The Arctic’s Best Show: Getting Face-to-Face with Walruses in Svalbard

Expedition cruising to the poles is having a moment, even when summer temperatures barely break freezing. While Antarctica gets all the love for penguins, the Arctic draws a different crowd—one chasing polar bears and walruses in the far-flung Svalbard archipelago. I recently joined Quark Expeditions’ Ocean Explorer for my 21st polar voyage (my fifth to the Arctic) in the past five years, and the ship made a perfect base for the wilds ahead.

Launched in 2021, the Ocean Explorer is a compact polar-class vessel that maxes out at 138 passengers. On our trip, only 93 travelers were aboard, which meant plenty of elbow room and near one-to-one service from the crew. Quark knows these waters well; we spotted polar bears nearly every day, but the real stars were the walruses.

One evening at 80 degrees north, we found a haulout of two to three dozen walruses on Moffen Island. Binoculars gave us a good look, but the next day at Eolusneset, we pulled within the allowed 150 meters. Their guttural bellows filled the air as we snapped photos. Then a few curious swimmers veered straight toward us, stopping just feet away and locking eyes. Our guides eased us back, but the moment felt like a conversation.

On our final day, a Zodiac cruise in Borebukta revealed another haulout on fast ice. As we turned back, a lone walrus surfaced even closer, showing off its tusks and whiskers before diving. It was a sendoff I won’t forget.