Boat tour · Nordvest-Spitsbergen
Svalbard Golden Spring Light Expedition
Run by Joshua Holko (Wild Nature Photo Travel) · 10 days · Up to 12 people · Apr
About
A 10-day spring photography voyage on the small ship M/S Freya from Longyearbyen into the sea ice of western and northern Spitsbergen, for 12 photographers. Low April light and fast ice are the draw for polar bears, Arctic foxes and walrus.
What you can photograph
From this listing
| Subject | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polar Bear | Outside the window | Outside the window | In season | In season | In season | In season | Outside the window | Outside the window | Outside the window | Outside the window | Outside the window | Outside the window |
Open months
| Month | Presence |
|---|---|
| Jan | Outside the window |
| Feb | Outside the window |
| Mar | Outside the window |
| Apr | In season |
| May | Outside the window |
| Jun | Outside the window |
| Jul | Outside the window |
| Aug | Outside the window |
| Sep | Outside the window |
| Oct | Outside the window |
| Nov | Outside the window |
| Dec | Outside the window |
Light on 15 March
Clear sky
| From | To | Light |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 05:40 | Night |
| 05:40 | 07:10 | Blue hour |
| 07:10 | 09:49 | Golden hour |
| 09:49 | 14:59 | Soft |
| 14:59 | 17:40 | Golden hour |
| 17:40 | 19:10 | Blue hour |
| 19:10 | 24:00 | Night |
10.5 hours of golden and soft light.
Light by month
Hours a day
| Month | Golden hour | Soft | Medium | Harsh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.0 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Feb | 0.9 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Mar (window) | 5.7 h | 5.0 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Apr (window) | 6.0 h | 12.3 h | 2.8 h | 0.0 h |
| May (window) | 0.4 h | 12.7 h | 11.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Jun (window) | 0.0 h | 9.9 h | 14.1 h | 0.0 h |
| Jul | 0.0 h | 11.5 h | 12.5 h | 0.0 h |
| Aug | 4.6 h | 12.8 h | 6.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Sep | 4.9 h | 9.3 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Oct | 3.6 h | 0.2 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Nov | 0.0 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Dec | 0.0 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h |
The trip
- Length
- 10 days
- Group size
- Up to 12 people
- Led by
- Joshua Holko and Susanne Ribberheim
- Route
- Starts and ends in Longyearbyen
- Language
- English
Route
- Spitsbergen (west and north)
Polar Bear — Svalbard — Spring 500m Restriction Period
Shoot window
Polar Bear: you might see it, but it is far from sure (Mar–Jun)
| Month | Presence |
|---|---|
| Jan | Outside the window |
| Feb | Outside the window |
| Mar | In season |
| Apr | In season |
| May | In season |
| Jun | In season |
| Jul | Outside the window |
| Aug | Outside the window |
| Sep | Outside the window |
| Oct | Outside the window |
| Nov | Outside the window |
| Dec | Outside the window |
- Peak
- N/A
- Habitat
- Fresh snow, Pack ice / icebergs
- Crowds
- Permit-limited / quota
- Weather risk
- High wind
- Permits
- 500 m minimum distance from polar bears, 1 March – 30 June, in force since 1 January 2025. This is the reason for the Avoid verdict — it is a legal constraint, not a preference.
Confidence: high · Last verified 24 Aug 2026
What the price covers
- Included
- Not stated
Prices are in the operator's currency. Conversions on the site are approximate and marked ≈. Enquiry form coming soon.
Ethics
- Feeding Unverified
- Baiting Unverified
- Captive Animals Unverified
Green means ShutterAtlas has checked it. Yellow means it has not been checked yet. Red means it happens here.
Light and conditions
Loading today’s light and weather…
Light through the year
Golden hour is when the sun is low, between the horizon and 6° above it: soft, warm light. Times are for the 15th of each month, in Oslo time (with summer time where it applies). In-season months are marked.
| Month | Golden hour | Daylight | Sun at noon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning golden hour | Evening golden hour | |||
| Jan | None: it stays dark all day | 0h0 hpolar night | −11° | |
| Feb | None: only blue hour around noon, 10:13–14:46 | 0h0 hpolar night | −2° | |
| Mar | 07:10– | 14:59– | 11h 8m11 h 8 min | 8° |
| AprIn season | 02:33– | 20:42– | 24h24 hmidnight sun | 20° |
| May | None: the sun stays high all night | 24h24 hmidnight sun | 29° | |
| Jun | None: the sun stays high all night | 24h24 hmidnight sun | 34° | |
| Jul | None: the sun stays high all night | 24h24 hmidnight sun | 32° | |
| Aug | until 03:54 | from 22:34 | 24h24 hmidnight sun | 24° |
| Sep | 06:01– | 17:56– | 14h 50m14 h 50 min | 13° |
| Oct | Low sun all day: 10:44–15:13 | 5h 31m5 h 31 min | 2° | |
| Nov | None: it stays dark all day | 0h0 hpolar night | −8° | |
| Dec | None: it stays dark all day | 0h0 hpolar night | −13° | |
- Midnight sun: the sun does not set on 15 April, 15 May, 15 June, 15 July and 15 August.
- Polar night: the sun does not rise on 15 January, 15 February, 15 November and 15 December.
Getting there
- Nearest airport
- Unknown
Sources
Imported listing, not yet claimed by the owner · last checked 28 Oct 2026