A MOTHERBEAR EXPEDITION
SVALBARD
WINTER AND SPRING IS THE MOST MAGICAL TIME OF THE YEAR around Svalbard and Spitsbergen. The landscapes are covered in snow and there is plenty of drift ice in the fjords and areas surrounding the islands. Our ship handles these conditions well and we will travel far out into the most remote and unique areas where we best can experience the Arctic nature and its impressive wildlife, of course including the polar bear. Usually we also encounter animals like walrus, seals, birds, arctic foxes, reindeer and whales.
In March and April, after months of polar night, a world of ice comes out of darkness and the days quickly become longer. From the middle of March we have plenty of daylight with a warm and beautiful light, while sunsets color the snow covered landscapes and frozen fjords, shifting from dark blue, to pink, violet, red and orange.
In May, spring is beginning to embrace the Arctic and the midnight sun shines around the clock. The landscapes are still covered in snow and there is usually plenty of drift ice in the fjords and areas surrounding the islands. The feeling out there is indescribable.
ON OUR CHARMING EXPEDITION SHIP M/S FREYA we are comfortably accommodated. During the days, when conditions allow, we leave the ship with our three zodiacs to cruise around for even closer contact with the amazing life and nature, like ice bergs and glaciers, or take a walk on land or the ice. The meals onboard are prepared by our Swedish Chef, and when it’s possible we can also enjoy a late-night barbeque on land or on deck. If someone would like to take a cool swim in the Arctic Ocean there’s a sauna on board where you can get warm afterwards.
M/S FREYA IS THE BEST EXPEDITION SHIP IN THE ARCTIC. She is small enough to get close to animals and nature without disturbing, but she also has the strength and power to force her way through close drift ice in a safe way. The ship is newly renovated with spacious twin cabins, a comfortable lounge, a large upper deck with an amazing 360° view of our surroundings, and everything we need for a relaxing and exciting expedition.
WHEN WE ARE NOT EXPLORING THE NATURE outside the ship, we enjoy the comfort on deck, looking for polar bears, whales, seals and other animals, or relax in the cozy lounge.
The adventure of a lifetime.
Dates and
details
2025
MARCH 22-30
MARCH 30-APRIL 7
MAY 1-9
MAY 9-17
JULY 25-AUGUST 4
2026
MARCH 22-30
MARCH 30-APRIL 7
MAY 1-9
MAY 9-17
Departure Longyearbyen 4 pm first day.
Return Longyearbyen last day 9 am.
TRIP LENGTH: 9 days
GROUP SIZE: maximum 12 people
PRICE per person:
US$ 9,900/EUR 8,900
ACCOMMODATION:
Shared twin cabin. All cabins have separate, lower beds, private bathroom/shower and a window to the ocean. Single cabins are available on some trips.
Price includes:
- Guiding in English.
- All activities, transportation and fees/permissions on Svalbard.
- All meals on board M/S Freya (dietary requirements like vegetarian, vegan, lactose, allergies etc are not a problem - just let us know).
- Large format photo book with memories from our journey.
- 120% Climate compensated trip including your flight.
Not included in the price:
- Flight to/from Longyearbyen.
- Travel insurance
- Optional tip for the ship crew
Payment terms:
A deposit of 20% after making your reservation.
The rest is due two months before departure.
For booking requests and questions, please send us a message here
You can also send an e-mail to info@themotherbear.com
This expedition is produced in collaboration with the Swedish travel agency Expeditionsresor, one of the best adventure travel operators in the world. They handle all reservations. After making a booking request, they will get in contact with you by e-mail to finalize your reservation.
Our ship
M/S Freya
M/S Freya is arguably the best expedition ship in the Arctic. She was originally built for the Swedish Maritime Administration in 1981 and was later taken over by the Swedish Coast Guard. She has been used as an environmental protection vessel as well as for research and science expeditions. In 2015 she was converted to an Arctic expedition ship and came to Svalbard for the first time in the summer of 2016. In 2018 Freya was acquired by Edvin Vidarsson and the Skattegården farm in Sweden.
