We sat down with Raúl Gracia, who recently explored the fjords, glaciers and sea-ice of Svalbard on an expedition cruise. For Raúl, the impact of understanding has shaped his passion & desire to travel from a young age.
"The polar regions have a special magnetism; some people call it the 'polar bug.' This bug bit me before I put my feet anywhere close to 66º. After all these years, I'm happy to say that my body is full of bites already."
In June 2025, Raúl Gracia found himself far from the warm Catalan sun and his village home close to Barcelona, transported instead to a far colder and more remote land, a land where polar bears rule and the ice has myriad stories to tell.
Raúl, a 38-year-old Catalonian computer engineer, recently joined an expedition cruise exploring northern Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard Archipelago. This adventure took him to 81º 37' N, with nothing between him and the North Pole but a vast expanse of pack ice. "This was one of the highlights of the trip. No doubt about it," says Raúl. "In the morning, just after breakfast, I had a stunning image in front of me: a never-ending sheet of ice surrounding our ship."
Picture by Raúl Gracia
Entering the pack ice and operating in some of the most extreme regions on Earth is a big part of the Oceanwide Expeditions experience. This authentic expedition experience is in part achieved by the vessels themselves - rugged and capable. Yet, their hard exterior belies a warm, comfortable, and inviting interior, often overlooked by prospective guests. "The trip has exceeded my expectations in many ways," suggests Raúl. "I thought that embarking on an expedition ship like Ortelius would entail shortcomings in terms of logistics and comfort, but I was wrong. The ship has great cabins, fantastic food, and a large lounge bar with an incredible coffee machine - the best cappuccinos you can find beyond 80° N!"
The feeling of entering the pack ice is, for many, difficult to describe. It's an ethereal, almost otherworldly environment, silent aside from the cracking of floes or the call of seabirds on the air. In good visibility, the pack ice can appear almost desert-like, stretching off into nothingness, with hummocks of ice pushed up in pressure ridges resembling snowy white dunes or tremendous blocks of tumbled marble.
"Visibility was perfect, so we could see for kilometers in all directions," recalls Raúl. "The ship's bow slowly pushed aside large pieces of broken ice to continue forward, while dark spots scattered over the ice turned out to be seals resting in the sun. Above us soared gulls and fulmars." Indeed, the pack ice is an important environment for many Arctic species, from seals and whales to seabirds and the fearsome polar bear. As Ortelius pushed through the ice, seabirds flocked to the exposed water in her wake, snatching at the many crustaceans and organisms on the surface of the water.
Picture by Raúl Gracia
Some whale species, such as the bowhead whale, are pack ice specialists. Bowhead whales use their enlarged head as a battering ram to puncture through the thick Arctic ice. The elusive narwhal is also a denizen of the dark seas below the ice, rarely spotted due to its shy nature and extended periods spent far into the congested pack.
Raúl's time in the pack ice did not reveal any hunting polar bears or breaching whales, yet earlier in his trip, several encounters had brought guests hurrying out on deck, or fumbling for their camera in a Zodiac. The day Ortelius left Longyearbyen, a minke whale was spotted, and, remarkably, by early evening, the ship was visited by a true maritime giant - a blue whale. Other sightings of minke whales and encounters with walrus ere to follow, but one Arctic icon stood out.
An encounter with the king of the Arctic
"We were coming from an impressive visit to a group of walruses against a backdrop of glaciers and mountains at Smeerenburg, when, during a Zodiac cruise exploring Danskøya, our guide received a radio message - 'polar bear!'"
"Soon, we found ourselves alongside the Zodiac that had spotted the bear. Suddenly, I saw it - huge and white, just sitting on the brownish tundra. Everything at that moment was just perfect: the clear view of such a unique creature, the postcard-like Arctic background, the weather, the silence, and the respect that people in our expedition showed while enjoying the moment."
Picture by Raúl Gracia
A polar bear encounter is always special. For many guests, it's the highlight of their time in the Arctic, and the fulfilment of a dream they have had since childhood. Often, polar bear encounters occur at a great distance. In Svalbard, we follow distancing guidelines to ensure minimal disturbance to the animals we encounter and the safety of our guests and guides. In Raúl's case, his encounter was about to become even more unique and special.
