Arctic Wildlife Sailing Spitsbergen Svalbard Polar Bears tall ship sail expedition cruise holiday around noorderlicht- Aqua-Firma

Arctic Sailing Voyage - Around Spitsbergen

Aqua-Firma's Around Spitsbergen sailing voyage provides our longest exploration of this polar archipelago; with its mountains, fjords, ice floes and spectacular wildlife. We are running this voyage in August, when the ice has receded sufficiently to permit access to the eastern coast; an area which for most of the year, is blocked by ice. This timing provides the best chance to fully circumnavigate Spitsbergen, with subsequent, unrivalled opportunities to observe Arctic wildlife at its best, including: polar bears, walruses, beluga whales, fin, minke and sei whales and even the rare bowhead whale, in addition to bearded and ringed seals, reindeer and Arctic foxes.

An abundance of migratory seabirds reside here during the High Arctic Summer, such as Arctic and pomarine skuas, rare Ross's gulls and countless little auks and guillemots; many of which are stacked on precipitous cliffs. Whilst exploring these vast colonies, we can look out for the hungry Arctic foxes patrolling the area, raising their cubs nearby.

Aided by the 24 hours of daylight of the 'Midnight Sun', your opportunities to photograph both Arctic wildlife and scenery throughout the entire voyage are unparalleled. We take every opportunity to explore by both zodiac and hiking on land, with visits to cultural and historical sites forming an integral aspect of the trip. Our expedition leader and knowledgeable skipper are passionate about both the history and nature of this polar environment and are permanently on-hand to offer a comprehensive guiding experience.

This is an archipelago of contrasting land and seascapes and our Around Spitsbergen voyage gives you the greatest chance of experiencing all that the region has to offer. On the western coasts of the island group, where the waters and tundra vegetation are influenced by the Gulf Stream, stunning glaciers plummet into deep fjords. The fjords can be better explored at this time and we aim to visit locations such as Isfjord or Bellsund, where it may even be possible to experience these scenic glaciers in detail by walking on the ice. In contrast, the eastern side of Spitsbergen is littered with fields of floating ice, supporting large numbers of both seals and polar bears - and it is here where you may feel in the midst of remote Arctic wilderness. In the far north, you have some of the best chances to observe beluga whales and visit known walrus haul-out such as Moffen Island.

Your base throughout our voyage is a stunning one hundred year old sailing schooner, reminiscent of the kind of ship explorers in the late eighteenth century might have used to explore this Arctic wilderness. With only 20 passengers onboard, this charismatic vessel boasts comfortable cabins, hot showers, central heating, good food and two beautifully wood-paneled salons to relax in. The spacious pilot house provides excellent all-round visibility and with ample space onboard it is always possible to find your own peace and place from which to absorb the sheer drama and scale of this Arctic wilderness. Whilst much of the sailing between locations is conducted at night, you may (when winds are fair), participate in sailing the vessel if you wish.

Photographs kindly provided by: Jan Belgers, Troels Jacobsen, Charlotte Caffrey, Rolf Stange, Richard Escott & Ralph Pannell

Around Spitsbergen - Tall Ship Voyage - Carbon Climate Neutral - Polar Bears & Wildlife - Svalbard - Arctic - Responsible Travel Holiday - Expedition Cruise

Please note that our polar itineraries are written to provide a flavour of each voyage. Sailing rather than motor-only will be undertaken where and when conditions allow. 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. We aim to provide the highest quality trips, providing you with the most rewarding experience possible and as a result, our itinerary may need to change at short notice. Itineraries have been changed in the past on account of instances such as impassable pack ice and the discovery of a dead whale with numerous polar bears feeding on it. Please remember that any changes in our itineraries are made with you in mind.

Day 1
(D)
Upon your arrival in Longyearbyen, you are free to spend the morning exploring this old mining town. You could visit the museum which has an interesting collection on Spitsbergen's natural history and its rich history of exploration.

The ship will sail in the early evening, leaving Isfjorden and sailing for Alkhornet, a seabird cliff where a large colony of kittiwakes and Brünichs guillemots come to breed. Hopefully, you can catch a glimpse of the Arctic foxes emerging from their dens around the base of the cliffs to look for fallen eggs or chicks. We continue to Trygghamna to visit the remains of an 18th century Russian Pomor hunting settlement and a 17th century English whaling station, where some of Spitsbergen's best-preserved 'blubber ovens' can be seen.

