The blog

Sean Norman 2025-08-26 Sean Norman 2025-08-26

Same as it ever was

It was just like old times. Leaving town, satellite weather imagery aligned well with what we could see on the distant horizon. We chased clear skies into the sunset out west - one of my greatest fall comforts, like vegan soups and cool fresh air in through the bedroom window overnight. It was perfect.

Sean Norman 2025-08-24 Sean Norman 2025-08-24

Threading the needle

Leaving the edge of town, a guest asked how long I’ve been doing this. “This is actually my first night…” I said with some laughter, but then continued to explain it was my first night back in Yellowknife after 3 years away. “So about 10 years as a career, or 18 years kind of actively, obsessively interested in this.”

We drove further out of town to a familiar spot, trying to thread the needle between good weather now and what would still be good later as well.

Despite some cloud, forest fire smoke, moonlight and still a brighter night, the aurora was spectacular. I was amazed myself, humbled, and a little bit reflective in thought that Yellowknife really doesn’t know just how special they have it here.

It was a special ‘welcome back’ night to be sure.

Sean Norman 2025-08-15 Sean Norman 2025-08-15

Sea of love

We spent days cruising fjords, surrounding ourselves with glaciers and jagged snowy peaks. The weather changed quickly and frequently. It was cold and crisp, but beautiful. I couldn’t stand to miss a moment of any of it, which is why you could find me on deck almost always, and yes, sometimes with a bowl full of vegan chocolate pear ice cream despite being bundled up in my parka, balaclava, mittens and toque.

These final days really felt like a time of total disconnection, but reconnection to something else altogether. It was a time of reflection and slowness, and it opened up real connection to other guests and crew on board, and these were some of my favourite, favourite life moments. I could have stayed living in them forever.

Sailing slowly down these fjords, leaning on the railing on the side of the ship and just chatting our hearts away was the absolute best. It was completely surreal but there wasn’t anything that could have been more genuine. They were moments and times I’ll always, always remember and forever cherish.

I couldn’t be more thankful for every one of these experiences of a lifetime.

A sliver of one of the beluga whales passing alongside us through a part of Smeerenburgfjorden

Sean Norman 2025-08-12 Sean Norman 2025-08-12

The chargers reunited, and wildlife all around us

Waking up in Ymerbukta, a beautiful bay that ends at a glacier, I opened the curtains and off the balcony were reindeer on a hillside. Am I still dreaming?

So they had their breakfast, we had ours, and then it was off to cruise the bay in zodiacs.

Later that afternoon at lunch, a few of us chargers ambushed one another in the dining room to decide if we would go again as chargers or drop back to the ‘medium-fast’ gang for something more relaxed.

Down in the ready room, the chargers did reconvene but we had lost 1 more. Now just 4 of us from our original 6 - but we were eager to head to shore to tackle another hike through deep snow and narrow ridges in search of wildlife and gorgeous vistas.

We hiked kilometres over the most gorgeous afternoon, and ultimately after a few pushes further, we met a small herd of reindeer. Magic. We sat ourselves down on the hill and soaked up every last second we could, promising Tara we’d hurry our little bums back so she didn’t get in trouble.

The reindeer wandered closer and closer to us, just some metres away at one point. It was magical. My face hurt from smiling so much. These were some of the best moments of my life.

On our walk back, we rehearsed our future social interactions with the rest of the ship. No photo sharing until after the last day of hikes, and if anyone asks if we saw any wildlife… “A few reindeer, from a distance” so the next day the chargers group wouldn’t be all 103 guests aboard the ship. We were joking of course, but mostly serious too.

An arctic fox on a mountainside as we approached from a zodiac

After another unbelievably satisfying day and evening, I and each one of my sore muscles crashed for the night while we sailed up further north up the west coast of Svalbard.

We woke up in Magdelenefjorden, where we would zodiac out to meet a walrus colony. They were sprawled out over a small peninsula just in front of a glacier. It was really like a fairy tale we were living in here, if you take away the smell and sounds of the walruses of course.

Reaching the Arctic pack ice at just beyond 80°N later that night

Sean Norman 2025-08-09 Sean Norman 2025-08-09

Burgerbukta - First feet on Svalbard

Through breakfast this morning, south Spitsbergen emerged from heavy low cloud out at sea. The white on the distant horizon was dense enough to make you wonder if it was actually Svalbard or just more cloud. But it became clear these were glaciers and ice fields. Ohh my heart. I felt home.

“I’m so excited! I’m so ready!”

Today, our little group of 25 or so were the first called down to the ‘ready room’ to gear up for the zodiacs. Life vest, boots, mittens, toque and done. We had by this time perfected the getting ready process, life vest strap from our back, down snuggly between our legs back up to our chest and all. I was so excited and so ready as I stood by getting scanned off the ship waiting to jump into our zodiac.

6 5 chargers to rule them all

In our daily briefing the night before, it was explained that this afternoon we would break ourselves into 4 groups to go ashore for the opportunity to do some hiking - the chargers, medium-fast, medium, and to raucous laughter - contemplative. The chargers would be described as wanting to go as far and fast as possible to see as much as possible, while contemplative was… not so much needing an explanation.

I was undecided between being a charger and medium-fast. I wanted to see everything but I also wanted to photograph everything and breathe everything in. I ended up with the chargers, 6 victims total to Tara, our expedition leader who was also the first person (in the world) to circumnavigate Svalbard in a kayak 10 years earlier. Within the first 10 minutes, we lost 1 in our break neck pace, and were down to 5. Thankfully, the other chargers were just as happy to make time for photography so we did keep a good pace and time for photos. It was amazing, and the shower back on the ship before dinner was probably the most heavenly one I’ve ever had, aside from the one I just took two days ago at the completion of my main bath renovation back here at home. Finally. How does grout sealer need 72 hours to cure anyway?!

And then as we were just sitting down for our daily briefing in the theatre right before dinner, we were told to make our way very calmly and quietly to the front of the ship for a wildlife sighting. With no one dressed for the -3°C outside, and more of us with drinks in our hands than cameras, we went out and saw our first polar bear poking around on some sea ice. He was far in the distance, and difficult to see with the naked eye, but incredible all the same.

Another best day.