Polar Bear Quest

We arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer to our hotel.

We start our week in Spitsbergen by exploring the High Arctic capital of Longyearbyen. Embark our expedition ship in the afternoon and sail out through the spectacular Ice Fjord. We are now in a part of the world where we are totally dependent on ice and weather conditions. Our exact itinerary depends on these factors and on the wildlife we encounter. The goal is to make several landings each day with our rigid Zodiac craft - here are some examples of places we may visit:

Barentsburg and Ny Ålesund
Not far from Norwegian Longyearbyen is the Russian enclave Barentsburg, a fascinating coal mining settlement. In the scientific village of Ny Ålesund, the animals completely ignore the humans. Arctic terns nest by the main street and not far from the post office, northernmost in the world, we often see wild reindeer grazing. It was from here that Amundsen and Nobile started their heroic expeditions to the North Pole.

Northwest Svalbard
On Danes` Island, Amsterdam Island and Ytre Norskøya there are still visible remnants from the bustling activity during the 17th century whaling period. Many puffins, little auks and guillemots nest in the area. Two of the most courageous attempts to reach the North Pole started on Danes` Island. Swedish balloonist Andrée made an attempt with hydrogen balloon and American journalist Wellman started out with airship. The site is still littered with remnants from these expeditions, which silently evoke tales of the grand ideas of this heroic era of exploration.

Fantastic fjords
Svalbard offers the visitor countless spectacular fjords. During our journey we will explore a few of them such as:

Liefdefjorden, meaning "the fjord of love", is lined with snow-covered mountain peaks and at its base we hope to cruise along the face of the spectacular Monaco Glacier. Many common eiders and pink-footed geese nest in the area and if lucky we see the rare king eider. In Krossfjorden we delight in the beautifully sculptured front of the 14th of July Glacier to the raucous greeting of the large numbers of kittiwakes and Brünnich`s guillemots nesting on the nearby cliffs. The green slopes next to the ice blue glacier boasts a colourful flora. Raudfjorden is an area of immense natural beauty - dominated by beautiful glaciers it is also a favourite spot for seals. The slopes offer rich vegetation and the bird cliffs are bursting with life.

North Spitsbergen and Auk Mountain
Leaving the warm waters of the Gulf Stream behind, we may meet the massive pack ice edge. Not many ships venture here and we can marvel at the silence and grandeur of this icy landscape. Chances of meeting polar bears increase as we sail along the ice floes. If the ice allows we may enter Hinlopen Strait. Here is Auk Mountain, a sheer, basaltic cliff, which is the dizzy home for some 200 000 Brunnich`s guillemots.

Today we reach Longyearbyen, leave our ship and transfer to the airport.