Around Spitsbergen

Arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Svalbard archipelago. Before embarking, take the opportunity to stroll around this former mining town, whose parish church and Polar Museum are well worth visiting. In the early evening the ship will sail out and along Isfjorden.

Heading north along the west coast, we arrive by morning in Krossfjorden, where we board the Zodiacs for a cruise along the sculpted front of the 14th of July Glacier. On the green slopes near the glacier, a colourful variety of flowers bloom, while large numbers of kittiwakes and Brunnich's guillemots nest on the nearby cliffs. There is also a good chance of spotting Arctic fox, who patrol the base of the cliffs in case a chick falls from its nest, and bearded seal.

In the afternoon we sail to Ny Alesund, the world's most northerly settlement, which, when it was a mining village, was served by the world's most northerly railway, which can still be seen - Ny Alesund is now a research centre. Close to the village is a breeding ground for Barnacle Goose, Pink-footed Goose and Arctic Tern. Visitors interested in the history of Arctic exploration can 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.  

Near the mouth of Liefdefjorden, we plan go ashore for a walk on the tundra island of Andoya. Common eider and pink-footed geese nest here, and the rarer 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 favourite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes and sometimes, polar bears are seen on the glacier.

Today we will reach the northernmost islands of Svalbard: the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet. We will attempt to land on Phippsoya, where walrus are often hauled out on land. We will then try to find the pack ice to take in the spectacular surroundings and search for wildlife such as polar bears and perhaps even the illusive Ross gull. We will reach the area of 81 degrees north - just 540 km from the geographic North Pole.

Plan to sail across Hinlopen Strait to Kinnvika on the island of Nordaustlandet to explore the polar dessert landscape. The strait is home to bearded and ringed seals, as well as polar bears and ivory gulls. We'll navigate the ice floes of Lomfjordshalvoya in our Zodiacs and explore the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with thousands of Brunnich's guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopenstrait, we will attempt a landing at Augustabukta on Nordaustlandet, home to reindeer, pink-footed geese, breeding ivory gulls, and walrus. Near Torellneset we will walk along beautiful coastline covered in smooth rocks, sculpted by the surf over thousands of years. We may encounter more walrus along the way.

In Freemansundet we plan to land at Sundneset on the island of Barentsoya to visit an old trapper's hut and then walk across the tundra in search of Spitsbergen reindeer and barnacle geese. Later we cruise south to Diskobukta on the west side of Edgeoya. After a Zodiac cruise through the shallow bay, we land on a beach littered with whale bones and tree trunks, which have drifted here all the way from the shores of northern Siberia. We can also climb to the rim of a narrow gully which is inhabited by thousands of kitttiwakes, together with black guillemots and glaucous gulls. During the breeding season, the base of the cliffs is patrolled by Arctic foxes and polar bear, especially females with young cubs, searching for young birds that have fallen from the nesting ledges.

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', or '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.

Today we land on Ahlstrandhalvoya at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden. Here piles of beluga whale skeletons, the remains of 19th century slaughter - yet another reminder of the consequences of thoughtless exploitation. Fortunately, beluga were not hunted to the edge of extinction and may still be seen locally - 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.

Return to Longyearbyen and disembark for the transfer to the airport and the flight to Oslo and home.