"As we were watching, the bear started moving towards the shore of the island, entered the water, and swam effortlessly toward Smeerenburg, where the walruses were, and we had earlier stood! We were able to watch the bear for over an hour. And I took a ton of photos of that bear. For me, their main purpose is to bring me back to that moment, because no picture can capture what I felt."
Also key to providing such unforgettable experiences at the ends of the Earth are a passionate and experienced expedition team, vessel crew, and hotel staff - perhaps as equally important as the expedition vessels themselves.
"Everyone on board was great," says Raúl. "I was especially impressed by the professionalism and expertise of the expedition staff." The Oceanwide expedition team has varied disciplines and backgrounds, from oceanography and biology to glaciology and even engineering. "I learnt a lot about Arctic birds, ice mechanics, Arctic flora, ocean currents, and the history of Svalbard during the cruise, both during excursions and during lectures on board. I feel that learning more about the place helps you enjoy the highlights of the trip on another level, be it glaciers, pack ice, mountains, or the abundant wildlife!"
Picture by Raúl Gracia
What makes an authentic travel experience?
Increasingly, modern travelers seek out authentic travel experiences, or ones from which they can gain insight, or further their understanding of topics. For many, a visit to the polar regions comes with the realisation that these regions are both fragile and immensely important for life on our planet - a feeling Raúl had way before he stepped aboard Ortelius and voyaged north.
"I have been fortunate enough to visit Greenland and Iceland in 2012," he recalls. "This left a profound and long-lasting mark on me in realizing how beautiful and fragile Arctic regions are." Sustainability and minimizing impact on the regions are a focus not only for polar operators, but also for guests in choosing the itineraries, companies, vessels, and activities through which they explore the polar world. For Raúl, a realization that our world is changing has, in part, driven his desire to travel beyond the usual. "My admiration for the immense beauty of nature across the planet, and this idea that all of it may have a nearby end, fueled my desire to start traveling at a very young age." This has led him to expansive adventures across the outback of Australia and camping beneath the Northern Lights in Greenland, with much more in between.
The impact on the polar world is clear, with sea ice retreating by up to 12.2% per year in the Arctic, and warming temperatures at both ends of the Earth increasing pressure on vital marine ecosystems & iconic species. While changes are being made across the expedition fleets of all polar operators to minimize impact and promote more sustainable polar travel, a necessity for better education and distribution of knowledge and understanding has emerged. Core to Oceanwide Expeditions' ethos is the promotion of education around conservation, sustainability, and biological issues directly related to the polar regions & broader global environment.
Picture by Raúl Gracia
To give guests insight into the challenges faced by the polar world and allow them to engage with experts who provide tangible, immediate examples of change is part of the approach to making a difference. It's one thing to read about glacial retreat online. It's quite another thing entirely to see it for yourself. "When we were approaching the Monaco Glacier, I was alone on the upper deck of Ortelius for a long while," recalls Raúl. "I took a seat, listening to some of my favourite songs as we approached the mass of ice. It was a moment of pure happiness. But, it was also a moment in which I was face-to-face with a slow-moving ice titan that, in 50 years, may be just a shadow of today. And it was not the only such moment I experienced during the trip."
On some itineraries, activities such as beach cleanups focus on removing plastics and other debris from coastal areas. At the same time, onboard lectures provide insight into subjects including sea ice predictions, glacier retreat, temperature impact, and the marine ecosystems encountered by guests.
"Indeed, we saw that the polar regions are taking a considerable toll associated with human activity - glaciers in retreat, reduced pack ice extension, and rising temperatures," says Raúl. "But I saw some positives. I did not find any garbage during the trip, even during the cleanup activity." A desire to explore in more sustainable ways and contribute to a more positive future for the polar regions is a common thread among guests and expedition staff, as Raúl discovered in Svalbard. "The atmosphere was precisely what I was looking for, aligning with the travel philosophy of most people onboard. I enjoyed the nature-centric, purpose-driven conversations with many other passengers. To me, being able to enjoy pure nature is what really makes a trip, and with Oceanwide Expeditions, we got that."
Picture by Raúl Gracia
The future of the polar world may be unclear, but with the education-focused approach of Oceanwide Expeditions, a dedication to minimal environmental impact, and the enthusiasm and awareness of guests such as Raúl, the path towards a more positive future for the Arctic and Antarctic may lay in the spread of insight, knowledge and direct appreciation for the fragile world which lies at the farthest, but most critical, edges of our finely-balanced home.
Main image by Raúl Gracia