Spitsbergen Expedition

You will be met at the airport and transferred to the group hotel for your overnight stay. This evening you’ll meet your expedition leaders and other members of the group for a trip briefing.

Meals:  Nil

Today is yours to explore Longyearbyen. Recommendations include The North Pole Expedition Museum, the local brewery and a reindeer burger in one of the local restaurants. Board the MV Quest in the late afternoon. Cruising out of the beautiful Isfjorden, we’ll be escorted by gliding fulmars and perhaps the occasional puffin. The sea kayakers will attend a briefing to distribute dry suits, poggies (paddling mitts for your hands), lifejackets and dry bag.

Meals:  B,D

Over the next 7 days we will explore the amazing wilderness of Svalbard. Our aim is to experience as much time as possible outside, be it zodiac cruising, paddling, hiking or wildlife viewing or all four! Our experienced Arctic team will use their know-how to design a day-to-day itinerary that makes the best use of the weather, ice conditions and wildlife opportunities. Following are locations we’ll potentially visit. Northwest Spitsbergen We’ll spend hours out and about in the wild Arctic scenery exploring the glacier filled Kongsfjorden or Magdallenefjorden, either zodiac cruising or kayaking along the coastline or walking the lush tundra, where we take extra care not to disturb delicate wildflowers. We may visit an old Dutch whaling station settled in the early 1600’s, aptly named Smeerenberg (blubber town). Heading North We’ll encounter amazing vistas in places such as Woodfjorden and Leifdefjorden, where magnificent glaciers end their journey to the sea. Paddlers and zodiac cruisers will wind their way through ice floes while walkers will take to the mountains looking out for herds of reindeer and discovering old Russian trapper huts. We’ll be on alert for polar bear sightings! On board the M/S Quest, we may experience the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean, a favourite occupation is to stand at the bow and look below at the ice being parted by our sturdy ship. A highlight for all on board is the sight of a bobbing walrus feeding on clams or wallowing, slug like, on shore. The East Coast We experience the variety of Svalbard along the east coast of Spitsbergen which can be described as a polar desert. If ice conditions allow, we pass south through the narrow Hinlopen Strait, flanked by rock slabs that are rich in fossils. A highlight for any amateur geologist is to discover these fossils when we go ashore. Wildlife viewing is at a premium at Alkafjellet, where one-hundred-metre-high dolerite towers are home to millions of Brunnich’s guillemots. On the ship and on land, eyes are peeled for an Arctic fox and birdlife such as Eider and beautiful ivory gulls. As M/S Quest passes between Spitsbergen and the smaller islands of Barentsoya and Edgeoya, we cross the main polar bear migration routes. The beautiful fertile plain of Sundeneset is richly covered with bright green mosses, a variety of delicate and colourful flowers, various fungi, clear bubbling streams and small tarns. We explore this beautiful terrain by kayak, zodiac and on foot, marvelling at the contrast between the colourful soft ground and the barren, rocky terrain from further north. South and then North-west again We round South Cape, Spitsbergen’s most southerly point, before continuing northwards. Hornsund, 23km long and 8 -10 km wide, is the southernmost of the large fjords on Spitsbergen’s west coast. Towers of rock pierce the clouds, lush green slopes run down to the sea and crumbling glaciers surround us. It is a beautiful place. Bellsund, which we may visit on the west coast of Spitsbergen, is divided into two large fjords. The northernmost - Van Mijenfjorden - is separated from the main fjord by a long narrow island, Akseloya, which extends almost across the fjord. There are many different zodiac cruising, paddling and walking options available to us. We may be fortunate to spot Beluga whales in this area and in the skies, we’ll be treated to thousands of birds, including little auk colonies.

Meals:  B,L,D

During the early morning we cruise back towards the docks in Longyearbyen. After a hearty breakfast, it is time to say your farewells to the crew and expedition leaders before a transfer to the airport.

Meals:  B