ended with the daily recap hosted by Jan and the expedition team, followed by a satisfying dinner. Later that evening, a few dolphins were spotted. A calm, cloudy, and classic Arctic day—with just the right amount of surprise, ended.

After a few days sailing in the northern coast of Svalbard, early in the morning M/V Plancius moved slowly, easing into Forlandsundet—the narrow channel that separates the island of Spitsbergen from Prins Karls Forland.

Prins Karls Forland rose to the west, a long and slender island fringed with ice and crowned with snow-covered peaks. The island is a protected nature reserve, home to colonies of seabirds, reindeer, and walrus hauled out on sandy shores. Historically, the island holds a quiet place in the early era of Arctic exploration. It was first sighted in 1610 by the English explorer Jonas Poole, during a voyage commissioned by the Muscovy Company in search of whales and new trade routes. He named the island "Prince Charles's Foreland" in honor of the future King Charles I of England.

Later in the morning, divided into small groups, we set foot on the island at Poolepynten, a low-lying sand spit on the eastern side of Prins Karls Forland, named after Jonas Poole himself.

Guided by our team we followed an unmarked path across gravely terrain dotted by drifted wood and from a respectful distance, we observed the small group of Arctic pinnipeds sprawled across the beach. Their massive, tusked bodies piled together like driftwood. Atlantic walruses can weigh over 1,500 kilograms and use their tusks not only for defense but also to haul themselves out of the water and onto ice or shore. Social and often vocal, they grunted and snorted, occasionally lifting their heads to eye us with mild curiosity. Despite their bulk and awkward gait on land, in the water they are graceful swimmers, perfectly adapted to the icy Arctic seas.

It was hard to picture their underwater lives as we watched them doze on the beach. Walruses are expert benthic feeders, using their sensitive whiskers (vibrissae) to detect clams buried in the seafloor. With powerful suction, they can extract the soft parts of a clam without cracking the shell. An adult may eat thousands of clams in a single day, playing a key role in stirring up the seabed and maintaining the balance of the Arctic marine ecosystem.

During lunch time the ship repositioned navigating southeast towards the mouth of Isfjorden and into Trygghamna.

The shelter waters of this natural harbour used since the XVII century by whalers, was a perfect place for landing and stretching our legs into the tundra still covered with snow patches. Long and middle hikers had the chance to approach the cliffs of Alkhornet, observing on the way Pink-footed geese, Snowbuntings, some close encounters with Svalbard Reindeers and a couple of Polar foxes. A marvellous way to end our expedition in this remote corner of the Svalbard archipelago.

Back on the ship we gathered for the farewell cocktail. Words of appreciation for the trip were spent by multiple people, including captain Artur and Expedition Leader Jan. After watching the fantastic slide show made by Marco, we had one last dinner before returning our boots and packing our luggage for the next day.

The day began in the serene stillness of Adventfjorden, where calm seas mirrored the soft morning light. Our ship, Plancius, laid quietly at anchor, marking the peaceful close of our expedition. After enjoying a final breakfast onboard, we packed our bags and made our way to the gangway, ready to step ashore one last time. Farewells were exchanged—with the dedicated crew who had guided us, and the fellow travellers who had become friends.

Our last zodiac ride, across still waters, brought us to the jetty of the northernmost city in the world. Some of us stayed to explore the quiet charm of Longyearbyen, while others prepared for their flights home. As we looked back one last time at Plancius, gently resting in the bay, we reflected on the unforgettable moments shared—and perhaps already began dreaming of future adventures.