Finally after 3 years of planning, the polar bear Arctic trip is now a reality. I would like to invite you to join me from June 9th to June 20th 2024 in exploring Spitsbergen, the largest island in Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago. These islands lie above the Arctic Circle and are considered to be the wildlife capital of the Arctic. They hold one of the largest concentration of polar bears north of the Arctic Circle along with walruses, reindeer, Arctic fox, whales, and seabirds by the tens of thousands.

Like South Georgia in the southern hemisphere, Svalbard offers the spectacular scenery of snow-topped mountains, icebergs, fjords, sea ice, and glaciers. June is considered the best time to search for polar bears as the bears are now active after their winter hibernation and await the breakup of the sea ice so they can leave the island, follow the ice flows and begin their search for Arctic seals. Sadly, the latest predictions are that the Arctic sea ice will be gone by midsummer 2040, making the polar bear one of our planet’s most threatened species.

Our home will be Quark’s newest ship, the Ultramarine. It is only 4 years old and was designed specifically for polar travel. It carries 199 passengers who are served by 140 crew members. It is 420 feet long, carries 20 zodiacs, and is equipped with state of the art stabilizers. The ship has a very high, sea ice rating that allows it to go where most polar cruise ships cannot. The Ultramarine also represents a new concept in polar travel as it combines the strength and seaworthiness of a polar vessel with the luxurious cabins and public spaces of a modern Mediterranean cruise ship. Be sure to view the 2 minute walk-through video of the Ultramarine below.

This will be my 5th polar trip over the last 20 years, and I’ve never seen a polar ship so well designed and with this level of amenities. Quark has been in business for 30 years and I have used them for my four prior cruises to Antarctica. They are known for their experienced expedition leaders, their expert lecturers and naturalists, and their high quality shore excursions and zodiac cruises.