Svalbard - August vs June?

Am going there this summer too :)

June for circumnavigation is very unlikely as the pack ice will not have retreated far enough. The best chances of that are in August. Then you can see both the east and west coasts which are quite different. It also allows you more chances of seeing polar bears as I was told they are mainly found on the east coast. All boat tours go to the bird cliffs and it seems like there are tons of birds there all summer. I suggest you call the tour provider and ask them all these questions depending on what type of wildlife you are most interessted in.

hey
Yeah I did speak to them, but I get the impression that they tend to say you can see everything all the time as they don't want to disappoint you! As such I would much prefer to go in June or July, but the August trip is 3 days longer (11 instead of 8) for the same price. Presumably because its late in the season. Im interested in everything really, birds, mammals and ice scapes. I am a keen photographer and obviously at least 1 stirling polar bear shot is a priority.

Looking online, I've read in several places that the great thing about August is that you can circumnavigate (the June/July trips are understandably just part way up the coast and then back). However, nowhere does it say what more you will see by doing this other than saying that you have done it! It seems the earlier months are better for sea birds, but will they still be there mid August or will they have gone by then? Certainly in the UK puffins are leaving their colonies from late July/August.

Does one still see the pack ice in the north even in mid August? Like the sea surface carpeted in tiles of ice on which the occasional seal or even polar bear is lying? How about the large blue-white icebergs you see in photos? Or has most melted by then?

I could go in June/July instead, but would only get 2/3 the time for the money. I'd be grateful for any info and advice.

You will definately see the pack ice anytime you go. The pack ice is never really far away. You are after all very near the north pole. Trips that circumnavigate always go up to the pack ice.
I dont really know what you mean by the blue-white icebergs but you also definately go to glaciers like the 24th of July one etc. And those dont melt... Maybe you have better chances of caving in august though which is definately a cool sight.

For mammals, check out this great website and the trips reports therein:
http://mammalwatching.com/Palearctic/palearctnorway.html

PS. In august you will also have better light

I'm booked on a cruise with M/S Nordstjernen which goes up the west coast and towards the small island Moffen at just beyond 80 degrees. I'm on the last departure (Aug 17-21) but the first is as early as June 7. But I guess the first trips may not always be able to get as far north.

m_schwarz - thanks for info. Think I saw those reports on mammal watching back along - v useful. When I say blue-white icebergs (sorry, not clear at all) I mean the scapes that are dominated by large ice formations and icebergs (which always have a bluey tint!). The colour is irrelevant, but Im unsure to what extent the ice 'goes back' in the summer. Presumably during a circumnavigation, one would still see big ice formations in the north region.
The other thing I am trying to find out is whether all sea birds species can still be seen in mid August, as I get the impression that June is the main time for these. Presumably they are still there in Aug but their young are now quite large?

jornmu - yeah I guess advantage of the later trip is that you can get all the way round, although I'd like to see some nice ice scapes as this is one of the key features of that area that is fast changing!

I also just started planning a trip to Svalbard in August. Are any of you using Spitsbergen Travel company and ship MS Nordstjernen? I saw that their cheapest cruise is 10,700 dbl occupancy (I will be solo, so, will have to pay 75% of this rate). Anyone has any feedback on their quality of tours, etc.?

Ehem, the price you quote is per person. The brochure I have says 10,300 for the cheapest, 18,025 and up for a single. Maybe the price is slightly different if you book now but it would be around there. This is the price when booked directly from Hurtigruten. The cheapest price is for a tiny cabin on the deck below the rest of the cabins

I don't know about their Svalbard tours (yet!) but I've traveled on MS Nordstjernen in the ordinary Hurtigruten route, from Trondheim to Tromsø. It's the oldest and smallest of their ships and I do look forward to my August trip :-)

got it. I'm dealing with a local tour/cruise operator and the cruise i'm aiming for is shorter than the one you are joining.