Why have I wanted to return ever since?
Far north on Svalbard lies the island group of Sjuøyane, also known as the Seven Islands, which has attracted explorers for centuries. “The last time we sailed this far north was in 2016, together with a group of Russian scientific researchers,” says Emil Engebrigtsen, founder of SeilNorge. This coming summer, we’re setting course once again for the seven northernmost islands of Svalbard.
Over 200 years ago, some of the world’s most famous polar explorers sailed north towards Sjuøyane, searching for a route to the North Pole. Today, we can follow in their wake. But just as back then, it’s the ice, weather and nature that decide how far we can go.
Sjuøyane is one of the northernmost and most remote areas of Svalbard. What makes these islands special is the combination of their location, polar history, wildlife and the feeling of being far off the beaten track.
Here, it’s not necessarily the highest mountains or the largest glaciers that are the main attraction. It’s the location itself, the isolation and the history.
What and where exactly are the Seven Islands?
Sjuøyane, the Seven Islands, is a small group of seven islands in the far north of Svalbard, north of Nordaustlandet.
The islands lie around 80°40′–80°50′ North, only about 1,000 kilometres from the North Pole.
There are no settlements, no harbours and no infrastructure. The landscape is bare and exposed, with rocks, tundra, sea ice and plenty of birdlife during the summer months.
Highlights of the Expedition
As far north as you can go on Norwegian land
Rossøya, the northernmost and smallest of the islands, is Norway’s northernmost land. Rossøya lies at 80°49′ North. Sailing here means reaching the northernmost land in Norway, with the Arctic Ocean stretching further north.
Rich wildlife
Even in this harsh Arctic landscape, there is plenty of life. Whales can be found in the surrounding waters, seals live along the coast and on the sea ice, and thousands of seabirds nest on the cliffs during summer.
The birds provide nutrients for the vegetation, giving parts of the otherwise bare mountains a green covering of moss.
And then there’s the King of the Arctic – the polar bear! During our visit in 2016, we even encountered a polar bear on every single island!
The ice decides
Sea ice can make Sjuøyane inaccessible, even in the middle of summer. Some years, the waters are completely open for sailing, while in other years, thick ice blocks the way and forces you to turn around.
This is exactly what makes the area so interesting for a sailing expedition. We make a plan, keep an eye on the conditions and adapt along the way.
A place few people visit
Sjuøyane lies far from Longyearbyen and the usual travel routes around Svalbard.
It’s mainly expedition ships and a few sailing boats that make the journey north. Getting here requires time, a suitable vessel and favourable weather and ice conditions.
The islands are part of the Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve, where strict regulations protect the environment and wildlife.
It remains one of the most remote areas you can visit in Svalbard.
In the Wake of the Early Polar Explorers
Sjuøyane has a long history connected to the exploration of the Arctic and the search for the North Pole.
Several of the islands are named after famous polar explorers, and their stories tell us just how challenging it was to navigate these waters long before modern navigation, weather forecasts and sea ice reports.
Constantine John Phipps – with young Horatio Nelson on board (1773)
In 1773, British naval officer Constantine John Phipps led an expedition north towards Svalbard. The aim was to investigate the possibility of finding a navigable route to the North Pole.
The two ships, HMS Racehorse and HMS Carcass, encountered difficult ice conditions and eventually had to turn back.
Among the crew was a young Horatio Nelson, who would later become one of Britain’s most famous admirals.
Phippsøya and Nelsonøya were named after these two men.
William Edward Parry – the record-breaking attempt to reach the North Pole (1827)
In 1827, British polar explorer William Edward Parry sailed north aboard HMS Hecla. The expedition reached Sjuøyane before the ship sought shelter further south in Sorgfjorden.
From here, Parry and his crew continued north with two specially designed boats. These boats could be sailed across open water and pulled like sledges over the ice.
They reached 82°45′ North, further north than any documented expedition had ever travelled before. The record stood for almost 50 years.
This was long before Roald Amundsen made polar history as the first person to reach the South Pole in 1911.
What makes Parry’s expedition particularly interesting is that the ice was drifting south while the crew was trying to travel north. They could spend hours pulling their heavy boats across the ice, only to discover that they had barely made any progress towards the North Pole.
Eventually, they had to give up their attempt and turn back.
Parryøya and Rossøya were named after Parry and James Clark Ross, who also took part in the expedition.
Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld – scientific exploration (1861)
In 1861, Swedish polar explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld visited Sjuøyane during a scientific expedition.
Nordenskiöld was dedicated to mapping and understanding the Arctic regions. He later became known for leading the first complete navigation of the Northeast Passage in 1878–1879.
The expeditions of Phipps, Parry and Nordenskiöld are part of a history that still lives on through the place names of Sjuøyane.
Measuring the Earth – The Swedish–Russian Expedition (1899–1902)
At the end of the 19th century, Swedish and Russian scientists joined forces on an ambitious expedition to Svalbard. Their goal was not to reach the North Pole, but to measure the shape of the Earth and investigate whether it was slightly flattened at the poles, as Isaac Newton had predicted.
To do this, they established a chain of measuring points across Svalbard, stretching from the southern tip of Spitsbergen all the way north to Vesle Tavleøya, one of the Seven Islands.
The expedition took several years to complete, partly because of difficult ice conditions. Some of the stone cairns they built for their measurements can still be found on Svalbard today.
Among the participants was Norwegian Helmer Hanssen, who later joined Roald Amundsen’s successful expedition to the South Pole in 1911.
In 2016, SeilNorge followed in the footsteps of this expedition, sailing with a group of Russian researchers to search for and document the original stone cairns.
Now we’re setting sail for Sjuøyane!
In 2027, we’re heading north aboard our expedition vessel Goxsheim, a unique wooden sailing ship built for long voyages and Arctic expeditions.
On this 12-day expedition, we’ll sail from Longyearbyen and explore Svalbard’s northern coastline on our way towards Sjuøyane.
Along the way, there will be sailing, hiking, wildlife, glaciers and visits to places with fascinating polar history. Everyone takes part in life on board, from sailing and navigation to cooking and taking turns at the helm.
Our goal is to reach Sjuøyane, sail between the islands if conditions allow, and perhaps make it all the way to Rossøya, the northernmost island.
Sea ice will determine how far north we can sail. If the ice blocks our way, we’ll spend our time exploring other parts of Svalbard’s northern and western coasts.
For us, this is also an important part of the expedition: We have a good plan, but nature decides how far we can go.
“We tried to reach Sjuøyane in 2014, but only made it as far as Lågøya. In 2016, the waters were completely open, and we managed to go ashore on all seven islands. I’ve wanted to return ever since. There’s something special about sailing this far north, to places where hardly anyone goes. Our goal is to reach Sjuøyane, but we don’t know if the ice will let us through. That’s part of the point of a trip like this. We have to keep an eye on the conditions, make decisions along the way and make the most of the opportunities nature gives us.”
Emil Engebrigtsen, founder of SeilNorge, last visited Sjuøyane in 2016.
Join us on our expedition in 2027
We have two 12-day expeditions to Sjuøyane in the summer of 2027, departing on 19 and 31 July.
Join us to explore Svalbard by sailboat, follow in the wake of the early polar explorers and experience what it’s like to be on an expedition in the High Arctic.
Read more about our expedition to the Seven Islands here