Billy Heaney's Svalbard Expedition Log: Exploring the High Arctic Aboard Expedition Ship Ocean Albatros

Far beyond mainland Norway, between the Arctic Ocean and the North Pole, lies Svalbard, one of the most remote and wildlife-rich destinations on Earth. Over the coming days, ExplorEarth's Billy Heaney will document every stage of an expedition aboard Ocean Albatros, exploring glaciers, ice-filled fjords, and some of the planet's most spectacular polar wilderness.

All we know is what he 'could' see in terms of wildlife, from polar bear encounters and walrus colonies to incredible birds, seals and cetaceans.

Dramatic fjords, glaciers and remote landings are guaranteed, however, and this daily expedition log offers a behind-the-scenes look at life in the High Arctic. Follow along as Billy reports directly from the field, sharing wildlife sightings, expedition highlights, photography and first-hand insights from one of the world's most extraordinary adventure travel experiences. Billy is sending us an update every day of his trip, posted exclusively here. 

Touchdown in Longyearbyen and what a start to my Arctic adventure with Polar Latitudes Expeditions, ExplorEarth and Swoop Arctic.

Just moments after getting off the bus I encountered my first Svalbard reindeer wandering through the town, while snow buntings bounced from roof to roof. At the edge of town, I caught up with a flock of Svalbard barnacle geese on their summer breeding grounds. This was particularly exciting, as only a few months ago, I was watching them back in Scotland as they were overwintering at WWT Caerlaverock.

As we set sail aboard the Ocean Albatros in the late afternoon, we were treated to a few walrus hauled out along the coast, along with great numbers of kittiwakes, fulmars, guillemots, puffins and little auks, all before we passed Barentsburg and ventured out into deeper water.

My second day day in the high Arctic began with wall-to-wall sunshine and mirror-calm seas as the Ocean Albatros continued north along the west coast of Spitsbergen. The morning was spent preparing for the adventures ahead with zodiac briefings and polar bear safety talks, though the wildlife had other ideas, treating us to a brief but exciting encounter with a pod of white-beaked dolphins that were heading out into deeper water.

By late morning we were exploring Magdalenefjorden by zodiac, weaving between impressive icebergs that were glowing in shades of blue beneath the Arctic sun. Black guillemots perched and argued amongst the ice while harbour seals rested along the rocky shoreline, unbothered by our presence. We later landed at Gravnesodden, home to one of Svalbard’s largest historic whaling cemeteries. Around 130 graves remain here, dating from the early 1600s through to the late 1700s, while the foundation remains of several blubber ovens on the beach stand as reminders of the area’s whaling past.

Walrus were a constant feature throughout the day, with several spotted feeding offshore and a few more hauled out in the distance as we continued north. Later we cruised through Smeerenburgfjorden before rounding the north western tip of Spitsbergen as the sun began to disappear behind the clouds.

Just when it seemed the day was coming to an end, an announcement at 11:30pm sent everyone rushing back on deck. A polar bear had been spotted in the distance. Or so we thought. It quickly became apparent that there wasn’t one bear at all, but three! One was tucked up in the snow having a snooze, a second much larger bear seemed to be in a food coma and was spread out on the ice, whilst a third, far more playful bear, washed the blood from its face in the shallows and began playing with drift wood.

We watched from a distance and I used my 600mm lens and tele-converted to film the bears from the deck. A few screen grabs of the footage can be seen below.

Safe to say, I slept incredibly well afterwards.