Longyearbyen, the largest of only a few permanent settlements in Svalbard, is accessible by air year-round via Oslo, Norway. After a few-minute transfer from the airport to a waiting yacht, one can be alone in the high Arctic in the time it takes to sail around the first headland. Once aboard an expedition yacht, every highlight in Svalbard is available.

Unlike other destinations that advertise looks at polar bears, the search here is done in pure wilderness, where the wildlife has had practically no experience with the attractions or deterrents of a human population. Interactions in Svalbard, as often as not, involve curious animals approaching their observers, rather than fleeing. Exploring in a yacht’s zodiac allows for barrier-less, eye-level encounters, much closer and safer than could ever be achieved on land. Staying onboard a vessel means total immersion in the polar environment, poised at any point in the 24-hour daylight to opportunistically spot the natural residents of this wilderness as they feed and hunt during the fleeting summer.