Tromso to Svalbard – Arctic Cruise

Sleeping polar bear with walrus keeping a close eye

Alex Burridge MD Arctic Travel Centre

My most recent trip to the Arctic started 350km North of the Arctic Circle in the beautiful city of Tromso at just over 69 degrees North.  The city’s population swells to over 80,000 inhabitants during term time as there are a number of universities here.

The city is located on a small island Tromsoya and is connected to the mainland by Tromso Bridge.  It’s definitely worth adding a few extra nights, before or after your voyage.  If, like me, you’re flying from Australia then a few nights either in Tromso or in Oslo would allow time to recover from any jetlag as well as adding significantly to the entire experience.

Cable car views over Tromso

Tufted Duck                                                                                                                                   Oystercathcher

A walk around the harbour is a must. For me a walk up the hill to Prestvannet lake was a great way to spend a couple of hours, get the blood flowing and maybe see a few birds.  Formerly a reservoir for the town Prestvannet is now simply a lake with a number of well-made tracks around it.  On our walk we saw: Arctic terns, rock doves, kittiwakes, mallard, chiffchaff, tufted ducks, hooded crows and maybe 10 red-throated divers, some with chicks.

The next day we woke and peering through the curtains I could see that our ship, the Swan Hellenic Diana, was in port (a good start).

SH Diana leaving Tromso

Leaving mainland Norway behind

We went aboard just after 2.  She’s quite a ship, launched in 2023, ice-strengthened and with many traits of a small luxury ‘cruise’ ship.

Our expedition leader made the point that whilst she is very comfortable she’s not operated as a ‘cruise’ ship. Her fleet of zodiacs and an experienced expedition team tend to back that up.

Soon we leave dock, bow and stern thrusters meaning she can go sideways and leave port easily and efficiently.

We soon cruise under Tromso bridge and head down the fjord and out to see.  Passing us by we see: puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, glaucous gulls and a couple of red-throated divers.

We’re aimed at Bear Island (Bjornoya), which is the southern most island of the Svalbard archipelago and located just over half-way from Tromso to the main island of Spitsbergen.  Apparently named by Willem Barentz who saw a Polar bear swimming near the island.

Bear Island – skies clear                                                                       Puffins Bear Island

Swan Hellenic Diana sheltering at Bear Island

Bear Island rarely has Polar bears, perhaps an occasional winter visitor.  It does have many hundreds of thousands of birds; Brunnich’s and common guillemots, puffins, glaucous gulls, kittiwakes, northern fulmars and little auks.  In the nutrient rich waters ringed, and bearded seals are often seen.  Walruses are occasionally seen (and they used to be hunted from the island; practice long-since halted.  Humpbacked whales are also found here.

We were in luck – the sun shone for a couple of ours through a window in the fog that seemed to surround Bear Island.  The zodiacs made their way back to SH Diana and we were soon heading for Svalbard.

Not long after I could hear the sounds of a helicopter.  From our balcony we watched as the Norwegian Coastguard carried out a practice drill – all part of operating expedition ships in Norwegian waters.

Northern Fulmar cruising next to ship                                                                                         Time to head back to ship as weather window closes

Norwwegian Coastguard Helicopter drill                                                                    First site of Svalbard

The remainder of the journey I am going to tell with images.

Our first stop was Kapp Lee – one of Svalbard’s Walrus haul-out sites.

A maximum of 39 people on shore at Kapp Lee

Alkefjellet bird cliffs – hundreds of thousands of guillemots

Brunnich’s guillemots

We head north to the sea-ice edge – 700km from the North Pole

Not long after we spot our first Polar bear

Black paw pads and tongue

Back to Spitsbergen for an awesome hike at Alicehamna

Arctic Skua                                                                                                             SH Diana Alicehamna

Arctic Fox                                                                                                                   Arctic flora has a short window to flower

Guillemots over calm sea                                                                                    July 14th Glacier

Longyearbyen                                                                                                         Back on Norway’s mainland Skarsvag – next port Tromso