Svalbard with Raul Touzon

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

Svalbard, Nature’s Last Bastion

Since and early age I’ve had an obsession with the sea, to be out in the open ocean seeking adventure was always a thrill. Born and raised in an island, access to the ocean was easy and became every weekend’s affair. Little that I knew that “the great blue” was going to play such an important part of my career and my life. Over the years I have been blessed with sailing all our planet’s oceans, from 80°N to 80°S.

In mid 2919 we planned our first expedition to Svalbard, having returned from those latitudes I felt compelled to return. As we all know Covid happened and with it our expedition got delayed until May of this year.

Svalbard, is a mythical land, playground of the Norse and seafarer’s challenge. This is a place of inspiration for explorers willing to travel to one of nature’s last bastions. Six hundred and fifty miles we sailed, reaching latitude 80°N and exploring countless fjords and millenary glaciers.

As photographers, the light of the midnight sun became an obsession. In addition to our morning shoots, every day, at 10pm off we went in our zodiacs for five hours to discover what the golden light had in store. The aerial displays by fulmars, guillemots and kitty wakes, the huffing and puffing of playful walrus and the antics of the arctic fox became common but welcomed sights. 3am and it was time to return to warmth and coziness aboard the MV Virgo, our chariot into the top of the world.

As with any arctic expedition, the sighting of polar bears is the holy grail. This year we were blessed with two encounters with a mother and two five-month cubs. Seeing them glow under the veil of the end of day light, was truly extraordinary.

This frozen world is ever-changing and only a few will ever see it. Become one of them and join us in next year’s expedition.