Walrus Safari in Summer Landscape

Join us on an unforgettable RIB boat tour to Borebukta, where you may experience walruses in their natural Arctic habitat. The journey takes you through a spectacular landscape of towering glaciers, dramatic mountains, and excellent opportunities to spot wildlife along the way.

We cross Isfjorden towards Borebukta, located approximately 20 nautical miles northwest of Longyearbyen. Even during the crossing, you may be lucky enough to spot whales and seabirds in the Arctic waters. Traveling by open RIB boat allows you to get close to nature while enjoying panoramic views throughout the entire experience.

The highlight of the day awaits as we arrive at Borebukta, a small bay surrounded by massive glaciers.

Here, we slow down and take a short break with warm toddy, coffee, and biscuits while keeping an eye out for the area’s most iconic resident – the walrus. These impressive marine mammals are often seen resting on land or ice, but can also be spotted swimming in the waters around the bay.

The walrus holds an important place in Svalbard’s history. After centuries of hunting, the population was nearly wiped out, but thanks to protection efforts, walruses have gradually returned to several of their former gathering sites around Isfjorden. Weighing up to 1.5 tonnes, the walrus is an impressive sight. Although they may appear slow and clumsy on land, they move gracefully and surprisingly fast in the water. Walruses are highly social animals and are often found in groups while resting or searching the seabed for clams. 

In Svalbard, nature is always unpredictable, and wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed. However, Borebukta is one of the places where walruses are frequently observed during the summer season. This tour does not include any landing, but from the boat we have good opportunities to observe the animals in a safe and respectful manner. We follow all local guidelines and maintain a good distance from the walruses’ resting areas to ensure a responsible wildlife experience for both animals and visitors.

Difficulty: 2

08:00 - 13:00

14:00 - 19:00

Minimum participants: 2 persons

Age limit: 10 years

 

Included

• Transport to and from the accommodation
• Guide with safety equipment
• Search and rescue insurance
• Hot drinks and biscuits

 

Important

• We do not recommend this tour if you are pregnant or have back problems
• For safety reasons, all passengers must be able to understand and communicate in either Norwegian or English. If this is not possible, the passenger must be accompanied by someone who is fluent in one of these languages
• Age limit: 10 years, or 14 years if the passenger is not accompanied by an adult. Height restriction: inseam of least 74 cm.
• We recommend warm clothing to wear under the floating suit such as wool underwear, wool socks, thick sweater and windproof outer clothing
• A small backpack for extra clothing and other items
• We will not go ashore on this trip
• For safety reasons, the route may change due to weather, wind and ice conditions

 

Supplier of this activity: Svalbard Adventures (Svalbard Adventure's booking terms apply)

 

© All pictures: Svalbard Adventures – Picture 1: Noel Bauza | Picture 2: Tommy Simonsen | Picture 3: Jan Christoph Elle | Picture 4, 5, 6: Carl Filip Olsson