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Expedition Cruises with Guides, Lecturers and
Zodiac Landings
An expedition cruise for
those who wish to experience drift ice and, most
likely, polar bears.
During the course of one week you will be able to experience the wildlife
and fierce environment of the Arctic Ocean.
The birdlife is so
remarkable that even the most blasé
ornithologists are completely astonished. You
will also see seals,
in all probability
whales and walruses and the ‘king’ himself; the
polar bear, in his natural habitat.
The Expedition Leader and the guides will share with you their knowledge
of the wildlife, Arctic conditions and history
of the area. You
will discover hunters’ shelters and other
evidence of the fierce conditions endured by the
early polar
pioneers. We go
ashore one or two times every day by zodiacs.
Shore excursions normally last two or three
hours.
The tour
itinerary
The final itinerary is dependent on ice- and weather-conditions, which
have to be assessed during the voyage. First
we visit Barentsburg
and Ny-Ålesund, then we leave civilization
behind. Our aim is to sail to the remote Polar
Regions
in order to
experience the Arctic wilderness, drift ice,
flora and fauna. The further north and east that
we sail, the
more ice we will
meet. The ice will gradually build up until we
see large ice floes with seals resting on them.
This is polar
bear country, where
the bears hunt for their food, and here is your
best chance of seeing ‘The King of the Arctic’
in his
natural habitat.
Some years it is possible to sail through the Hinlopen-Strait early in the
season, while other years there are a great
deal of ice, which
makes it hard to sail. We recommend the early
tours for those who are keen to see large ice
floes
and the richest bird
life. For those who would rather travel further
east and maybe sail around Spitsbergen, a tour
later in the season
is more advisable.
Nordaustlandet is the second largest island in the Svalbard archipelago
and it lies northeast of Spitsbergen. Most of
the island is
covered by two huge glaciers, the largest,
Austfonna, has a massive ice sheet, 200
kilometers wide.
Svalbard’s largest
icebergs are formed here.
King Winter never fully lets go of the east coast, as opposed to the west
coast where the Gulf Stream provides better
opportunities for
life both in the sea and on land. The east coast
of Svalbard is magnificent in its infinite
stillness. But
life in the sea is
still plentiful, with krill and other small
creatures, which provide the basis of existence
for the rich bird
life and the mammals
of the Arctic Ocean. In earlier times hunters
tried their skills here as well, attracted by
the large
numbers of bears,
foxes and walruses. There are many, often
tragic, stories about those who struggled to
stay alive
through the grim
winters. Traces of this hunting history may be
found at several of the places where we will go
ashore.
Day by Day Itinerary &
Rates
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