Andy Mann is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, National Geographic photographer and marine conservationist who has worked on all seven continents. He has a particular passion for the Arctic and extensive experience in polar environments from Franz Josef Land in Russia, to to the remotest reaches of Greenland.
In May and June 2025, a special COMO Journey is launching in collaboration with remote logistics experts, Natural World Safaris. ‘Into the Arctic’ is an 11-day expedition on board a ship travelling from the Norwegian town of Longyearben deep into the Svalbard archipelago. It’s a rare adventure, with all the hallmarks of COMO’s signature cuisine, wellness and luxury. But it’s also a chance to peel back the layers of a landscape few people will ever see, with extraordinary access to knowledge, science and storytelling, delivered by an onboard team led by Emmy-nominated filmmaker and National Geographic photographer, Andy Mann. In this COMO Conversation, we speak with Andy about his Arctic experience and the indefinable qualities that make this region so special.
In 2005, I moved to Boulder, Colorado, and fell in love with rock climbing. I picked up a camera to document the adventure that we were having in the mountains — and it's bloomed now into a career that I could never have imagined at the time.
It was in 2013, when I was sent on an assignment for National Geographic Magazine. My team and I travelled to Franz Josef Land in Russia, a rarely visited archipelago of 190 islands near the North Pole. We spent 45 days exploring and documenting the islands and following field biologists studying this changing ecosystem. In 2014, a year after our work was published in National Geographic Magazine, I won the Crystal Compass Award for storytelling from the Royal Geographic Society, which led to the designation of the world’s largest Arctic national park in Franz Josef Land.
In most cases, photos and videos are the only way someone is going to experience or have an emotional connection to a place as wild as the Arctic. I make the images I do so that when someone opens the pages of National Geographic Magazine, they are immediately transported there. I want to create a sense of empathy between the audience and my subjects. After my work in Franz Josef Land, I know that storytelling can have a direct impact on policy decisions.
If done responsibly, absolutely. I love showing guests the subtle, often overlooked beauty of the Arctic and try to have meaningful conversations around its protection. I really believe everyone that comes here leaves as an ambassador for its conservation, because we protect the places we love. The more folks that travel and fall in love with the Arctic, the more our conservation community grows. Of course, every ecosystem has a threshold for tourism but in the case of Svalbard, it is managed very well and offers a unique and wild experience for everyone.
The May and June COMO Journeys will be my 11th and 12th times visiting the Arctic. Cumulatively, I’ve spent more than a year of my life there. Since my first visit 12 years ago, I have seen considerable change in summer sea ice coverage and the adaptation of flora and fauna to the changing conditions — species are finding new footholds along shorelines, and polar bears are trying to find food on the mainland. I feel at home in the Arctic, in the truest sense of the world. There is a peacefulness and untamed, wild beauty that feels infinite. I'm sad every time I have to leave.
I've done a few big-wall climbing trips to remote Greenland. In 2017, myself and a group of climbers established a new free-climb on a 1000-metre, overhanging rock-wall after five straight days of climbing. The view from up there, watching the Northern Lights dance over the vast ice caps, is forever burned into my mind. I have a million polar stories, best shared over dinner with COMO guests!
The silence.
My biggest challenge has always been trying to portray the true beauty of these ecosystems through photography. As hard as I try, it’s impossible to do it justice — you just have to see it yourself. There is nothing in the world like being there, with all your senses firing. Of course, the wildlife is very unpredictable... the animals never seem to get my memo about when and where to show up for me!
Anytime between 11pm and 5am. The light is pure magic because the sun sits on the horizon the whole time. There is an eerie stillness and violet colour to everything around you. It's the best time to go out on the deck of the ship and feel the raw beauty of the landscape while everyone else is sleeping.
I'm probably not alone when I say it’s a polar bear. They have such a charismatic character. You can always expect the unexpected, which is why I love photographing them. There is nothing like seeing a polar bear in the wild.
For me, it's about sharing my passion for the Arctic and photography with everyone. We'll try and get off the ship every day on some sort of adventure, whether we are visiting walruses, polar bears, seabird colonies, reindeer or icebergs. We'll be paying attention to our peripheries and looking for perspectives that not everyone sees at first. I'll do presentations at night, along with the guides, sharing our experience and stories from careers spent in this magical landscape. Most of all, I want us to have fun!
I always bring a long lens; something between 400mm and 600mm. If you have any interest in photography, I strongly recommend renting a 600mm f4 lens from an online rental company. You will never regret it. You should also invest in a good pair of binoculars: we spend a lot of the day scouting for bears and other animals from the ship and it helps a lot to have a nice pair. Finally, bring a good book about the Arctic. There are so many great reads about Norwegian Arctic exploration, and it's a great way to really dive into the history.
I want people to walk away with gratitude. It's truly a once in a lifetime trip to the top of the world. It’s a chance to leave your worries at home and walk away changed for life.
Our May charter has now sold out, and we have limited spaces available on our June 2025 sailing. For more information, or to book your spot on ‘Into the Arctic: A COMO Journey’, click here.
