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Prices
for - Arctic Adventures
Around
Spitsbergen
Longyearbyen - Longyearbyen 10 Nights /
11 Days
All itineraries are
for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather
conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife.
Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.
Day 1
Arrive in
Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen archipelago of which
West Spitsbergen is the largest island. Before embarking there is an opportunity
to stroll around this former mining town, whose parish church and Polar Museum
are well worth visiting, while in the surrounds of Longyearbyen, more than 100
species of plant have been recorded. In the early evening the ship will sail out
of Isfjorden.
Day 2
Heading
north along the west coast, we arrive by morning in Krossfjorden, where we take
to the Zodiacs for an exhilarating cruise along the sculpted front of the 14th
of July Glacier. On the surprisingly green slopes near the glacier, a colourful
variety of flowers bloom, while large numbers of Kittiwakes and Brünnich’s
Guillemots nest on the nearby cliffs. There is also a good chance of spotting
opportunistic Arctic Foxes, who patrol the base of the cliffs in case a hapless
chick falls from its nest, 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
Liefdefjorden/Monaco Glacier
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
Phippsøya
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 gulls. We may sit for several hours in the pack ice, taking in our
spectacular surroundings and seeing a Ross gull, before we turn south again.
Day 5
Laagøya/ Sorg Fjord
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 a nature walk, we may encounter families of ptarmigans.
Day 6
Alkefjellet/Palanderbukta
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
Torrelneset
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 start the
day quietly cruising the side fjords of the spectacular Hornsund area of
southern Spitsbergen, enjoying the scenery of towering mountain peaks.
Hornsundtind rises to 1,431m while Bautaen shows why early Dutch explorers gave
the name ‘Spitsbergen’ - pointed mountains - to the island. There are also 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
Today we
land on Ahlstrandhalvøya at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden. Here piles of Beluga
skeletons (the Beluga is a small white whale), the remains of 19th century
slaughter, are yet another reminder of the consequences of thoughtless
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.
N.B.
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.
Important:
Before you travel please check your Tour Voucher and Arrival
Information for the latest joining instructions. This will be sent to you
upon receipt of final payment.
All itineraries are
subject to change without prior notice.
Prices
for - Arctic Adventures
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