North Spitsbergen Arctic Spring

After arriving in Longyearbyen, you may wish to visit the Svalbard Museum which has an interesting collection on the history of Spitsbergen, the mining industry and polar exploration. In the evening we sail, setting course for Trygghamna. 

In the morning we will see the remains of a 17th century English whaling station and an 18th century Pomor hunting station. From Trygghamna we walk to Alkhornet a large seabird cliff, where the birds are prospecting their breeding places. Below the cliffs we hope to see Arctic fox and reindeer. In Forlandsundet we visit a haul out place of walrus at Poolepynten if sea conditions allows, or at Sarstangen.

Today we sail into Fuglefjorden with views on Svitjodbreen and Birgerbukta. Great skuas nest here and there are good chances of spotting polar bears. We will try to visit Ytre Norskøya, a small island which was used for many years as a lookout point for Dutch whalers. There we can still follow their tracks to the summit of the island, passing excellent bird cliffs on the way. On shore the remains of 17th century blubber ovens can be found, while Arctic skua and common eider breed among the graves of 200 Dutch whalers.

Raudfjord on the north coast of Spitsbergen is a beautiful fjord with spectacular glaciers. It is also a favourite with ringed and bearded seal, has good seabird colonies, and offers good chances for spotting polar bear and beluga. Jermaktangen, at the fjord’s eastern entrance, is a geography lesson in the erosion of the land by the sea.

If sea-ice conditions allow, we may land on the northern-side of Reindyrsflya, the largest tundra area of Spitsbergen. The vast undulating plain is a good grazing area for reindeer and several species of waders also breed here. The area’s lakes offer good chances of spotting red-throated diver and king eider. Alternatively we land at Fuglesangen, where we can sit among the little auks.

In the morning we are at the 14th of July Glacier. Not far from the glacier we see a breeding site for Brünnich’s guillemot, razorbill and puffin. The guano of these bird colonies, the southward exposure and the sheltered situation, give rise to a relatively rich vegetation with many species of flowering plants. In the afternoon we sail to Ossian Sarsfjellet, where we can observe the kittiwakes and Brünnich’s guillemots on the cliffs at close quarters. Alternatively we visit Ny Ålesund, the northernmost permanently inhabited village in the world, a centre for polar research and a former starting point for many North Pole expeditions (Amundsen and Nobile for example). Barnacle geese, pink-footed geese, common eider, Arctic tern and several species of wader can be seen at close quarters. The reindeer here are smaller than their mainland relatives and do not form large herds.

In the morning we are on Bohemanflya, an extensive tundra area with its own birdlife and spectacular geological formations along the coast. At Gipsvika deep inside Isfjorden we will go ashore near the majestic cliff of Templet. It is a stunning area with spectacular mountains eroded into shape in the sedimentary rock from the upper carboniferous created around 290 million years ago.

Arrive in the morning and disembark