Tick off on your bucket list with Arctic Survival Tours Founded in 2023, Tromsø-based Arctic Survival Tours offers a unique winter experience. A once-in-a-lifetime adventure, the company provides a safe, therapeutic and comfortable opportunity to swim in the Arctic Ocean in the winter. By Celina Tran
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Photos: Arctic Survival Tours
While most people have bucket lists or things they wish to experience in life, some experiences might simply seem too unrealistic to even try. While you’re probably not flying to space or biking through all the continents anytime soon, Arctic Survival Tours has now made it possible to swim underneath the northern lights in the subfreezing Arctic Sea, but comfortably. Ingvar Ursfjord, owner, founder and chief executive at Arctic Survival Tours, founded the company along with his good friend Terje in 2023. The aim was to create a new, alternative activity for Tromsø’s Arctic tourism industry. “Terje has been working in the maritime safety industry for years and pitched the 30
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Issue 163
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February 2024
idea of giving tourists in Tromsø a new activity, an addition to the pre-existing ones. Initially, we wanted to come up with something more adrenaline-filled where guests could also enjoy the beautiful, natural surroundings. Gradually, we narrowed it down to what has become floating in the Arctic Ocean wearing immersion rescue suits,” says Ursfjord. He adds that the beauty of the floating experience is its flexibility, allowing guests to decide whether they want to enjoy it as an action-filled activity or a form of therapeutic relaxation in natural surroundings. “The immersion rescue suits allow you to be comfortable and cosy in the water, despite the freezing temperatures, and you can stay in the water for long periods. It means that people of all backgrounds and ages, regardless of their wants, can enjoy the activity and surroundings at their own pace.”