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Day 1 DEPARTURE OBAN
We embark at Oban, a small and cozy
harbour town in west Scotland. From Glasgow it is a good
option to take the train, a marvelous journey through one of
the most scenic parts of Scotland.
The channels between the Scottish islands offer excellent
possibilities to spot Minke Whales (a small baleen whale),
White-beaked Dolphins and Harbour Porpoises. Several other
cetaceans, including Orcas (Killer Whales), are also native
to these waters.
Day 2 ST. KILDA
To the west of North Uist lie the St Kilda group of
islands, built of volcanic rock and with cliffs rising to
over 400m, the highest in Britain and home to the largest
seabird colony in the country. St Kilda has its own
sub-species of birds and mice, and of sheep, the Soay,
probably brought here by Stone Age man over 5,000 years ago.
Until 1930 St. Kilda was inhabited, but then the last of the
islanders left leaving a handful of windswept ruins, though
there is also a military base which may be visited.
Day 3 FAROE ISLANDS
In the afternoon we reach the Faroes,
where we will sail through the maze of channels between the
islands and where we pass Skuvoy and the north side of
Streymoy with huge seabird colonies.
Day 4 & 5 AT SEA - JAN MAYEN
We sail north to the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen,
situated 300 nautical miles north-east of Iceland. During
our two days at sea there will be plenty of time to watch
for the blow of a Minke, Fin or Blue Whale, which could
herald a rewarding encounter with these gentle giants.
Perhaps we might run into a pod of Orcas, who can often be
quite curious about boats such as ours.
Day 6 JAN MAYEN
Jan Mayen is a volcanic island of breathtaking beauty
and mystique, dominated by Mt Beerenberg. From the slopes of
the 2300m volcano, impressive glaciers spill into the sea.
Until recently, the island was off-limits as it is a
military base, and was rarely visited by tourists, but with
permission from the Norwegian authorities we hope to visit
the weather station. We will also walk across the island to
Kvalrossbukta to look at the remains of a 17th century Dutch
whaling station and a substantial colony of Fulmars. We also
plan to sail by Koksletta where thousands of Little Auks and
Brünnich's Guillemots breed close to a glacier, watched over
by piratical Glaucous Gulls.
Day 7 & 8 AT SEA
We spend two days at sea, looking out
for Whales, Dolphins and Seals and a variety of seabirds.
Day 9 SPITSBERGEN - HORNSUND
Depending on the position of the
sea-ice, we cruise the maze of fjords in the spectacular
Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, which is ringed by
towering mountain peaks. Hornsundtind rises to 1,431m while
Bautaen shows why early Dutch explorers gave the name
"Spitsbergen" - pointed mountains - to the island. There are
also 14 magnificent glaciers in the area but as well as
spectacular scenery, the area is renowned for its abundant
and varied arctic wildlife. We have very good chances of
seeing Seals and with a little luck, the very symbol of the
Arctic - Polar Bears. We may visit the Polish research
station where the friendly staff will give us an insight
into their research projects. Behind the station, the
mountains are home to thousands of pairs of nesting Little
Auks. Bearded Seals often cruise the inner fjords, whose
cliffs are lined with colonies of Brünnich’s Guillemots and
Kittiwakes.
On the tundra we will have good
opportunities to observe foraging Barnacle Geese.
Day 9 - Alternative
We land at Kapp Toscana on Ahlstrandhalvøya at the mouth of
Van Keulenfjord, where piles of Beluga skeletons are a
reminder of the 20th century exploitation of these small
white whales. Numbers are now recovering and there is a good
chance of spotting small groups in the area. We then move to
Recherchefjord, where a walk on the fragile tundra which
backs the fjord may yield sightings of Reindeer and where we
visit the remains of a 17th century Dutch whaling station at
Lagerneset. Alternatively we may land at Midterhuken to
explore the remains of 17th century English whaling sites.
The weather will determine which good options will be chosen
in this area.
Day 10 LONGYEARBYEN
We disembark at Longyearbyen, the
administrative centre of Spitsbergen, for flights south to
Norway and onward to home. Alternatively we may stay on the
ship and continue our voyage to North Spitsbergen (MLT06).
OCN
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