Every year, PolarQuest arrange a guide seminar for all our polar guides to prepare for the upcoming Svalbard season. The 7 – 9 of April, the 10th seminar was held and it truly was a success! For three days they listened to interesting lectures and participated in activities such as CPR and hands-on exercises to become even better collaborators. We are very proud of having so many knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides!
Are you dreaming of exploring fairytale winter landscapes and witnessing Arctic wildlife on ice? Then May is usually the perfect month, but if you want a broader experience July is a great time to travel. In July summer has arrived, the midnight sun reigns supreme, the bird cliffs are teaming with life and the tundra invites you to wonderful walks in the fresh Arctic air. Below you can find out more about what an expedition cruise in July may offer.
The midnight sun
A summer holiday in Svalbard means many hours of light therapy. To experience the magical midnight sun with daylight around the clock is something truly special.
Further east
The ice is slowly starting to loosen its grip, which offers good opportunities to explore the seldom visited eastern parts of the archipelago.
Bråsvellbreen
Maybe we reach this spectacular 45 kilometers long glacier front, a small part of Austfonna – one of the world’s largest ice caps.
The mighty pack ice
If we're lucky, we encounter the mighty pack ice, where we enjoy the sceneries and keep a lookout for wildlife.
Refreshing hikes
On land, more and more snow-free areas become accessible for longer walks.
Colourful flowers
Are there flowers on Svalbard? Yes, and July is a great month to see the Svalbard poppy and purple saxifrage decorate the slopes.
Alkefjellet
If the ice allows, we enter Hinlopen Strait. Here is Alkefjellet, an impressive, basaltic cliff, which is the home to an estimated 200 000 Brünnich’s guillemots
The giants of the sea
Whales are more frequently seen in the waters and we have a chance to encounter two of the giants - the humpback whale and the enormous blue whale.
The iconic wildlife
Svalbard is home to some of the world's most exciting animal species. Throughout the season we have the chance to see walruses, seals, Arctic foxes, reindeer and the king of the Arctic – the polar bear.
Since 1999, we have taken travellers on once-in-a-lifetime trips to Svalbard. From May to September our three small expedition ships, carrying only 12 and 51 passengers, explore this magnificent Arctic archipelago. Unpredictability and flexibility are the main keywords when you travel with PolarQuest as the exact route depends on weather, ice conditions and wildlife encounters. Sometimes you might be woken up in the middle of the night if a polar bear has been spotted on the ice.
The eternal sun, polar day – the midnight sun is known by many names. Regardless of what you choose to call this natural phenomenon, it is a truly unique experience to visit Svalbard during the summer months when the days never end. Most people know about the midnight sun, but do you really know what causes the phenomenon?
In Svalbard, the sun does not set between mid-April and the end of August. Why? During this period the North Pole faces the sun and the further north you are from the Arctic Circle, the longer the midnight sun shines. The Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of approximately 23°, which means that the sun does not disappear below the horizon if you are at high latitudes. In Svalbard, this means exposure to the sun around the clock. When the Earth's axis tilts the other way during the winter months, everything north of the Arctic Circle is instead hidden from the sun's rays. You then talk about polar night or midwinter darkness.
The perfect light
Many who have experienced the midnight sun describe the phenomenon as a golden shimmer. This combined with the Arctic silence is something truly special to experience. The light from the midnight sun can also be compared to the "golden hour", the time just before or just after sunset, something that many photographers consider providing the perfect conditions. This also offers the perfect opportunities for capturing unforgettable photos!
Day and night flow together
It can be difficult to keep track of time when day and night flow together. The bright nights trigger to stay up and enjoy everything that the dreamlike Arctic landscape has to offer. Many locals get an extra boost of energy during these months when the sun is constantly above the horizon and like to stay awake into the wee hours. As a visitor, it is important to use blackouts or eye masks to get the necessary sleep even though the magical light calls for attention!
Photo: Johan Reuthammar - PolarQuest
Since 1999, we have taken travellers on once-in-a-lifetime trips to Svalbard. From May to September our three small expedition ships, carrying only 12 and 51 passengers, explore this magnificent Arctic archipelago. Unpredictability and flexibility are the main keywords when you travel with PolarQuest as the exact route depends on weather, ice conditions and wildlife encounters. Sometimes you might be woken up in the middle of the night if a polar bear has been spotted on the ice.
An early morning approaches and with our breakfast bags in hand, we easily make our way from the city to Copenhagen Airport. Shortly after 9 AM we board the morning flight that will take us to the largest island in the world – Greenland.
With seat belts fastened and table trays folded up, we begin the first and about 4-hour long part of the flight to the small Greenlandic village of Ilulissat. On board the flight, expectations creep in and the tingle in the stomach grows when we hear the fantastic Greenlandic language spoken between the cabin crew and passengers. A few interesting short films about Greenland and its culture and a meal later, we begin our descent and the view outside the window now starts to get really exciting as we slide beautifully onto the runway in Kangerlussuaq.
