When an acquaintance told me of his recent exploits in the European High Arctic -- a forbidding land of polar bears and the midnight sun, not to mention around-the-clock glacier and ice-floe diving I knew my appetite for adventure wouldn't be satisfied until I went there myself. In June, I took my first step on the frozen black volcanic soil of Svalbard, a Norwegian territory made up of several islands that serves as Europe's northernmost point. Pointy hills cover the largest island, named Spitsbergen by the Dutch explorers and whalers who first came here in the 16th century. The modern airport was filled with the coming and going of adventurous souls. It was easy to pick out those who were leaving by the mud on their heavy clothing and their scruffy, suntanned faces. Tour operators eagerly greeted new guests who arrived clad in clean, freshly pressed duds. A waiting shuttle carried us to the port. Compared to other dive vessels that I have been on, the 236-foot-long Professor Molchanov stood tall and grand in the harbor. The sturdy ship is a converted Russian research vessel with a steel hull that allows it to explore arctic regions. For diving activities, the vessel is decked out with an on-board compressor, air tanks, and two 18-foot-long inflatable boats. Goran Ehlme, an experienced arctic divemaster from Sweden, is in charge of the underwater excursions. I couldn't wait to meet my new compatriots, who included 12 divers among the ship's 46 guests. It was 11 p.m. when we boarded, and the sun was still high in the sky. The sun never sets this time of year, and it takes a while to adjust your internal clock. There were divers from Holland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA. We found ourselves seated in the bar exchanging diving stories from around the world until the wee hours of the morning while the light remained unchanging. Slowly, people peeled off to their bunks as fatigue overcame excitement. Awaking some hours later, We are once again greeted by the never-ending daylight. A group of divers gather around the bow to watch the clear, frigid water slip by some 40 feet below. We cruise north into a cold arctic wind that creates a strong counterpoint to the bright sun. Sunday The Ice Fortress The weather is cooperating, with clear skies and a light yet frigid wind. We pass our first glacier an ice fortress called the 14th of July Glacier that towers 1,500 feet above the water. The view from the ship's bridge is impressive, but the sight is breathtaking from the inflatable boat that takes several shivering guests over for a closer look. Illuminated by the arctic sun, a variety of blue hues reflect through the sheer ice. The sound of constantly cracking ice is deafening. On the edge of the glacier, we walk among colorful clumps of pink, velvet and white flowers. A variety of birds -- guillemots, little auks, arctic skuas and puffins can be seen on the cliffs above. Back on the ship, Goran holds our first dive briefing. He goes over the universal communication signals we'll be using, emphasizes the need to keep warm and details some of the hazards of diving in this cold 320- 360 water. He also discusses emergency procedures and the basics of drysuit diving. Monday Our First Look We awaken to a snowstorm replete with thick fog and strong wind. But by mid-morning, the snow and fog give way to sunshine. Our first dive takes place near a small, rocky island called Danska Sund Oya. Underwater, a bed of short kelp with wide leaves surrounds the island. The area acts as a magnet for marine life, and we spot numerous nudibranchs, crustaceans and kelp fish. Later in the afternoon, we visit another snow- and ice-covered island, Indre Norsk Oya, for a shore dive. We see a variety of creatures: sea spiders, crustaceans, scorpion fish, numerous cold-water nudibranchs and sea butterfly. After emerging from the water, we pass the time waiting for the next group of divers by sliding around on the ice in our drysuits. Tuesday Bears, Walrus and Jellyfish We are awakened at 2 a.m. by the ship's wildlife alert bell. It's the vessel's custom to advise guests whenever the crew sights polar bears. You can imagine the chaos as 46 people in varying states of consciousness run through the few openings to the deck carrying cameras, long lenses and pillows for support. For the next hour, we all stand in awe, witnessing a polar bear dining on the carcass of a bearded seal. The rest of the day is sunny and even a bit on the "warm" side. But despite the pleasant conditions, ship is forced to make a course correction to avoid a large ice pack. After arriving at Moffen Island, several guests and I board the inflatable boats and head toward a colony of walruses. Two at a time, we descend into the