This voyage aims to circumnavigate Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Along the way, you can experience the many facets of this incredible High Arctic territory. Your exact schedule and route will be shaped by weather and ice. During this mid-summer voyage, hoping ice conditions will be favorable for a circumnavigation. However, plenty of sea ice will still be around to support ice-dependent animals such as polar bears and walrus. In addition to seeing Spitsbergen from every angle, this itinerary offers the appealing possibility of setting foot on all four of Svalbard's main islands.
As you cruise along the coastline of Spitsbergen, you can have the opportunity to capture breathtaking images of snow-capped mountains, icy glaciers, and rugged coastlines.
The first of many pristine natural areas on this itinerary is South Spitsbergen National Park, a vast region of varied landscapes, including polar deserts and impassible mountain ranges. The centerpiece of this park is Hornsund, a picture-perfect fjord where countless mighty glaciers cascade from soaring mountaintops into icy inlets. The park also includes the southern shores of Bellsund, a picturesque bay where you can find the remains of historical whaling operations, including cabins, wooden boats, and thousands of whale bones—a scene from the distant past, frozen in time. Throughout the park, there is always a high probability of wildlife sightings. There are also plenty of possibilities for world-class hiking through wild polar landscapes with fascinating geology. Wildflowers are especially abundant during this time.
Next along your route is the wildlife-rich Southeast Svalbard Nature Reserve, a pristine and rarely visited wilderness containing hundreds of uninhabited islands. On the large islands of Edgeøya and Barentsøya, discover broad tundra valleys supporting the territory's densest population of endemic Svalbard reindeer. You may see newborn reindeer calves at this time of year. The valleys are also important breeding areas for ground-nesting birds such as geese, eiders, and sandpipers. Arctic foxes prowl the vast landscape, seeking to provide food for their growing cubs. Shallow, murky seas are ideal feeding grounds for walrus, which can be seen resting in large numbers on gently sloping beaches. Historical sites throughout the islands provide glimpses into the region's bygone era of trapping and hunting.
During this voyage, you expect to encounter the densest sea ice concentrations in the enormous Northwest Svalbard Nature Reserve. Ice can persist very late into the summer in this remote and isolated region, giving it a truly polar character. This reserve covers the rugged northwestern parts of Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet, the second-largest island in Svalbard. Here, you can find the massive Austfonna ice cap, part of which meets the sea along the 45-kilometer ice cliff known as Bråsvellbreen—one of the great wonders of the Arctic world. The polar desert environment supports little vegetation but hosts prodigious numbers of seabirds at breeding sites such as the spectacular sea cliffs of Alkefjellet. The probability of encountering polar bears and walrus in this icy wilderness is very high.
At this time of year, the edge of the polar pack ice will likely be close to Nordaustlandet. You hope to sail along this dynamic boundary between sea and ice, where you have an unparalleled opportunity to witness the dramatic interplay between polar bears and seals. Take the ship as close as safely possible to the jumbled and constantly shifting ice floes, hoping to observe polar bears in their preferred habitat.
Finally, reach Northwest Spitsbergen National Park, the crown jewel of Svalbard's scenic wonders. Here, you can find deep fjords flanked by serrated mountain ranges and immense tidewater glaciers calving icebergs into turquoise waters. During your voyage, the seabird breeding season is in full swing, and the skies are filled with millions of murres, guillemots, and little auks. This is also a great time to encounter marine mammals, including beluga whales and Arctic seals. Set among this incredible scenery and wildlife activity, you can also find evidence of Svalbard's earliest sealers and whalers.
Human habitation along your route can be found at Ny Ålesund, a former mining town and airship base that is now home to an international community of Arctic researchers. This is one of the world's most northerly settlements, where you can find a museum, gift shop, and post office.
The ambitious Svalbard and Polar Ice Edge route offers a comprehensive view of the Arctic's many faces. Every day offers something new and exciting. Take advantage of every opportunity to encounter amazing Arctic wildlife, witness incredible polar scenery, and walk in the footsteps of historic expeditions that came before.
