This voyage will take you into the pack ice and along the remote shorelines of rugged north Spitsbergen. Your landings are subject to change due to sea ice, weather conditions, and wildlife sightings. The expedition leader determines the final plan. Places you might visit include:
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 at Hamiltonbukta support thriving seabird colonies with Brunnich's guillemots, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears. You try to land at Alicehamna or Buchananhalvoya.
Ytre Norskoya
This small island was used for many years as a lookout point for Dutch whalers, and you can still follow their tracks to the summit of the island. The remains of 17th-century blubber ovens can also be seen near about 200 graves. The island's north side offers the rare opportunity to see puffins near their breeding places, and there is even a small colony of kittiwakes.
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 famous polar bear hunting ground. If ice conditions prevent you from sailing here early in the season, the team can implement an alternate route along Spitsbergen's west coast.
Northwest of Raudfjord
You aim to sail into the pack ice outside the territorial waters of Svalbard, watching for polar bears and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales. As you sail from 80 N to 76 N along and in the outer fringes of the ice edge, you can also look for harp seals, hooded seals, polar bears, and migrating seabirds like little auks, Brunnich's guillemots, and kittiwakes. On previous voyages in this area, they have sometimes seen up to a hundred bowhead whales. You also have the chance to see northern bottlenose whales and the first fin whales of the season. The pack ice sailing will highlight this voyage and may take up to three days.
Forlandsundet, St. Johns Fjord, or Alkhornet
Walruses sometimes haul out in Forlandsundet at Poolepynten. Alternatively, you might 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.
