A Taste of North Spitsbergen - Compact Arctic Adventure

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 100 plant species have been recorded here. In the early evening, the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.

Today, we will explore Ny Ålesund, one of the northernmost settlements on Earth. Once a mining village served by the world’s most northerly railway, the tracks of which can still be seen, Ny Ålesund is now a research center. The community is a breeding ground for barnacle geese, pink-footed geese, and Arctic terns. 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).

There are also opportunities to visit a museum dedicated to life in Ny Ålesund in the past, and to explore historic buildings. At the post office, you can send a postcard home! In the afternoon, we head north some way into breathtaking Krossfjord. Overnight, the ship will sail along the west coast, heading north.

Today, we head for Ytre Norskøya, where you have the chance to hike in the footsteps of whalers from the 17th century, who used the promontory here to spot bowhead whales. Several graves dot the landscape here, while sea cliffs play host to several species of seabird. At Raudfjorden, on the north coast of Spitsbergen, you can take in an expansive fjord spilling with glaciers – and maybe even be visited by ringed and bearded seals.

The cliffs and shoreline of this fjord also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of seeing polar bears and Arctic foxes on the prowl.

We sail due north until we reach the edge of the pack ice the next day. From there, we sail southwest in the outer fringes of the sea ice south to west of Spitsbergen, where we expect to see seals, polar bears, ivory gulls, and whales, including bowhead whales. We will explore the fringes of the sea ice, providing superb photography opportunities and a chance to explore this ethereal landscape.

In the course of the afternoon, we arrive at the southern end of Prins Karls Forland, where we want to land some way into Forlandsundet at Poolepynten, a haul-out place for walruses.  Alternatively, we might sail to Alkhornet at the mouth of Isfjorden and land there. Seabirds nest on these cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation. In the mouth of the fjord, we often see minke whales, so spending time on deck is recommended!

Early morning, we arrive in Longyearbyen once again. Here, with memories made, we say our goodbyes before you explore more of the settlement or prepare for your flights home.