Out in sub-zero temperatures to white mountain peaks and pastel-colored skies, Greenland welcomes us in the most charming way possible. The airport in Kangerlussuaq was built during World War II as an American airbase, but has been civilian for many years. However, the stop in Kangerlussuaq will not be a long one, as we will soon exchange our slightly larger plane with TV screens for a small propeller plane with room for only 30 passengers. Now we have a 45-minute flight to our final destination on the west coast of Greenland.
Once inside the small plane, we are welcomed on board with a warm smile from our flight attendant before we take our seats and watch the propeller on the wing start spinning. With a small jolt we are once again up in the air and this time it is impossible to take our eyes off the windowpane. Outside, white expanses, dark blue seas and winding fjord systems rise and as we approach the runway in Ilulissat, the sun has just made its way over the horizon.
We make a sharp right turn in the air and aim for the runway that runs parallel to the coastline and the small plane shakes as the landing gear folds out. When we get off the plane, we are once again struck by the fantastic light and fresh air that Greenland offers and we direct our steps towards the small arrivals hall or as the sign reads "Tikkitarfik". Now four exciting days of icebergs, culture, and fjords await – but first we just need to pick up our bags at the airport's only baggage belt.
Text & photo: Maria Malmborg, PolarQuest
Experience Greenland’s untamed wilderness with the elegant 12-passenger ship M/S Balto, designed to explore the most remote fjord systems, visit isolated Inuit settlements and take you to secret anchorages. Greenland’s spectacular coastline offers some of the most remarkable nature experiences. The Arctic landscape is dominated by ice-filled fjords, majestic peaks and vast tundra.
If you enjoy seeing local culture up close, mask dance is a completely unique experience that you will remember forever. Its traditions have their roots in social, cultural and spiritual rituals which date back thousands of years.
From a form of entertainment to a means of expression, dancing has played (and continues to play) a key role in Inuit culture. Greenlandic mask dancing is one of the oldest forms of story-telling, in which the performer incorporates three key emotions into a routine: humor, fear and sexuality.
From wooden masks to face paints
Once upon a time, driftwood masks were modeled on human faces, often with distorted features designed to shock and intrigue. Traditions developed over time, moving towards the eye-catching black, white and red face paints that are still seen today and the distinctive wooden block that many dancers hold in their mouths throughout a routine.
While masks once represented characters and spirits from mythological tales, today’s symbolism is often more nuanced, invoking emotions and ancestors as well as the spirit world. Typically, the dancer will be accompanied by a drummer, who will play the handheld drum that is unique to Greenland known as the qilaat. Usually, the frame is made from animal bones, with stretched hide or skin used to create the covering.
Supposed to be scary
Mask dance is often performed in towns and villages during celebrations of the shortest day of the year and the return of the sun in December and January. The dance was, and still is, done primarily for entertainment, but it also has an educational factor to it. It is supposed to be scary, so children can learn how to react to the challenges they encounter in life without panicking.
Photo: Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland
Experience Greenland’s untamed wilderness with the elegant 12-passenger ship M/S Balto, designed to explore the most remote fjord systems, visit isolated Inuit settlements and take you to secret anchorages. Greenland’s spectacular coastline offers some of the most remarkable nature experiences. The Arctic landscape is dominated by ice-filled fjords, majestic peaks and vast tundra.
From enormous glaciers and iceberg-filled fjords to its hot springs, Greenland’s natural appeal has no limits. The island also holds important Inuit cultural history and evidence of human settlement stretching back thousands of years. Here are five Greenlandic traditions that may come as a surprise to you.
When a hunter comes back to shore with a fresh kill, he will open the seal up and take out its intestines. But first, he will cut out the lungs bit by bit to share it with those around him and eat it while it’s still warm.
2) Creeping each other out with myths and legends of Inuit culture
Greenlanders love stories, especially the creepy and scary ones. Many people still believe that everything around us has a spirit. The sagas can seem illogical, with astonishing, often highly grotesque turns. Not employing the familiar, European phrase of ”Once upon a time . . . ”, the storyteller in Greenland catches listeners’ attention by saying ”This story is so old that no-one knows from whose throat it first came.”
The kaffemik is an amazing Greenlandic social gathering of friends for coffee, cake and other finger foods. It’s a sort of open house with a relaxed end homely atmosphere lasting several hours. The more – the merrier.
Inuit women often use urine as shampoo. It gives hair extra life and a beautiful shine. The benefits of urine on hair are backed by science. Since urine is an antiseptic, it may help eliminate many scalp problems, including infections, itchy scalp, and dandruff.
5) Seeing dogs as working dogs – not as pets
For centuries, Greenlandic dogs have only been seen as working animals, which remains today. With that, dogs stay outside the houses all year round and adult dogs are not free to roam the area as they may have unpredictable wolf genes.
Photo: Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland
Experience Greenland’s untamed wilderness with the elegant 12-passenger ship M/S Balto, designed to explore the most remote fjord systems, visit isolated Inuit settlements and take you to secret anchorages. Greenland’s spectacular coastline offers some of the most remarkable nature experiences. The Arctic landscape is dominated by ice-filled fjords, majestic peaks and vast tundra.
