Winter 2015 was the last time S/V Noorderlicht, a two masted schooner, was frozen into the sea ice at Tempelfjorden. Here she welcomed guests arriving by snow mobile and dog-sled after a long journey through the Advent Valley from Longyearbyen. I was lucky enough to be amongst those guests in February 2015 arriving by snow mobile. The site of the motionless ship in front of the majestic Temple mountain and glacier was both surreal and stunning and more reminiscent of the year of her first launch in 1910. The accommodation on board was warm and inviting. Food was delicious, beds were comfortable and we were even treated to a show of the Northern Lights.

This was a truly memorable trip, which many travellers want to experience too. But now Tempelfjorden is empty of its winter visitor and guests can no longer journey to the fjord in search of an overnight stay on the ship in the ice. We’re often asked why and when will the ship return. We don’t think that it will. The main reason is due to lack of sea ice in the fjord to guarantee safe passage to the ship by snow mobile or dog-sled. The ice is there but not enough to enable the ship to be truly frozen in time. There are also economic reasons which have prevented S/V Noorderlicht to make her annual pilgrimage to Svalbard as she is now needed in the fjords of Tromso, off mainland Norway taking guests on sustainable whale watching expeditions during the winter months.

Sea ice, or lack of, has a massive impact on the Arctic region - for humans and wildlife alike. The polar bear relies on the sea ice, so when it is no longer there, they can no longer feed adequately and often go hungry. The longer term effect of global warming provides worrying news for wildlife and the human species as a whole. The Ship in the Ice is gone but its absence is a reminder that adapting to and working towards changing the course of climate change is everyone’s responsibility.

The operator behind the Ship in the Ice embraces its responsibility to sustainability with the many other experiences in Svalbard they offer. Working closely with them enables Magnetic North to offer clients holidays that tread lightly and give back to nature and the communities in which they operate.

If you’d like to join us on a trip of a lifetime to Spitsbergen, please get in touch with our team or browse our range of holidays in Spitsbergen for inspiration.

PS If, like me, you’re fascinated by ships frozen in ice, then you should definitely read ‘Under a Pole Star’ by Stef Penney set in Greenland, and the forthcoming title from Horatio Clare, ‘Icebreaker: A Voyage Far North’.

Images: Laura Greenman