#24
Experiencing Arctic awe for the first time | Tristan’s story from Svalbard

There’s a silence in Svalbard you don’t hear anywhere else. A stillness suspended in time—where snow-draped mountains stand untouched, majestic fjords are sealed in ice, and the never-ending daylight seems to stretch each moment.

For Tristan Young, our in-house marketing executive, on his first Svalbard Micro Cruise aboard Vikingfjord, he was immediately hit by the realisation that he was entering a landscape that felt untouched and deeply alive. “I was struck by how raw and real it all felt,” he reflects. 

Embracing the Arctic world at its own pace

Over the following days, Tristan experienced the kind of wildlife encounters that stay with a person long after their voyage ends. Walruses hauled out on ice, curious seals surfacing near the ship, and a pod of beluga whales cutting through the mirror-still water. Reindeer traced the shoreline, and the skies came alive with a wide variety of Arctic birdlife—eider ducks, barnacle geese, black-legged kittiwakes, and glaucous gulls among them.

Though polar bears remained elusive, their presence was felt in every fresh track pressed into the snow. Rather than feeling disappointment, there was a sense of quiet anticipation for the wilderness on its own terms. For Tristan, this reflected the culture at Secret Atlas: patient, purposeful, and deeply respectful of Mother Nature. Nothing rushed. Nothing forced. Just space to observe, absorb, and connect.

Where even lunch waits for a polar bear

There was a moment of quiet amusement one morning when Tristan and a fellow guest spotted movement in the distance—small, white figures against the snow. At first glance, their thick winter coats made them look like small polar bears. But their guide, Robert Gilmore, was quick to clarify they were indeed reindeer, not the elusive Ursus maritimus.

A few days later, the real moment came. As the ship entered Van Mijenfjorden, patience and persistence were finally rewarded. After all the hard work of scanning the horizon with binoculars, a shape emerged on the ice nearly three kilometres away: a solitary female polar bear, moving across the pack ice in search of a meal. 

No one moved from the deck—not even for lunch. The chef quietly delayed service without hesitation. For Tristan, it was a small but thoughtful gesture that showed the benefit of travelling on a small, flexible expedition like this.

In the days that followed, more polar bears appeared—each sighting just as remarkable as the last. Captain Tarjei drew on years of experience to navigate the shifting ice, positioning the ship with care and intention. Always at a distance that was in line with AECO’s latest wildlife guidelines. It was a prime example of how Arctic wildlife encounters should be—responsible, unforced, and rooted in respect for the environment.

Exploring an extraordinary place with great company 

Life onboard Vikingfjord was relaxing and welcoming. The atmosphere felt effortless, but behind the scenes, the crew worked with care and intention to create a space where guests could fully immerse themselves in the journey. The expedition guides, Bob and Kelsey Camacho, shared daily presentations on glaciology, Svalbard’s human history, and the science behind our changing climate. 

As Vikingfjord made its way along the west coast of Svalbard, the expedition leaders kept guests in the loop with regular, honest updates. As Tristan explains, “It felt like every day just unfolded naturally, but behind the scenes they were constantly checking tides, weather, wind, and sea ice. That level of transparency made a big difference. It wasn’t just them deciding where we went next – it felt like we were part of it too.” For Tristan, this sense of teamwork between the guides and guests created a quiet bond between everyone on board.

Evenings onboard Vikingfjord were just as memorable as guests shared stories and photos over dinner, and enjoyed the occasional whiskey poured over popping glacial ice collected earlier that day. “They were simple moments,” Tristan reflects, “shared with good people, in an extraordinary place.”

For Tristan, his trip was more than just enjoying time away; it was a shift in perspective. “Overall, being in Svalbard has changed how I think about the climate,” he explains. “You hear the facts and see reports, but seeing it with your own eyes makes it very real. It made me understand how important small-scale expeditions like this are—not just for the experience, but for the future of these places.”