19 Days Extensive Arctic Ocean - North Spitsbergen Explorer

At midday in Vlissingen, you embark on the vessel bound for the northern territories. A journey that will take you far into the depths of the north.

Cross the North Sea and sail by Doggersbank, you might be lucky enough to spot species like white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises, minke whales, and orcas.

Passengers who boarded in Vlissingen are offered an excursion by bus to Fowlsheugh, a seabird cliff south of Aberdeen. Over 100,000 pairs of seabird of different species can be seen here. Alternatively, an excursion to the Ythan Estuary is available, where the beaches are teeming with harbor seals, grey seals, and birds that keep to the shorelines. Both outings are included in the price of booking.

At least one dedicated expedition guide is part of the team, sharing expert knowledge about bird species and available to help identify, photograph on deck, and provide information about the birds seen. In addition to outdoor sessions, the guide focuses on species and related information on the birds of the Arctic in re-caps and lectures onboard.

Upon arrival in Aberdeen, the Granite City, frequent winner of the Britain in Bloom competition, your true trip begins. Several cetaceans, including orcas (killer whales), are native to these seas. To the south, you see the lighthouse on Girdle Ness, designed by the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, the famed Scottish writer who gave us such classics as Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. More passengers join you in Aberdeen.

Staying the day on Fair Isle, an island in the Shetlands, known for its seventy-odd inhabitants celebrated for their beautiful knitwear. This is a fantastic location with accessible seabird breeding grounds, and you may even spot grey seals.

You sail north to the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen, 300 nautical miles northeast of Iceland. Your two days at sea do not pass idly, however. Keep a close lookout for any spouts of water from the surrounding seas, heralding the arrival of a minke, fin, orca, or blue whale.

Jan Mayen is a stark volcanic island crowned by the snow-capped summit of Mt. Beerenberg. From the slopes of this imposing 2,300-meter-high (7,545-foot) volcano, broken glaciers grasp out into the frigid sea. With permission from the Norwegian authorities, you can now visit the weather station. You can also walk to the remains of a 17th-century Dutch whaling station amid the thick moss beds of this stark volcanic landscape.

Basking in the midnight sun, you sail north along the edge of the sea ice in search of bowhead whales, harp seals, polar bears, and a variety of seabirds. You then change direction after about 79° north, cutting west to the rocky edges of the continental shelf of west Spitsbergen. Here you have a good chance of seeing fin whales and, near the glacial mouths of the gaping Spitsbergen fjords, surfacing minke whales.

Forlandsundet, between the main island of Spitsbergen and the narrow Prins Karls Forland, is a place of great beauty and fascinating wildlife. Walruses sometimes haul out here. Alternatively, you might sail into St. Johns Fjord or head south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on these cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation.

You touch down in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum make for fascinating attractions. Though the countryside appears stark, more than a hundred species of plants have been recorded in it. In the early evening, the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.

This voyage takes you into the pack ice and along the remote shorelines of rugged North Spitsbergen. Possible destinations include the following:

Raudfjord
On the north coast of Spitsbergen, you can enjoy this expansive fjord spilling with glaciers—and maybe even be visited by ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears. We will try to land at Alicehamna or Buchananhalvøya.

Monaco Glacier
Depending on the weather and sea ice, sailing into Liefdefjorden, landing at Texas Bar, and cruising within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1-mile) face of Monaco Glacier are options. The waters in front of this precipitous glacier are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and the base of the ice is a popular polar bear hunting ground. If ice conditions prevent sailing here early in the season, sailing along the west coast of Spitsbergen may be an alternative.

Highlights of Hinlopen
Aiming to sail into the Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, and polar bears. At the entrance, there is a possibility of spotting blue whales. After cruising among the ice floes of Lomfjord in the Zodiacs, view the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet with their thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopen Strait, a landing on Nordaustlandet may be attempted, where reindeer, pink-footed geese, and walruses may be seen. An alternate route is available if ice prevents entry into Hinlopen.

The Seven Islands
The northernmost point of the voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet at Chermsideya or Phippsya, in the Seven Islands. Reaching 80° north, just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole, is possible. Polar bears inhabit this region, so the ship may park for several hours among the pack ice before turning west again.

Sailing the continental shelf
While retracing the route west, keep watch for polar bears and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales. About 40 nautical miles west of Spitsbergen, sail the edge of the continental shelf, where fin whales forage during the summer in the upwelling zones that run along the Spitsbergen banks. At the mouth of Kongsfjorden, there is a good chance of sighting minke whales.

Forlandsundet, St. Johns Fjord, or Alkhornet
Walruses sometimes haul out in Forlandsundet at Sarstangen or Poolepynten. Alternatively, sail into St. Johns Fjord or south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on these cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation.

Even great adventures must eventually come to an end. The vessel arrives back in Longyearbyen in the early morning, and bus transportation to the airport is provided.