Our Routes in Svalbard

18 August 2022

Arctic, Quark Expeditions, Svalbard, Uncategorised, Wildlife

…with Senior Marketing Executive, Laura

We are delighted to be launching the polar edition of a new and revealing Our Routes series dedicated to sharing travel experiences from our experts all over the polar regions. Our debut blog begins with a feature on Senior Marketing Executive, Laura Radford, who recently enjoyed a wonderfully wild trip to Svalbard and couldn’t wait to tell us all about it!

YOUR MAIN DESTINATIONS?

Svalbard and Oslo.

HOW DID YOU GET THERE? 

Flew from London to Oslo and stayed overnight at an airport hotel. The next morning, I took a charter flight to Longyearbyen in the heart of Svalbard.

FIRST TIME OR REPEAT TRIP?

First-time ever visiting Svalbard, the furthest north I had journeyed previously was Tromso in the Arctic Circle.

FAVOURITE LOCATION? 

This is really difficult to say as each place we sailed past/landed on the expedition cruise with Quark was unique. From polar bears on the sea ice edge in Yoldiabukta to reindeer walking alongside historical Camp Millar in Varsolbokta.

Laura's polar bear capture — Laura’s polar bear capture

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT?

Too many to mention, but I would have to say seeing a polar bear on the second day of the trip, just roaming on the edge of the sea ice, and frolicking in the snow. A close second would have to be on the penultimate day, when the final polar bear we saw which was jumping in and out of the water on the sea ice edge hunting seals, it was full of energy diving under the icy waters and resurfacing in seconds, jumping out and shaking the excess water from its fur – so many magical experiences throughout.

ANY SURPRISES? 

I think the amount of polar bears we witnessed was the biggest surprise – in total there were 9 bears spotted on our trip. Nature is an unpredictable thing, and of course you have to manage your expectations before a trip to Svalbard, but we were so fortunate and privileged to witness the array of wildlife that we did.

Laura snaps a bear marauding on the drift ice

WHAT DO YOU MOST RECOMMEND PACKING OR PREPPING FOR? 

Gloves that are easy to take on and off as the ones I had were quite tight and bulky, and although great, needing to take them on and off to take photos at short notice was an annoyance. I actually found putting a hand warmer in each pocket much easier, as you can take pictures with bare hands, and then quickly put them in your pockets to warm them up between pictures!

Single-gloved Laura and fully-gloved friends!

FAVOURITE FOOD AND DRINK ON TRIP?

All the food onboard Ultramarine was fantastic, from the breakfast buffet and omelettes cooked to perfection, to the tasty evening a la carte, with plenty of choice for vegetarians.

FAVOURITE PHOTO YOU TOOK? 

It was actually a video, of the polar bear on the second day just strolling along the sea ice, and then laying down to roll in the snow, breathtaking.