Day 2
(B, L, D)
After leaving Tryghamna early in the morning, we sail through Forlandsund, between the island of Prins Karls Forland and the Spitsbergen mainland. Weather permitting, we will go ashore at Fuglehuken; where western Europeans (on the expedition of Willem Barentsz) first set foot on Spitsbergen. Here, we can see the graves of whalers who succumbed to scurvy and visit large colonies of common guillemots, Brünnich´s guillemots, little auks and kittiwakes. Whilst at Fuglehuken, the highlight is the walrus haul-out site, where (if we are lucky), we may be able to see these immense tusked seals bellowing and sparring on the shore. Seeing walruses from the shoreline itself is an amazing experience.

Ny Ålesund, the northernmost permanent settlement on Earth, is another destination we may visit. Now a centre for polar research, Ny Ålesund was the starting point for many North Pole expeditions, including those of Amundsen and Nobile. The local bird life has adapted itself to human presence and is exceptionally tame here. Barnacle geese, pink-footed geese, common eiders, Arctic terns and several species of wader can be observed and photographed at close quarters and reindeer can be seen in the vicinity - they are smaller than their mainland relatives here and do not form large herds.
Sailing from Ny Ålesund deep into what is generally recognised as the most beautiful fjord in Spitsbergen: Kongsfjord; we head towards a pair of glaciers which have come together as a single, huge calving icefront. Listen as the glacial ice groans and rumbles from deep within. Not far from the glacier we visit a breeding site for Brünnich's Guillemots, Little Auks and Puffins. The guano of these bird colonies and the southward exposure and the sheltered situation of this area give rise to relatively rich vegetation occurring with many species of flowering plants.

Day 3
(B, L, D)
Today, we visit the remains of Smeerenburg; the largest 17th century whaling settlement on Spitsbergen. We also land on Ytre Norskøya; a small island which was used for many years as a lookout point for Dutch whalers is our next stop. There, we can follow the trails made by whalers to the summit of the island, passing by cliffs with nesting birds along the way. Close to the shore, the remains of 17th century blubber ovens can be seen and Arctic skuas and eiders breed among the graves of 200 Dutch whalers, which have been pushed to the surface by the permafrost.

Days 4 - Day 6
(B, L, D)
Continuing round to the northern side of Spitsbergen, we sail close to Moffen, an island well-known as a major haul-out site for large numbers of walruses. Although landings are restricted on this protected island, good views of the walruses are possible in the water and on ice floes. From Moffen, we sail east to Murchison Bay (on Nordaustland), where the extensive dry tundra habitat is home to many reindeer.

As we continue through the Hinlopen Strait, we are surrounded by icecaps. We will land in Lomfjord; a beautiful fjord surrounded by high mountains. Augustabukta is a lovely bay close to a glacier which is crevasse-free, allowing us to walk without much difficulty. On a nearby cliff, the rarely seen and beautiful ivory gull has been reported to nest, together with black guillemots. Reindeer, polar bears and walruses are often seen in this area, also.

Days 7 - 10
(B, L, D)
Sailing through the narrow passage of Freemansund between the south-eastern islands of Barentsøya and Edgeøya, we head to Kapp Lee; visiting the sombre beaches which are littered with the bones of hundreds of walruses, killed for their ivory in the 19th century. Afterwards, we head to cliffs where seasonal colonies of black guillemots are accessible for good photography opportunities.

On Edgeøya still, we may move to Diskobukta, where we visit a large colony of kittiwakes, nesting in a canyon. Arctic foxes and polar bears with young often roam through the canyon, scavenging on fledglings which fall from the ledges and close encounters have been had with beluga whales close to the shores here. Before leaving Edgeøya, we stop near Kong Ludvigøyane, which is a key breeding place for walruses. On the islands, there are also many remains of the whaling, walrus and polar bear hunting periods. Close encounters with polar bears are most common around this area.

Days 11 - 15
(B, L, D)
After crossing the expanse of Storfjord, where we hope to see fin and minke whales and maybe even the rare sei whale, we once again return to the shores of Spitsbergen. In continuing our trip, we begin to explore southern Spitsbergen, sailing into the labyrinthine fjords of Hornsund. Behind Brepollen; a large glacial deposit at the head of the fjord, we will sail along a beautiful icefront, with good chances of seeing bearded seals and polar bears.

The geological formations in this area are very spectacular and colourful and (weather permitting) it may possible to find small fossils along the beaches or visit areas near to where fantastic dinosaur remains have been unearthed.

On our way back to Longyearbyen, we sail into Bellsund to reach Midterhuken, with its interesting geological formations and the remains of the 17th century English whaling industry. With luck, Bellsund is a good area for observing beluga whales. If time allows, we will pay a visit to Barentsburg; the only inhabited Russian settlement on Spitsbergen, or to Colesbukta; an abandoned Russian coal mining settlement.

Day 16
(B)
Disembarkation will happen after breakfast at 9am.