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Around Spitsbergen - In The Realm of Polar Bear & Ice

Full Spitsbergen Circumnavigation
Expedition cruising aboard MV Hondius

Take a cruise around Spitsbergen and explore the icy waters of the North Atlantic. This special expedition offers you the chance to catch sight of whales, reindeer, Arctic foxes, walruses, seals, and the star attraction, the polar bear.

Your tour highlights

Zodiac Cruising & Shore Program
The Bird Cliffs of Alkefjellet – Svalbard’s most famous bird-watching site, Alkefjellet is alive with guillemots, gulls, and kittiwakes

Hornsund – Part of the South Spitsbergen National Park, the Hornsund is a fjord found on the west side of Spitsbergen, on the southern tip of the island.

Monacobreen – Formerly known as Glacier de Monaco and Liefde Bay-bræ, Monacobreen is a glacier that reaches down into Liefdefjorden in Spitsbergen.

Diskobukta – Anchoring in the bay of Diskobukta (found within the Svalbard archipelago of Norway) your Arctic cruise will offer you the opportunity to explore the pristine and quiet beauty of the Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve.

Sjuøyane

Isfjord – The second longest fjord in Svalbard, Isfjord lies on the west side of the principal island of Spitsbergen

Arctic Tern – Among the most nomadic birds on the planet, these sun-loving tourists summer twice a year during their ambitious routes

Kittiwake – Named for their own bird call, these cliff-nesting “three-toes” are the most abundant gulls on the planetPolar Bear – Awe-inspiring icons of the circumpolar north, polar bears are majestic to behold, terrifying to confront, and as essential to the Arctic as ice and snow

Walrus – Spending two thirds of their lives in the water, these “tooth-walking sea horses” cuddle their calves in the same fashion as human mothers

Brünnich’s Guillemot – They may expend a great deal of energy in flight, but that hardly concerns these tightly nesting (though largest-living) members of the Alcidae family

Tour itinerary

Day
1
Largest town, biggest island

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 plant 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.

Day
2-9
Clockwise circumnavigation of West Spitsbergen

Krossfjorden and Ny Ålesund

Heading north along the west coast, you arrive by morning in Krossfjorden with great views on glacier fronts. In the afternoon you sail to Ny Ålesund, the northernmost settlement on Earth. Once a mining village served by the world’s most northerly railway – you can still see its tracks – Ny Ålesund is now a research center. Close to the community is a breeding ground for barnacle geese, pink-footed geese, and Arctic terns. And if you’re interested in the history of Arctic exploration, visit the anchoring mast used by polar explorers Amundsen and Nobile in their airships, Norge (1926) and Italia (1928).

The massive Monaco Glacier

Depending on the weather, you could sail into Liefdefjorden, land at Texas Bar, and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of the precipitous Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this glacier are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and the base of the ice is a popular polar bear hunting ground. Another possibility is the mouth of Wijdefjorden with at both sides tundra landscape and the glacier front of Nordbreen. If ice conditions prevent sailing here early in the season, an alternate route along the west coast of Spitsbergen can be implemented.

Sorgfjord, reminder of hard times

You may turn to Sorgfjord, with sunken French and Dutch ships (end 17th century) deep under the surface. You have the chance to find a herd of walruses some way west of the graves of 17th-century whalers at Eolusneset. A nature walk here can bring you close to families of ptarmigans. The opposite side of the fjord at Heclahamna is also a beautiful area for an excursion in a semi desert area.

Stop at the Seven Islands

The northernmost point of your voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet, at Chermsideøya, and Phippsøya in the Seven Islands. Here you reach 80° north, just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears and walruses inhabit this region. The ship sails eastward among the pack ice and sail through the area where the Italian captain Sora tried to rescue the Nobile Expedition in 1928.

The largest ice-cap in Europe

We sail by the eastside of Austfonna on Nordaustlandet and stop by Isisøya (formerly a Nunatak surrounded by glaciers but now an island in the sea) for a circumnavigation by Zodiac cruise. You then may pass Kapp Mohn, part of the largest ice cap in Europe and famed for its meltwater waterfalls. From there we head for the never visited waters of Kong Karls Land, where we sail at a distance of more than half a kilometer from the shores. It is a famous denning area for polar bears.

