Tour · Van Mijenfjorden
Arctic Wildlife of Svalbard in Winter by Snowmobile
Run by Joshua Holko (Wild Nature Photo Travel) · 5 days · Up to 2 people · Apr
About
A 5-day private-style snowmobile photography workshop out of Longyearbyen for just two photographers with Joshua Holko and a licensed local guide, looking for reindeer, Arctic foxes and polar bears on the spring sea ice and tundra.
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 | 05:29 | Night |
| 05:29 | 06:47 | Blue hour |
| 06:47 | 09:00 | Golden hour |
| 09:00 | 15:15 | Soft |
| 15:15 | 17:29 | Golden hour |
| 17:29 | 18:48 | Blue hour |
| 18:48 | 24:00 | Night |
10.7 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 | 1.7 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Mar (window) | 5.0 h | 5.9 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Apr (window) | 5.5 h | 10.9 h | 3.7 h | 0.0 h |
| May (window) | 1.1 h | 11.8 h | 11.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Jun (window) | 0.0 h | 10.3 h | 13.7 h | 0.0 h |
| Jul | 0.0 h | 11.6 h | 12.4 h | 0.0 h |
| Aug | 5.1 h | 10.6 h | 7.1 h | 0.0 h |
| Sep | 4.2 h | 9.7 h | 0.0 h | 0.0 h |
| Oct | 4.0 h | 0.8 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
- 5 days
- Group size
- Up to 2 people
- Led by
- Joshua Holko
- Route
- Starts and ends in Longyearbyen
- Language
- English
Route
- Spitsbergen
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
- Accommodation: No
- Meals: No
$11,975 USD excluding accommodation and food in Longyearbyen
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 | −9° | |
| Feb | None: the sun only just clears the horizon | 29m29 min | 0° | |
| Mar | 06:47– | 15:15– | 11h 14m11 h 14 min | 10° |
| AprIn season | 03:17– | 20:13– | 20h 40m20 h 40 min | 22° |
| May | None: the sun stays high all night | 24h24 hmidnight sun | 31° | |
| Jun | None: the sun stays high all night | 24h24 hmidnight sun | 35° | |
| Jul | None: the sun stays high all night | 24h24 hmidnight sun | 33° | |
| Aug | until 04:12 | from 21:46 | 24h24 hmidnight sun | 26° |
| Sep | 05:54– | 17:49– | 14h 27m14 h 27 min | 15° |
| Oct | Low sun all day: 09:48–15:36 | 6h 33m6 h 33 min | 3° | |
| Nov | None: it stays dark all day | 0h0 hpolar night | −7° | |
| Dec | None: it stays dark all day | 0h0 hpolar night | −12° | |
- Midnight sun: the sun does not set on 15 May, 15 June, 15 July and 15 August.
- Polar night: the sun does not rise on 15 January, 15 November and 15 December.
Getting there
- Nearest airport
- Unknown
Sources
Imported listing, not yet claimed by the owner · last checked 28 Oct 2026