By Boreal Yachting crew, Skippers and guides, Tromsø
Publication date not available
A Svalbard sailing expedition runs from Longyearbyen between June and September, when the fjords are largely ice-free and the sun does not set until late August. Voyages of one to two weeks reach tidewater glaciers, walrus haul-outs and bird cliffs, under Sysselmesteren regulations and AECO guidelines.
Svalbard sailing runs from 74° to 81° North. The archipelago holds around 2,000 residents and an estimated 3,600 polar bears, and the sun does not set for weeks each summer.
Our expeditions depart from Longyearbyen, the world's northernmost settlement with a regular airport. From there we sail north through Isfjorden, past the abandoned Russian mining town of Pyramiden, and into the wilderness beyond.
Polar bears patrol the sea ice and shoreline. Walruses haul out on rocky beaches in groups of dozens, bearded seals rest on ice floes, Arctic foxes hunt along the coast, and Svalbard reindeer — a small subspecies unique to the archipelago — graze the sparse tundra vegetation.
Svalbard's glaciers are among the more accessible in the Arctic. We anchor close to tidewater glaciers, where the ice cracks audibly and calves in pieces the size of houses. The rock here records hundreds of millions of years, from tropical coral reefs to coal seams laid down in ancient swamp forests.
Sailing in Svalbard requires an experienced crew and proper equipment. Our yachts carry polar bear protection, satellite communication and emergency supplies, and the crew includes an armed guide for shore excursions, a legal requirement in Svalbard given the polar bear population.
Related experience: Summer Svalbard Expeditions.
Where this sails: Sailing Svalbard.
About the author
Skippers and guides, Tromsø
Written by the Boreal Yachting editorial team using operational knowledge from the skippers and guides who sail Northern Norway and Svalbard.
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