08 - 15.07.2024 Svalbard Safari

Being here is worthwhile, it is a race against time. The Arctic is melting at an alarming rate, a process continually intensifying. Climate change is already affecting even such remote regions as northern Svalbard. According to scientific analyses, global warming in the Arctic is progressing twice as fast as anywhere else on Earth - the Austfonna Glacier itself flows ten times faster than scientists believed, and in the Spitsbergen region the permafrost is thawing. The realization of The Far North project in the furthest reaches of the Arctic aims to prompt reflection for each of us on humanity's place on Earth. Polar sailing offers close contact with nature in its purest form: boundless shades of white, clear air, navy, crystalline seas. Moments of solitude and alienation, experienced during voyages through the waters of the Far North, serve as an impetus for personal actions to reduce one's contribution to the climate warming process. The name Svalbard designates the archipelago of islands, with Spitsbergen being the largest and the only one inhabited. Founded in 1906 by John Munroe Longyear, the owner of the coal mining company operating here, Longyearbyen began serving tourism and science purposes after 1990 when coal extraction was moved to the nearby settlement of Sveagruva. Today, Longyearbyen hosts around 2500 permanent residents.