East Spitsbergen - Home of the Polar Bear, Cleaning the Shores

Giving back by taking away

Clean Up Svalbard is a coastal waste-removal program created by the governor of Svalbard in coordination with AECO, the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators.

As a founding member of the program, Oceanwide Expeditions frequently participates in its beach cleanups. In August of 2019, for example, cleanups conducted from our vessel Hondius removed 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds) of waste from Spitsbergen’s beaches, about half the weight of an average car. This trash consisted of fishing weights, shreds of net, and various smaller plastics.

During one of our 2022 Arctic cruises, we did a spontaneous cleanup on Wahlbergøya. During a hike, we stumbled upon a large bay covered in plastic waste. Together with a group of our passengers, we collected so much waste that we couldn’t fit it all into our bags, so we filled an entire Zodiac instead. We estimated we removed at least 250 kg (over 600 pounds) of waste from this location. Once we got back to Longyearbyen, we put it all into the designated Cleanup Svalbard bin.

The efforts of participating polar tour operators like Oceanwide is significant, accounting for about three to four of the roughly 20 tons of waste Clean Up Svalbard removes from the beaches of Svalbard each year.

The problem with plastic

Most of this waste is plastic pollution from local shipping and commercial fishing. In fact, in 2016 and 2017 about 60 – 80% of Svalbard’s plastic waste came from the fishing industry, washing up on the shores of Svalbard and marring the natural beauty of that rugged environment.

This waste takes a long time to break down, and in the case of plastics never fully does, so it accumulates rapidly and poses a serious threat to local wildlife: Litter can become entangled in the feet and beaks of birds or in the antlers of reindeer, condemning them to long and painful deaths.

Microplastics can also become trapped in the digestive systems of wildlife, often leading to starvation.

OEX, AECO, and Clean Up Svalbard in action

Clean Up Svalbard oversees two yearly beach cleanups conducted by local volunteers from Longyearbyen to combat this problem. These events are highly popular, just as Oceanwide’s beach cleanups are highly popular among our staff and passengers.

We deposit all the litter we collect during our beach cleanups into a dedicated bin in Longyearbyen, after which it can be processed in an environmentally safe manner.

AECO, the governor of Svalbard, Oceanwide, and a number of our fellow tour operators are continually gathering data to refine the valuable Clean Up Svalbard program.

Hiking the surreal terrain of the Arctic and Antarctica

There’s no closer way to explore a new area than on your own two feet. With this in mind, we offer a number of hiking expeditions built for all levels of hiker – from the casual walker to the hard-core hiking enthusiast.

Do I need to be an experienced hiker?

For basic walks, you just need to be in reasonably good shape and health. Hikes usually last somewhere between two and six hours. Keep in mind there are no paths and that you will be traveling over fairly rugged terrain and some small hills.

We usually offer one to three different types of walks per landing site, ranging from a casual stroll to a challenging hike.

In Antarctica, the longest hike takes about three hours. In the Arctic, the longest hike can last a full day, in which case we will provide you a packed lunch. All hikes are led and supervised by certified, experienced expedition guides.

How physically fit do I need to be?

Our hiking guides reserve the right to remove a passenger from the hiking group if they feel they are not in good enough health for a particular hike. This is for your safety as well as our guides.

If this happens, our experienced guides will be able to recommend another hike based on your fitness level. If you have any questions about your health or hiking skills in relation to our hikes, please do not hesitate to contact us.

What kind of clothing should I take hiking?

Please bring clothing for the variable weather of the polar regions. Layers are your friend. You’re going to get hot as you hike, and layers will enable you to shed clothing without losing your overall protection against the elements.

With that in mind we suggest the following gear:

• Hiking or walking poles

• Backpack (25 liters)

• Knee-high rubber boots with a grip sole (we provide these on our larger motor vessels but not on our smaller sailing vessels)

• A waterproof bag (especially for cameras), since you are likely to get splashed during the Zodiac ride from the ship to the shore

• Straps for tying snowshoes onto your back or backpack

• Sturdy ankle-high hiking boots (you can use your rubber boots as well)

• Gaiters (knee-high waterproof protection) to keep your lower legs dry

• Sunglasses

• Sunblock

• Thin under-socks (to stop blistering) and thick over-socks (with spares)

• One-liter water-bottle

• Thermal under-gloves (fleece finger gloves) and warm outer-gloves or mittens (and spares)

• Turtleneck or neck gaiter

• Urine-collection bottle (for Antarctica), such as a wide-opening Nalgene bottle

• Thermal underwear

• Fleece jacket or vest

• Down jacket or spare fleece jacket

• Breathable waterproof jacket and trekking trousers

• Warm fleece hat

• Binoculars

Do not bring cotton clothing like T-shirts or jeans. When cotton gets wet (either from outside moisture or sweat), it will stay wet a long time – not a good thing in a cold environment.

