An Arctic Expedition – Polar Bears and Glaciers

Welcome to your Arctic adventure! 

03rd - 12 June 2026

Your art tutor, Claudia Myatt, is an illustrator and watercolour artist with a deep passion for the sea and coast. Claudia is thrilled to be leading an Art Safari to the Arctic, having embarked on numerous seafaring adventures. One of the most notable was to Antarctica in 2020, where she served as Artist in Residence aboard the icebreaker HMS Protector. Claudia is eager to share her love for the sea and her joy of sketching on location with you in one of the wildest places on Earth. 

The Arctic is a unique and increasingly fragile environment, warming at twice the global rate and dramatically affecting life both on land and at sea. This makes your journey to Svalbard all the more precious.

As we sail through these pristine waters, we will encounter a remarkable variety of wildlife. We’ll be on the lookout for kittiwakes, barnacle geese, pink-footed geese, common eiders, Arctic terns, Brünnich’s guillemots, auks, and puffins, as well as Arctic foxes, harbour seals, walruses, reindeer, beluga whales, and polar bears. Along the way, we’ll also explore the fascinating plant life that thrives in this extraordinary northern habitat.

The allure of this remote destination lies in the chance to witness some of the world’s rarest and most endangered wildlife. Among these, the iconic polar bear roams the ice in search of food. While the myth of more polar bears than people is somewhat exaggerated, sightings of these magnificent creatures in the wild are still a common and truly special experience.

Sketching from the ship, from the landing boat, and from the shore, this voyage promises an in-depth and unforgettable experience at the top of the world.