A Founder Edition
Svalbard sits at the top of the world, a Norwegian archipelago of glaciers, fjords, and pack ice a few hundred miles from the Pole. In the endless light of high summer, it becomes one of the last places on earth to search for the great polar bear on the ice, alongside walrus hauled out on the shore, whales surfacing in still water, and the Arctic fox at the edge of the snow.
This is a small-ship expedition for a handful of travelers, composed around photography and patience. There is no fixed route. Each day is shaped by the ice, the weather, and where the wildlife leads, which is exactly what makes it extraordinary. You travel with the freedom to follow a good morning wherever it goes.
You make your own way to Longyearbyen, the world's northernmost town. You are met at the airport, settled into your hotel, and gathered that evening for a first dinner together as the group takes shape.
After a morning to explore the colourful streets and the Svalbard Museum, you board the R/V Kinfish, meet the crew and the expedition naturalists, and set sail into the wilds of the archipelago.
With no fixed itinerary, we navigate in search of light and wildlife, polar bears along the pack ice, walrus on the shore, whales in the icy water. We go ashore by zodiac for landings, and use the long Arctic daylight for as much time in the field as the region will give.
Between excursions, quieter hours are spent on the images, with your hosts on hand for guidance and editing, and the deck always open for the frame that appears without warning.
The ship returns to harbour for a final evening together and the Captain's farewell dinner, before an early breakfast and onward journeys home.
This Founder Edition is led by Mital Patel, fine-art wildlife photographer and the founder of Tembo Journey Editions, alongside co-host Mike Mezeul II, an acclaimed nature and wildlife photographer.
Between them, the days are shaped around light, patience, and the moment worth waiting for, in the field and later over the images, so you return not only with a journey, but with photographs worth keeping.
A share of every journey supports conservation and education on the ground, including The Simba Trust, our own foundation in Kenya. Purpose is woven quietly through the work, not worn as a slogan.
A handful of cabins, and every journey begins with a conversation. Tell us what draws you north, and we will share the details.
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