water with snorkels to meet the curious creatures as they approach our dinghy. In the soft light of evening, we come across a large floating ice pack and decide to go diving around and under it. It an awesome experience. At first, I am preoccupied by the extreme cold hitting my face and lips. But after getting used to the frigid numbness, I am able to appreciate the colors shimmering through and around the ice. The visual highlights on this dive include a brightly colored comb jellyfish and several pairs of inch-long sea butterflies dancing together in harmony. Wednesday Photo Opportunities All you can see is fog, fog and more fog. Most of the passengers spend the morning in bed while the ship reverses its course and heads northeast toward open water. Several hours later, the wildlife bell rings again and everyone is on deck in record time. The crew has spotted another polar bear. The Russian skipper skillfully navigates his giant vessel within only a few feet of the bear. After staying put for about 10 minutes, the bear slowly makes its way into the freezing waters of the North Sea. We watch it swim for the next 20 minutes. Afterwards, we all squeeze into the bar that was stocked with enough champagne for everyone. But then the crew sights a bearded seal resting on a small ice floe, and the wildlife alert is sounded again. A few photographers who still possess extra energy choose to take a ride in an inflatable boat in the hope of capturing images of this rare and exceptionally shy species. The animal's head and neck are adorned with beautiful rust-colored fur that contrasts with the dark brown fur covering the rest of its body. Thursday The Dominant Species The thick morning fog burns off and bright sunshine returns in the afternoon. We observe a polar bear around lunchtime that seems to grow excited at the scent from our meals. The bear stands on the edge of the ice and points its nose toward the sky. It sniffs once, twice, three times. As the bear is leaving, it encounters two big walruses. The bear stops to lift its left paw and both walruses rise up, click their tusks and bark at the bear. To our surprise, the bear backs away warily. That night, several divers embark in an inflatable toward one of the many ice floes around us. On the way, we start to follow a 60-foot Minke whale as it moves slowly along the ice shelf feeding on krill and completely ignoring our presence. During the dive under a nearby ice floe, our group pauses as a pod of four walruses swim by without giving us a second thought. Friday Ice Block The weather has turned cold and cloudy. Our ship is close to an ice pack near the island of Andyane, and we are afforded more wildlife-viewing opportunities. Several Minke whales pass by, and we also see a pod of 20 to 30 walruses crowded onto a small ice floe. That evening, the wind picks up while we are out exploring the ice pack in one of the inflatable boats. Soon we find ourselves blocked in by the fast-moving ice. Fortunately, the Professor Molchanov arrives promptly to rescue us. Saturday Life in the Kelp It is a gray day as we approach the mighty Hamilton Breen Fjord and Glacier. From the trusty inflatable, we can hear the movement of ice and feel the coldness emanating from the frozen mass. By afternoon, it is time to dive again. We explore another kelp bed and observe a few ring seals, many rainbow-colored star fish and numerous large sea anemones. Sunday Snorkeling with Seals There's more fog and a little rain in the morning. But the sunshine returns in time for us to spend the afternoon diving and snorkeling with photogenic harbor seals. Monday Spiders and Sponges The weather is sunny and at last -- almost warm. On the way back to the ship's home port, we again pass by the spectacular 14th of July Glacier. About 100 yards offshore, we find a rocky underwater wall covered with seaweed and many invertebrates, including large spider crabs, anemones and colored sponges. Our last dive takes place in the afternoon at an underwater drop-off covered with kelp, ghost shrimp, lobster and huge sea anemones. The farewell party is held that night. Amid the festivities, I take time to acknowledge the hard work of the dedicated Russian crew members. Their knowledge and commitment to excellence was instrumental in making the expedition to this harsh yet rewarding environment a memorable success. For further information about expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica, contact Oceanwide Expeditions at 800-453-7245 or visit its Web site: www.ocnwide.com. Amos Nachoum is a photojournalist who specializes in leading expeditions to photograph big animals around the world. For more information, call toll-free: 877-229-4253 or visit his Web site: www.biganimals.com.