Do the hiking activities cost more?

No, they are covered in the cost of your cruise.

Are the polar hikes safe?

Yes, as all hikes are accompanied by one or more trained and experienced expedition guides. But in the Arctic (especially Svalbard), we must keep a constant lookout for polar bears. All Arctic hiking guides carry rifles due to this possibility while in polar bear territory.

We only hike in areas that are outside glaciated terrain, since treks inside these areas bring people into contact with crevasses and are therefore considered mountaineering. Mountaineering trips are always accompanied by at least one UIAGM-certified mountain guide.

Special note on Antarctic hiking

Hiking options in Antarctica are more limited than in the Arctic due to the differences in terrain. There are plenty of Antarctic hiking opportunities, however, on the islands of the Weddell Sea, the South Shetland Islands, and in South Georgia.

In South Georgia, in fact, you may have the chance to hike the final section of legendary polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s famous walk.

Zodiac cruising in the Polar Regions

​Our voyages are primarily defined as explorations and we spend as much time ashore as possible. We can be flexible, taking advantage of wildlife opportunities by using our zodiacs for both landings and cruises. Our knowledgeable guides assist on these outings, providing detailed information. This is supplemented by lectures on board which covers topics such as wildlife, nature and history.

Zodiac cruising instructions

The proper handling and usage of Zodiac landing craft, is crucial for exploratory voyages. These rubber boats are ideal for our operations. They have shallow drafts, and contain six air-filled compartments which give them impressive floatation and weight carrying abilities. The compartments are connected by valves, which allow the internal air pressure to be regulated, and they will still float even if one (or several) compartments become deflated. With these safe, durable and dependable boats we can land in many, normally inaccessible sites; Such as, beaches, shallow river banks, rocky outcrops, coral reef flats, ice floes, etc., as well as more conventional places; such as, docks, sea walls and jetties.

Passengers, however, must be aware of certain regulations involving the Zodiacs in order to assure adequate safety in our landing operations.

• The Zodiac driver is in charge of the boat and its operations. Please follow his or her instructions at all times.

• Always wear the provided zodiac safety vests when travelling in the Zodiacs. This is for your safety, and is required at all times while in the Zodiacs regardless of weather or sea conditions.

• Always accept the helping hand of crew-members and Zodiac drivers when stepping into or out of the Zodiacs at the ship’s gangway or ashore. Keep both hands free for this operation, and use the preferred ‘sailor’s grip’; i.e., grip each other by the wrist, because this gives a much stronger grip than just holding hands.

• Minimize the number of separate articles taken along with you when using the zodiacs. Backpacks are ideal for consolidating such diverse objects as cameras, binoculars, rain gear, extra shoes, etc. Carryon items may be handed to the boat handlers before embarking or disembarking. Keep both hands free.

• Never smoke in the Zodiacs. This is hazardous because there are exposed fuel tanks connected to the outboard engines. Lit cigarettes are also hazardous to the rubber construction of the boats.

• All landing conditions will be announced beforehand; i.e., ‘wet’ landings (these may require getting your feet wet by wading ashore), ‘dry’ landings (these make use of a dock or other object with which one can step ashore directly), and expected weather conditions.

• Never disembark or embark the Zodiac over the wooden transom (stern) when the boat is backed onto a beach. Oncoming waves may suddenly push the boat higher onto the beach, knocking the careless passenger with the uplifted engine and propeller, or crushing an exposed foot with the very heavy transom. During ‘wet’ landings one may safely get in or out of the boat by first sitting on the rubber pontoon and then swinging one’s leg over the side. Always wait for instructions from the driver during landings.

• One should always use a weatherproof bag (or bring along a small plastic bag) to protect non-waterproof items; such as, cameras and binoculars, from sea spray (or rain) when in the Zodiacs.