Please note that our polar itineraries are written to provide a flavour of each voyage. The actual route will be decided by the captain and expedition team in accordance with prevailing ice, weather and sea conditions and opportunities to see wildlife and wilderness scenery.
Day 1
Arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen. Before embarking there is the opportunity to wander into and explore this former mining town. We suggest you use the opportunity to visit the Svalbard Museum, which has an interesting collection on the history of Spitsbergen, the mining industry and polar exploration. In the early evening the ship will sail out of Isfjorden.
Day 2
At Krossfjorden we take to the Zodiacs for an exhilarating cruise along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier. Large numbers of kittiwakes and Brünnich’s guillemots nest on the nearby cliffs. There is a good chance of spotting arctic foxes, who patrol the base of the cliffs in case a hapless chick falls from its nest (depending on the season) and bearded seals, who cruise this scenic fjord. In the afternoon we sail to Ny Ålesund, the world’s most northerly settlement. Once a mining village - served by the world’s most northerly railway, which can still be seen - Ny Ålesund is now a research centre. Close to the village is a breeding ground for barnacle geese, pink-footed geese and Arctic terns. Visitors interested in the history of Arctic exploration will want to walk to the anchoring mast used by Amundsen and Nobile in the airship Norge in 1926 and Nobile in the airship Italia in 1928 before their flights to the North Pole.
Day 3
Near the mouth of Liefdefjorden, we will go ashore for a walk on the tundra island of Andøya. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest here, and the more rare king eider may also be seen. Sailing into Liefdefjorden, we will cruise near the face of the impressive Monaco Glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes and occasionally polar bears are seen on the glacier.
Day 4
Today we will reach our northernmost point at Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet. Here we will be at 81 degrees north, just 540 miles from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, along with ivory and Ross gulls. We may sit for several hours in the pack ice, taking in our spectacular surroundings and viewing birds and wildlife, before we turn south again.
Day 5
We will visit Laagöya today, a low island with a big lagoon where a big herd of walrus tends to congregate. Sabine’s gulls nest on the island, as well. At Sorg Fjord we may find another herd of walruses not far from the graves of 17th century whalers. On an excursion on land, we may encounter families of ptarmigans.
Day 6
Today we will sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, polar bears, and ivory gulls. We’ll navigate the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvøya in our zodiacs and explore the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopenstrait, we’ll attempt a landing at Palanderbukta on Nordaustlandet, home to reindeer, pink-footed geese, breeding ivory gulls, and walruses.
Day 7
Near Torrelneset, we will explore the polar desert of Nordaustlandet, next to the world’s third largest ice cap, which meets the sea nearby. We will walk along beautiful coastline covered in smooth rocks, sculpted by the surf over thousands of years. We may encounter walruses along the way. Sailing south of Nordaustlandet we will have good chance to see Greenland whales.
Day 8
In Freemansundet we plan to land at Sundneset on the island of Barentsøya to visit an old trapper´s hut and then take a brisk walk across the tundra in search of Spitsbergen reindeer and barnacle geese. Later we cruise south to Diskobukta on the west side of Edgeøya. After a Zodiac cruise through the shallow bay, we land on a beach littered with whale bones and tree trunks, which have drifted here from Siberia. We can also climb to the rim of a narrow gully which is inhabited by thousands of kitttiwakes, together with black guillemots and piratical glaucous gulls. During the breeding season, the base of the cliffs is patrolled by Arctic foxes and Polar bears, especially females with young cubs, searching for young birds that have fallen from the nesting ledges.
Day 9
We cruise the side fjords of the spectacular Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, enjoying the scenery of towering mountain peaks. (1,431m). There are 14 magnificent glaciers in the area and very good chances of encounters with seals and Polar Bears. We may visit the Polish research station where the friendly staff will give us an insight into their research projects. Behind the station the mountains are home to thousands of pairs of nesting little auks.
Day 10
We land at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden. Here piles of beluga, the remains of 19th century slaughter, are yet another reminder of the consequences of unfettered exploitation. Fortunately, belugas were not hunted to the edge of extinction and may still be seen locally. Indeed, there is a good chance that we will come across a pod. Cruising into Recherchefjorden during the afternoon we can explore an area of tundra at the head of the fjord where many reindeer feed.
Day 11
Return to Longyearbyen and disembark for the transfer to the airport and the flight to Oslo and home
Note: If ice conditions are favourable we may sail around Nordaustlandet, passing another Nordkapp and visiting Kvitøya, the place where the Swedish Explorer Andree perished , instead of sailing through the Hinlopen Strait. The area between Kong Karls Land and Edgeøya offers great chances of observing greenland whales.
Around Spitsbergen - Svalbard - Norway - Noorderlicht - Wildlife Voyage - Expedition cruise holiday - Responsible Polar Travel |
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