I love warm weather and sunshine. I don’t like going into a pool or a lake or an ocean unless it’s around 85 degrees. You can imagine Brad’s surprise when I said one morning, “I think we should go on an expedition to the Arctic!!” Once I put it out there, the whole idea of the trip began to intrigue both of us. We signed up to go on a National Geographic ship that went around Svalbard, far north of the Arctic Circle. Brad loved the idea because the trip had a focus on photography and it gave him a chance/excuse to upgrade his camera so he could learn with the best. I threw in a few days of travel to Copenhagen and Oslo so we could see some new Scandinavian countries and experience new cultures.
After a long shopping trip to REI where we bought a pile of base layers and waterproof everything, we were ready to head to the Arctic. We really didn’t quite know what to expect but went with eager anticipation and a willingness to learn about Svalbard!
Here are a few of our reflections on the voyage:
Experiencing the Wonder of the National Geographic Resolution: We were on the Nat. Geo. Resolution with about 130 of our fellow expedition travelers for seven days. The vessel was a next-generation expedition ship designed for polar ice exploration and it was beautiful. We were NOT on a cruise ship with a set schedule of events. We went exploring looking for wildlife and ice and what we did each day depended on the weather, the wind, the ice, and the conditions on land. The Captain changed his navigation frequently due to weather conditions. We were the only ship in the areas we explored for virtually the entire trip.
A Typical Day on the ship — there were no Typical Days on the ship:
An example of a typical day started with a 7:00 am cheery wake-up call letting us know what “operation” we were trying to do that morning. An “operation” could be a zodiac trip, a hike, or kayaking. Our leader would then give us an approximate time that we might get to go ashore. The reason that it was approximate was because the staff had to go on shore first-equipped with guns and search for polar bears before they would take 130 people to shore (Despite their cute appearance, polar bears are quite dangerous). They also made sure the conditions weren’t too icy or muddy. We did have a few episodes with people getting stuck in the mud up to their thighs (the mud was like quick -sand) and they were hoping to avoid any future mud-sucking events. Of course, there was always a wonderful breakfast waiting for us as we waited to hear about our morning. Some days things went as planned and other days we made other arrangements. We all had to be flexible because as soon as we found out an operation was going to happen, we had to put on all of our layers (I wore a LOT of layers as I was channeling my inner Mary Frandsen on a chilly day playing golf), our binoculars, our life jackets, and head to Base Camp to go out on a Zodiac. We did a lot of clothes-changing in the week on the trip but we got good at it by the end.
After our morning “operation”, we would have a delicious lunch. One day we even had a barbecue and people could sit outside on the deck of the ship! Post-lunch, we would find about a new operation in a new location. Again, flexibility was the key. Sometimes the excursions happened as planned and sometimes they didn’t.
In the evenings, we had cocktail hours, a recap of the day, some great photographs of the day by the Nat Geo Photographers, trivia night, or a Polar Bear Party. They even had a seven course meal with wine pairings that we attended with a small group. The ship food and service were beyond our expectations! We enjoyed our fellow travelers immensely who all had a sense of adventure and openness to learning.
Excitement on the Bridge: When we weren’t dressing or undressing to go outside, Brad and I loved to hang out at the bridge. The bridge was where the action happened and the Captain navigated the ship. The fun days, of course, were when we spotted polar bears or were going through ice. It was a fascinating place to experience ship life. We traveled 1200 miles on our voyage and even made it to 80 degrees north. Look it up. That’s very, very far north.
Yes, A Bird Lecture can be Funny: We loved the lectures and went to them all. The naturalists on birds made every topic interesting and entertaining. Who knew you could laugh so much at a bird lecture by Javier or learn all of the secrets of the iPhone camera with Bryan or see amazing underwater sea life by Annie? Nat Geo. Ships use their platform to educate the public about all things wildlife but also on the serious issue of global warming. Those lectures were very enlightening and sobering.
Polar Bears are getting more and more rare to find: Polar Bears are not as easy to spot as we thought when we signed up for the trip. Their numbers are decreasing annually due to melting icescapes and the ships are not allowed to get close to the fast ice. We were very lucky to see that mama and her cubs. It doesn’t happen on every expedition. Normally, they see a lot of “pixel” bears that you can only see through a strong binocular or very large camera lens.
Polar Plunge: One afternoon the brave and hearty in the group were invited to do a Polar Plunge in the frigid waters of the Arctic. I think the water was about 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Brad joyfully went down to take his turn while I happily went to the fifth deck to photograph him and cheer him on with the other sane people. (Reference the part about 85 degree water in the first paragraph.) There was lots of cheering and whooping-it-up and shot-taking with the Polar Plunge Party. The patch Brad received was certainly warranted.
Life Without a Sunrise or Sunset: Never seeing a sunset or sunrise really messes with your biorhythms. The sun has not been setting since April 19 and will not set again until August 21. Being out at 11:00 pm in a zodiac with bright light is something that is hard to get used to. On the flip side, the 2700 residents who live in Longyearbyen year-round have complete darkness (and frigid temps) from Oct.19-to mid-February. No sunlight at all ever during that time. Not sure how they do it but we met many young people who love living there and studying at the University Centre of Svalbard.
Go Now: An Arctic Expedition may not be for everyone but if you are considering it, plan your trip now in 2024. New regulations will take effect in 2025 that will make it even harder to get close to the polar bears. The regulations will also only allow about 40 people on shore per operation to do hikes. That regulation would have greatly impacted our ability to all get out on the islands as well as would have slowed down the trip dramatically. Nat Geo ships are stewards of the environment but sadly not all ships are so careful and have been disturbing the polar bears and getting too close to them hence the new regulations.
Nat Geo Ships: I can’t say enough good things about Nat Geo Ships and am already looking at where we can go in a couple of years. Their mission is to teach their passengers about the environment, wildlife, geology, photography, and, of course, global warming. We came home a lot more educated and aware of the Arctic landscape. The ship was luxurious in a very under-stated way. There are no kaoroke bars or all-night buffets or limbo dancing! There is simply fantastic service and really, really smart people on board. (Big thanks to smiling Adrian, who always greeted me at cocktail hour with my glass of chardonnay! It’s the little things). There was no need for the Dramamine we brought or any of the motion sickness pills or patches. The ride was smooth (except for the ice-breaking earthquakes) and we slept like babies every night as we were gently rocked to sleep.
Home: As the saying goes there is no place like home. We are looking forward to getting home to see the dogs and the grandkids and family but also I can’t wait to see a sunset and a sunrise again and feel the warmth of a summer day! Life in the Far North was fascinating and we will miss our fun, adventurous traveling companions but it’s time to celebrate summer back home!
Lisa and Brad's Travels 