Freya is built to Lloyd’s class for unrestricted trade and has the highest ice class 1A. She has capacity for up to 26 passengers in seven newly built twin cabins and four triple cabins. On this expedition we only bring 12 passengers, to make it as spacious and comfortable for everyone as possible. We also have three zodiacs (small rubber boats) on the ship, which we use as often we can when conditions allow it for exploring the surroundings more closely.
M/S Freya has a spectacular deck with a 360-degree view, a large dining room, a nice lounge and a cozy sauna where you can warm yourself after the day’s adventures. Travelling with only 12 passengers makes it feel more like being on a private yacht rather than a bigger expedition ship. We have an experienced crew of eight people plus three guides on board, everyone ready to assist and make the most out of our expedition.
Itinerary
DAY TO DAY PROGRAM
DAY 1
ARRIVAL IN THE ARCTIC In the afternoon we board our ship at the harbor in Longyearbyen. We meet the crew and have a safety briefing while we begin cruising out of Adventfjorden via Isfjorden out into the Arctic wilderness. We settle in on the ship and in our cabins. During the evening we eat a welcome dinner, socialize and enjoy the magnificent glaciers and mountains pass by as we travel towards the land of the polar bear. Magic is ahead.
DAY 2 - 8
EXPLORING THE ARCTIC WILDERNESS Travelling through the drift ice, our exact route will be decided by ice and weather conditions. Our goal is to explore and experience as much as possible of what the Arctic has to offer and encounter the impressive wildlife, of course hopefully also the King of the Arctic: the polar bear. When conditions allow, we get into our zodiacs to cruise around and perhaps go on land or ice. We will most likely travel to the fjords Fuglefjorden and Raudfjorden on the north side of Spitsbergen where we should encounter the edge of the North Pole pack ice. Later in the week we travel down south on Spitsbergen’s west coast to Bellsund and Hornsund.
DAY 9
BYE BYE ARCTIC After a last breakfast together on the ship it is time to leave. There is time to explore the village some more and perhaps shop some souveniers for friends and family back home.
Please note: Our exact route and travel plans are depending on weather and ice conditions and where we expect the best opportunities at the time of our expedition. We will do everything possible to make the most out of our Arctic adventure. Flexibility is the key to a successful expedition!
During our expeditions we typically encounter polar bears as well as other wildlife. And of course always the magical scenery of the Arctic. There are never any guarantees for anything up here though. But we do know one thing: it will be amazing. It always is, and every expedition is unique and unlike the others.
Nature is the boss. And that is what makes this a true adventure.
Observe to protect
The far north is an ecosystem in perfect balance when it has the cold and the ice it needs, but every single degree of warming has huge consequences, and this makes it extremely vulnerable. The high Arctic offers some of Earth’s most extreme conditions and it inhibits some of the strongest, most powerful wildlife. At the same time it is the most fragile place you can imagine.
All human activity leaves footprints, also this trip. On our expeditions everything happens on the terms of the environment and wildlife around us. If anything we do comes at a cost for these, we do all we humanly can to avoid it. We never disturb wildlife knowingly. If an animal seems affected by our presence we always back off and retreat. When an animal changes its behaviour because of us, we have failed. Being quiet and avoiding disturbance is a much easier task on our small ship with only 12 guests than the big ones, with dozens or hundreds of passengers.
By visiting the Arctic we leave footprints. And by flying to the Arctic and then travel with a ship, we can not avoid emitting greenhouse gases. We and the owners of M/S Freya are completely committed to minimizing our emissions. We look at all aspects of these operations, big and small. All from what fuel is used to the products used on board and what food is served. We are constantly looking at ways to improve our operations.
M/S Freya is owned by Edvin Vidarsson and his family who also are running Skattegården, a beautiful farm in Sweden. They have an amazing focus on environmentally friendly production and work hard for a sustainable future. The ship and the farm is part of the same universe. For example, the goal is to have as much as possible of the food served on board produced by the farm. Locally produced and served in the north! This way of working and forward way of thinking make us very proud to work with M/S Freya, Edvin and Skattegården.
