Accommodating just 12 guests at a time, the M/V Kinfish was recently transformed from a Norwegian research vessel to a classic passenger ship.
Find out moreJoin experienced polar explorer and photographer Martin Hartley on this exclusive expedition to the Svalbard Archipelago, learning about the fragile Arctic ecosystem while searching for wildlife like walrus, reindeer, humpback whales and the mighty polar bear.
Following in the footsteps of his heroes Frank Hurley and Herbert Ponting, Martin Hartley literally walks to the ends of the earth in search of the perfect photograph. The veteran polar explorer is one of a select few who have crossed the frozen Arctic Ocean on foot and with dogs, working in some of the most hostile environments on earth alongside such legendary adventurers as Pen Hadow and Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
On this 9-day expedition you'll join Martin and a team of expedition leaders and naturalists as you explore the Svalbard Archipelago, home to vast snowfields, ice-choked fjords, frozen seas, towering mountains and rolling tundra. Inhabiting this Arctic wilderness are a plethora of animals, from seals and seabirds to humpback whales and polar bears.
Martin has a particular scientific interest in climate change and its impact on the Arctic environment. In February and March 2020 he will be participating in The Last Ice Sentinel Project, skiing 300 miles towards Canada's far northern reaches to collate research data and photograph the impact of climate change on multi-year ice. Martin will be on hand throughout your journey to share insights from his most recent experience at the top of the world, as well as travellers' tales from many years spent traversing the world's Polar Regions.
What makes this trip extraordinary
- Traverse the frozen wilderness of Svalbard alongside veteran polar explorer Martin Hartley.
- Experience the dramatic scenery and incredible wildlife of Svalbard from the deck of your expedition ship, in small zodiac boats and while exploring on land.
- Search the pack ice for polar bears hunting seals.
- Sail past precipitous cliffs where thousands-strong seabird colonies come to roost.
- Watch for whales from the bow of the M/V Kinfish.
- Enjoy zodiac cruises on icy glacier-fed seas.
- Learn more about Svalbard's flora and fauna from lectures taught by on-board expert naturalists.
