Svalbard is often regarded as a mecca for wildlife enthusiasts. Along with Africa and the Galapagos, it is one of the top destinations to see some of the more elusive and unique creatures in the world.
There was not a day that went by that we were not entertained by some type of wildlife. Polar bears were, of course, very high on everyone's list. The crew searched diligently, even through the night and would announce whenever a polar bear was spotted. Though polar bears are found all over the Arctic, Svalbard, being relatively small in comparison, is one of the most reliable places to see them. The wonderful thing about expedition cruising is that the agenda is always up to change so anytime a bear was spotted we would slow the ship and spend hours just watching the bear interact with his landscape. Being on the ship you could always retreat to the lounge or your room and return to watch the bear again later.
Walruses were another large creature that many of us were watching out for. We were rewarded several times seeing them lounging on an ice flow, but the most impressive sighting was at Poolepynten when the shallow water provides prime feeding ground. There was a colony of over 50 walrus hanging on the beach and lumbering in and out of the water. The marine biologist set a line and we went in small groups to observe the colony.
Another exciting sighting was a colony of Little Auks. Our ornithologist on board had studied the actual colony that we visited at Isbjornhamna. Being that I am not a big birder myself I didn't expect to be too impressed, but the massive colony and charming little birds won me over and I sat for a good 30 minutes or so just watching them flit about on the cliff face. Though my sad little camera can hardly capture the impressive sight.
Our crew's efforts were also rewarded by sightings of seals, puffins, minke and beluga whales and numerous other bird species throughout the duration of our trip.
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.