We also calculate all carbon emissions created during this trip, not only from the ship, but from our guests’ flights as well. And we carbon offset (climate compensate) everything connected with this expedition. Our goal is to over-compensate up to at least 120% - to give more than we take to our planet. This is not a perfect system, but it does help.
We follow all national and international laws and regulations as well as the guidelines set up by The Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO). But we also have our own guidelines to follow in situations when they are more strict.
The number one priority for this expedition is to safeguard the place and life we are here to observe. The goal is to learn about the Arctic, its environment and wildlife by experiencing it close at firsthand.
We only do five-six expeditions each year. We at The Motherbear want to feel everything that our guests feel when we see that beautiful polar bear or magical sunset. We want to feel the same excitement and happiness. Our expeditions will never become routine for us. The Arctic and its fragile environment is far too precious to be treated in any other way.
Our guides
Fredrik Granath
Expedition leader and producer Fredrik Granath works together with his partner, photographer Melissa Schäfer, and their Motherbear Productions, documenting the nature and wildlife of the Arctic. The focus is on the life of the polar bear and its role in a changing climate.
Fredrik is a leading expert on field work and production in the polar regions. He has assembled a unique expertise of working under the most extreme conditions and is specialised in polar bears. Since 2001 Fredrik has been working around the Arctic on his own projects, and also as a producer for other film- and photographic projects, including work for film studios and the National Geographic. He has been published in the New York Times, Vanity Fair and many others, and co-authored the book “Polar Tales” with Melissa Schäfer.
Together with their Motherbear Productions, Fredrik and Melissa organise expeditions in the Arctic with the ship M/S Freya since 2016.
Melissa Schäfer
From her early childhood days in Hamburg, Germany, Melissa has viewed the world through her camera lens. With a background in creative and portrait photography she has always had a unique eye for the surroundings. A deep love for the Arctic and polar bears as well as a strong commitment to nature and the environment is a foundation for all her work.
In 2020 Melissa and Fredrik published their award winning, best selling book “Polar Tales” worldwide in English. It has also been published in German as “Das Königreich der Eisbären”, Swedish as “Bortom isbjörnens rike” and Chinese. Melissa is the founder and editor in chief of the “Mother” magazine, which launched in 2023 and since then has been distributed in 55 countries.. She has been published by The New York Times, National Geographic, GEO and many others.
Melissa and Fredrik live outside Stockholm, Sweden with their two dogs, Nanuk and Pingo, who is an adopted sled dog from Svalbard.
Lianna Nixon
Lianna is an award-winning conservation storyteller, environmental science educator, and experienced expedition leader and guide.
Her work explores how storytelling impacts learning about climate science and intersectional environmentalism. Today she works for Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) to help scientists communicate their work to the public. Lianna's work has been published in magazines such as GEO, CBS, ABC, Stern, Nature, PM, and many academic journals. Lianna also worked at the MOSAiC expedition, drifting through the North Pole pack-ice for months, studying the changing sea ice.
She is specialised in the Arctic region and has vast experience of working around Alaska and Svalbard. She has worked as expedition leader and guide on many expeditions around the Arctic, in Alaska, Greenland and on Svalbard since 2017.
Lianna and her husband Casey live in Vancouver, Washington, U.S.A. with their dogs Maya and Ace.
Photos by Melissa Schäfer from our expeditions around Svalbard.
Bringing new friends to the Arctic and experiencing this world of wonders together on M/S Freya has proved to be one of the most amazing things we could ever have hoped for. Many of our guests become friends for life, and share moments we will carry together forever. We let you see the Arctic nature and wildlife through our eyes, and we are so grateful to also see it through yours - with new fascination and excitement.
Every expedition is unique.
Fredrik, Melissa & Lianna
For booking requests and questions, please send us a message here
You can also send an e-mail to info@themotherbear.com
This expedition is produced in collaboration with the Swedish travel agency Expeditionsresor, one of the best adventure travel operators in the world. They handle all reservations. After making a booking request, they will get in contact with you by e-mail to finalize your reservation.