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SPITSBERGENSpitsbergen,
with its rugged mountains, sweeping tundra, ice caps and glaciers, is a true
High Arctic archipelago, and only 600 miles from the North Pole. Its abundant
wildlife was once a huge draw for whalers and trappers. Today the discerning
visitors are discovering the attractions of huge Arctic seabird colonies and
species like Walrus, reindeer, Arctic Fox and of course, Polar Bear. Longyearbyen,
the administrative center of Spitsbergen, and the Russian community of
Barentsburg are the main settlements. Outside of the settlements, there are no
roads on Spitsbergen, so this world of natural wonders is most easily and safely
explored on an expedition cruise, using Zodiacs for shore landings. The coast is
mostly ice free in the summer and colorful wildflowers, mosses and lichens
abound. On
specific Spitsbergen trips we offer scuba-diving to experienced dry-suit divers,
a unique chance to explore the fascinating underwater ice floes and marine
wildlife of the Arctic. North Spitsbergen
(Longyearbyen
– Longyearbyen)
June 13 - June 20, 2007
aboard Grigoriy Mikheev 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 fertile 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, patrolling 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 center. 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
Depending
on the weather we may now sail to the mouth of Liefdefjorden and go ashore for a
walk on the tundra island of Andøya. Many
Common Eiders and Pink-footed Geese nest here, and the rear King Eider may also
be seen. We hope to sail into Liefdefjorden, cruising near the 5km long face of
the impressive Monaco glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favorite
feeding spot for thousands of Kittiwakes and on previous voyages Polar Bears
have been seen on the glacier, providing wonderful opportunities for photography Day 4 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 5 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 6
Retracing
our route westwards, we visit Raudfjord on the north coast of West Spitsbergen,
a beautiful fjord dominated by spectacular glaciers and favoured by Ringed and
Bearded Seals. The cliffs and shoreline of the fjord also support thriving
seabird colonies and surprisingly rich vegetation, which flourishes in sheltered
spots. On the offshore island of
Ytre Norskøya, we visit a 17th century Dutch whaling site, whose large
graveyard is a poignant reminder of the hardships and dangers of life here at
the time. The island’s bird life is prolific, with colonies of Little Auks,
Black Guillemots, Brünnich’s Guillemots, Puffins and Arctic Skuas accessible
to visitors. Day 7
We
land at the northern tip of Prins Karls Forland near Fuglehuken, where Barentsz
probably set foot on Spitsbergen for the first time.
Seabirds nest on the cliffs and along the coast we see Harbour Seals the
only population in Spitsbergen. Further we also will observe the remains of the
Polar Bear hunting era, with demolished set guns and bear traps. At the opposite
site of Forlandsundet at Sarstangen is a haul out place for Walruses.
Alternatively we sail into St. Johns Fjord or south to the mouth of Isfjorden
and land at Alkhornet. Seabirds
nest on its cliffs and Arctic Foxes search the cliff base for fallen eggs and
chicks, while Spitsbergen Reindeer graze the relatively luxuriant vegetation.
The reindeer may seem unbothered by human presence, but this is not really the
case. The animals must survive the harsh winter, when temperatures plummet and
food is hard to find, so they preserve what energy they can, fleeing only when
it is absolutely necessary. In the afternoon we cruise through beautiful
Borebukta, following a glacier front before continuing to Longyearbyen. Day 8
Return
to Longyearbyen and disembark for the transfer to the airport and the flight to
Oslo and home. N.B. On the North
Spitsbergen cruises aboard Grigoriy Mikheev, will also offer a program
for about 20 experienced dry-suit scuba divers. We will dive in the kelp beds of
northern Spitsbergen, the kelp offering some protection to sea-bottom life such
as sea anemones, sea stars, sea cucumbers, shrimps and fish. We shall also be
able to observe wing snails, many species of jellyfish, and diving seals and
seabirds near the sea ice. Around
Spitsbergen (Longyearbyen
– Longyearbyen) June 28
- July 08, 2007
aboard
Professor Molchanov 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. 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
favorable 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. Note: The
above itineraries are for guidance only. The 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. SUMMARY
Inclusions: ·
Expedition cruise
onboard ‘Grigoriy Mikheev’, ‘Aleksey Maryshev’, ‘Professor
Multanovskiy’ or ‘Professor Molchanov’, modern and comfortable
ice-strengthened vessels, providing accommodation for just 46-54 travelers; ·
All meals throughout
the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea; ·
All shore excursions
and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac; ·
Program of lectures
by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff; ·
All miscellaneous
service taxes and port charges throughout the program; ·
Comprehensive
pre-departure material. Start and
Finish: Longyearbyen 2007
Dates & Rates
(US$)
*
Supplement for Scuba-diving option:
US$ 530
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