Storfjordens many bounties

We will opt to sail against stream through Heleysundet between West Spitsbergen and Barentsøya, when you arrive in a scenery of nearby glaciers like Negribreen. Later in the day we may land at the mouth of the valley Skjolddalen on West Spitsbergen, four kilometers from an Ivory Gull colony. A landing at Diskobukta on Edgeøya, near a canyon with a large Kittiwake colony is also an option. Other landings like at Kvalhovden near mighty glacier fronts are also possible.

Land of the Pointed Mountains

You start the day by cruising the side fjords of the Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, taking in the spire-like peaks: Hornsundtind rises 1,431 meters (4,695 feet), and Bautaen is a perfect illustration of why early Dutch explorers named this island Spitsbergen, meaning “pointed mountains.” There are 14 sizable glaciers in this area as well as opportunities for spotting seals, beluga whales, and polar bears. We may land in Samarinvaagen and Birgerbukta, where we have great opportunities for a long walk.

Bell Sund’s flora, fauna, and haunting history

Today you find yourself in Bell Sund, one of the largest fjord systems in Svalbard. The ocean currents make this area slightly warmer than other areas in the archipelago, which shows in the relatively lush vegetation. Here there are excellent opportunities to enjoy both history and wildlife. A possibility is Ahlstrandhalvøya, at the mouth of Van Keulenfjorden, where piles of beluga skeletons can be found. These remains of 19th-century whale slaughter are a haunting reminder of the consequences of rampant exploitation. Fortunately, belugas were not hunted into extinction, and you have a good chance of coming across a pod. Alternately, while cruising the side fjords of Bellsund, you can explore tundra where reindeer like to feed as well as rock slopes where little auks are breeding, near Vaarsolbukta.

Day
10
There and back again

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You disembark in Longyearbyen, taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.

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Tour pricing:

from $14,750

Price based on Twin with Porthole cabin at USD$8,200 per person twinshare
Quadruple with porthole is USD$5,650 pp twinshare
Triple with porthole is USD$7000 pp twinshare
Twin with Window is USD$8,850 pp twinshare
Twin Deluxe is USD$9,500 pp twinshare
Superior is USD$10,650 pp twinshare
Junior Suite is USD$12,150 pp twinshare

To secure your place now:

Phone: 03 364 3400 or 0800 747 737
Email: [email protected]

Contact Us for details

Tour Inclusions:

  • Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary
  • All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea.
  • All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac.
  • Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff.
  • Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes.
  • Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to Longyearbyen.
  • All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme.
  • AECO fees and governmental taxes.
  • Comprehensive pre-departure material.

Not included:

Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights Pre- and post- land arrangements. Passport and visa expenses. Government arrival and departure taxes. Meals ashore. Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended). Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges. Transfer supplement for bus shuttle between Akureyri (ship) and bus stop Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre at Austurbakki, Reykjavik (6 hours). The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided).

Conditions:

PLEASE NOTE: The probability of sailing into Scoresbysund is high (based on our experiences from 1993 – 2019), but there is still a chance (about 10%) that ice will obstruct passage into the fjord system. All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on ice, weather, and wildlife conditions. Landings are subject to site availabilities, permissions, and environmental concerns per AECO regulations. Official sailing plans and landing slots are scheduled with AECO prior to the start of the season, but the expedition leader determines the final plan. Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises. The average cruising speed of our vessel is 10.5 knots
We are home from “the most extraordinary place on Earth“. You are so right it is just overwhelmingly wonderful. The ship the scenery the seas, the wildlife and fellow passengers just amazing. We were lucky enough to have Greg Mortimer himself lead the expedition. He’s 72 and so leads just one expedition a year. He was just the most fabulous man in every way. Always there in every situation, always talking to everyone, always challenging us without too much of the "safety safety’. And so humble. He should be cloned (even if he is Australian.)
Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia, Richard & Annie