Steppes Travel's exclusive cruise to Spitsbergen not only gives clients the opportunity to see polar bears in their natural habitat but also allows clients to get involved in citizen science, testing Arctic waters for plastic pollution.

To see a polar bear in its natural environment is a privilege we should never take for granted. Steppes Travel is committed to giving its clients memorable and authentic sightings but is equally determined to play its part in protecting polar bears and their Arctic habitat. On our up and coming cruise to Spitsbergen, clients can get involved in citizen science projects such as beach plastic clean-ups and water sampling to test for plastic pollutants. The issue of plastic pollution in our seas has reached a critical level and along with climate change, poses a serious threat to the future of polar bears. To give clients insight into the subject of plastic pollution, the producer of Plastic Oceans, Jo Ruxton will be on board to give lectures and oversee the water sampling. The results of the water sampling will be given to Vancouver Aquarium for further analysis as part of their Ocean Pollution Research Program.

The polar bear images included with this press release were taken by Sue Flood. Sue is guiding Steppes Travel's exclusive cruise to Spitsbergen, departing from Longyearbyen on 7th July 2018. Sue has a wealth of experience in filming polar bears for the BBC's Blue Planet and Planet Earth. Photographer, teacher, author, wildlife filmmaker and conservationist, she is the perfect host for our Kingdom of the Polar Bear Cruise.

Sue Flood and Jo Ruxton will be joined on board by Monty Halls. Monty Hall is a qualified marine biologist, writer, explorer and TV presenter and holder of the British Medal, awarded by the Scientific Exploration Society for services to exploration. An ex-Royal Marine, Monty has spent months at a time in the High Arctic doing cold weather training.

Daily Zodiac safaris will explore Spitsbergen's rugged coastline, looking for polar bears that have taken to the land to look for food. Naturalists will be on hand to give an interpretation of the bear's behaviour and photographic guides will be there to give tuition, as and when required. Another fertile territory for seeing polar bears is on the sea ice. Our ship, the Akademik Sergey Vavilov is well equipped to push into the furthest reaches of the sea ice to look for polar bears as they hunt for ringed seals.

Join Steppes Travel in Spitsbergen on their exclusive charter on the Akademik Vavilov departing Longyearbyen on 7 July 2018. Prices start from £5,995. Call Steppes on 01285 885 333 or contact sue@steppestravel.com