This voyage will take you into the pack ice and along the remote shorelines of rugged north Spitsbergen. Places you might visit include the following:
Raudfjord
On the north coast of Spitsbergen, you can enjoy this expansive fjord spilling with glaciers – and maybe even visited by ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears. You may try to land at Alicehamna or Buchananhalvoya.
Monaco Glacier
Depending on the weather and sea ice, you could sail into Liefdefjorden, land at Texas Bar, and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this precipitous glacier are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and the ice base is a popular polar bear hunting ground. If ice conditions prevent you from sailing here early in the season, you may sail along the west coast of Spitsbergen.
The Seven Islands
The northernmost point of the voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet, in the Seven Islands. You may reach 80° north, just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole. Phippsoya has a walrus haul-out site, while Rossoya is the northernmost landmass in Spitsbergen. The vessel may sail deeper into the pack ice when wheeling around west again.
Sailing in the pack of ice
You aim to sail into the pack ice at quite some distance from the coast of Spitsbergen, watching for polar bears and other animals at the edges of the pack. Your voyage through the pack ice may be a multi-day affair, depending on the position of the ice and local sea and weather conditions. Regardless of how long you spend on the ice, these days at sea will be a highlight of the trip. Note that while the ship navigates the pack ice, you can't make any shore landings or excursions from the ship. However, wildlife encounters are the main draw here, with good chances to encounter many species that thrive in this icy habitat, including polar bears, seals, and whales.
After your time on the ice, retrace your route west, keeping watch for polar bears, ringed seals, and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales. This is also the habitat of ivory gulls. About 40 nautical miles (74 km) west of Spitsbergen, sail along the edge of the continental shelf. Here, fin whales forage during the summer in the upwelling zones (where cold, nutrient-rich water wells up from below the sea's surface) that run along the Spitsbergen banks. At the mouth of Kongsfjorden, you have a good chance of seeing minke whales.
Forlandsundet wildlife
Walruses sometimes haul out in Forlandsundet, at Poolepynten. But if you cannot go there, you might sail to the mouth of Isfjorden, where you may see different species of rorqual whales. Your intended landing site is Alkhornet, where seabirds nest on the cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation. Another possibility is the glacier front in Ymerbukta, where you can see congregations of various eider duck species.
