When it comes to wildlife, the Arctic has its own Big Five: Polar Bear, Walrus, Whale, Fox, and Seals. I’m pleased to report that we saw them all.
**Our first sighting of Svalbardic wildlife (not part of the Big Five) came in the form of three reindeer who watched us carefully as the enjoyed their mid-morning snack of moss and late-season flowers. We stood (almost) silently as a group – the clicks of our cameras disrupted the peaceful surroundings but little else did.
**Our second sighting: WHALES. And not just any whales: Fin whales! We had been told upon the beginning of our cruise that 2016 unfortunately hadn’t been a good season for whales. The temperatures of both air and water was off and, as a result, so were whale migrations. So, imagine our sheer delight when three fin whales, the largest in the ocean only after the blue whale, began spouting around our ship. One of our guides later told us that Fin Whales are uncommon in Svalbard. One of them had worked in the area for four years, and had only seen them once before.
**Our third sighting: Walrus. First, imagine 4,000 pounds of tusked blubber. Now imagine hundreds of them piled together. Our first sighting at Kapp Lee was that of a herd of about 7 individuals. Our second was closer to 200. After that, I lost track of my Walri count.
**Our fourth sighting: Seal. Spotted by our guide Dima as we zodiaced around Burgerbutka, the bearded seal dove beneath the ice and surfaced just shy of each zodiac - giving each of us a private show in turn.
**Our fifth sighting: Polar Bear. Not a single polar bear – EIGHT polar bears. Though none of them were close to the ship and all of them were best observed through binoculars, we saw eight. And that’s exciting.
**Our sixth sighting: Fox. Normally the hardest of the Big Five to spot due to their natural camouflage and quick movements, the two foxes we saw scouting the edge of Alkhornet had just begun to transition from their summer browns to winter whites. As such, they stood out against the green canvass of landscape quite nicely.
I'm not normally a person who goes nuts over wildlife, unless they have flukes and blowholes and make me feel impeccably small. Maybe it's because polar bears aren't common or because walrus are... well... walrus, but I loved every moment of wildlife-watching in Svalbard.
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.