Bird Cliffs of Spitsbergen

A boat trip to Fuglefjellet with Spitsbergen Travel

ABOVE: An "Isfjord Safari" boatman and guide explains what we're about to see at the Fuglefjell bird cliffs.

By Durant Imboden

Seeing nature in the raw is a big reason for visiting Spitsbergen and the other islands of the Svalbard archipelago. Using the main town of Longyearbyen as your base, you can enjoy Arctic wilderness excursions via skis, dogsled, snowmobile, and--in summer--by boat or cruise ship.

Spitsbergen Travel, the largest travel agency and expedition outfitter in Svalbard, offers a whole slew of trips from Longyearbyen--among them, a three-hour "Isfjord Safari" by open boat to Fuglefjellet, the cliffs where thousands of sea birds nest and breed during July and August. The trip is offered five days a week and can also be booked privately by groups. For details, including prices, see Spitsbergen Travel's Isfjord Safari to Fuglefjellet and Hiorthhamn page.

A few years ago, I joined a group that was booked on the Isfjord Safari. The captioned pictures on the following pages show what we did and saw during the boat tour.

"Best of the Web"   - Forbes and The Washington Post From Durant and Cheryl Imboden:   About Europe for Visitors Need a car, SUV, or van in Europe? If you live outside the EU, a tax-free Peugeot or Renault tourist lease can be cheaper than renting for visits of 21 days or longer. Minimum driver age is 18, there's no upper age limit, and rates include insurance.   Read "Short-term car leasing"