22 Days Extensive Arctic Ocean – Northwest Iceland - Spitsbergen Explorer

Ice caps and volcanoes

We land in Breidavik at Arnarstapi, with Snaefellsjökull, a glacier-capped volcano in the background. We will walk southward, along cliffs with seabirds, to Hellnar, where we embark the ship again. We may also proceed to Snaefellsjökull, where Jule Vernes: Journey to the center of the Earth began. In the evening, we will again look for whales northwest of the peninsula.

A land of islands, skerries and Norse legends

We sail in the broad and shallow bay of Breidafjordur, peppered with hundreds of islands and skerries, and may glimpse some white-tailed eagles. We will then land on Flatey and explore its traditional fishing village and the church with paintings by the Spanish-Icelandic artist Baltasar. Black guillemots and vast colonies of puffins breed along the shores, and red-necked phalaropes are common in ponds just inland.

We will pay a visit to Klofningur, a diminutive island featuring a lighthouse and extensive breeding colonies of shags, fulmars, and great black-backed gulls. In the evening, we will sail by the impressive Látrabjarg, featuring Iceland's biggest seabird colonies.

On the lookout for whales and eider ducks

Sailing into impressive Skutulsfjörður, home to the town of Isafjordur, we plan a visit to Aedey, where an Icelandic family keeps an eider duck farm where the many hundreds of birds can breed protected entirely and where, at the end of the breeding season, all eiderdown is collected for trade. At the shores of the island we also meet breeding puffins. In the afternoon, we may sail into Jökulfirdir or directly out of the fjord, looking again for whales, while we sail northwest and pass the Arctic Circle.

At the fringes of the sea ice

North of Iceland, in the fringes of the southward-moving sea ice, we sail northeast with our ice-rated vessel. We look two days for harp and hooded seals, which sometimes frequent the area in great numbers. The presence of a lonely polar bear can not be discounted, as they sometimes reach Iceland's shores. Near and along the sea ice, we will see whales and seabirds as they migrate and forage along the productive edge of the sea ice. You will be in an impressive sea-scape with, to the west, sea ice as far as you see. This is a wild Arctic environment, constantly in motion and always changing.

Crossing the Arctic Circle once more

We find ourselves sailing southward. In the early morning, we will pass Kolbeinsey, a tiny uninhabited islet rapidly being eroded by the fearsome surrounding ocean. Later, we will land on Grimsey, a small island that straddles the Arctic Circle. Grimsey features a small but friendly fishing village and is home to colonies of kittiwakes, razorbills, puffins, fulmars, and Arctic terns. In the evening, at the mouth of Eyafjordur, we may again see some whales.

With our journey ending, you disembark in Akureyri, where, on request, you can transfer by chartered bus (a six-hour drive that you must book in advance) to the bus stop Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre at Austurbakki, Reykjavík. While your time in the Arctic may be over, your memories and experiences will stay with you forever!

In the late afternoon, you board m/v Hondius in the port city of Akureyri, a historical fishing port known as the Capital of North Iceland. We sail north through Eyafjordur, one of the longest fjords in Iceland, where we may see our first whales as we reach the open sea.

At the Arctic Circle

We land on the small island of Grimsey, which straddles the Arctic Circle. Grimsey has a friendly fishing village and is home to vibrant colonies of kittiwakes, razorbills, puffins, fulmars, and Arctic terns. In the evening, we pass Kolbeinsey, a tiny uninhabited island, on our way north. From this point onwards, we will experience daylight around the clock.

Sailing northward

Sailing toward the isolated Jan Mayen, we will look for humpbacks, fin, minke, blue whales, and even orcas. During the crossing, the ship will alter course to provide better viewing opportunities when wildlife is spotted.

Volcanic rock and ocean air

We found ourselves before Jan Mayen, a stark volcanic island crowned by the snow-capped summit of Mt. Beerenberg. From the slopes of this imposing 2,300-meter-high (7,545 feet) volcano, broken glaciers tumble out into the frigid sea. With permission from the Norwegian authorities, you can now visit the weather station. You can also walk to the remains of a 17th-century Dutch whaling station amid the thick moss beds of this stark volcanic landscape. This historic place is tied deeply to the Dutch whaling industry of the past and is intensely atmospheric.

Beneath the midnight sun & along the ice edge

Basking in the midnight sun, you sail north along the edge of the sea ice in search of bowhead whales, harp seals, polar bears, and a variety of seabirds. You then change direction after about 79° north, cutting west to the rocky edges of the continental shelf of West Spitsbergen. Here, you have a good chance of seeing fin whales and – near the glacial mouths of the gaping Spitsbergen fjords – surfacing minke whales.

The Arctic island of Spitsbergen

Forlandsundet, between the main island of Spitsbergen and the narrow Prins Karls Forland, is a place of great beauty and fascinating wildlife. Walruses sometimes haul out here. Alternatively, you might sail into St. Johns Fjord or head south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. These cliffsides are crucial for nesting birds. Many species build their nests here, while Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks. On the surrounding slopes, reindeer graze sparse vegetation, creating superb photographic opportunities.

With Arctic memories that will last a lifetime and cameras full of fantastic images, you disembark in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, once more. While your journey is at an end, the pioneering spirit of Arctic adventure will stay with you, whatever comes next!

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.

This voyage will take you into the pack ice and along the remote shorelines of rugged north Spitsbergen. Places we might visit include the following:

Raudfjord

On the north coast of Spitsbergen, you can enjoy this expansive fjord spilling with glaciers – and maybe even visited by ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears. We will try to land at Alicehamna or Buchananhalvøya.

Monaco Glacier

Depending on the weather and sea ice, we could sail into Liefdefjorden, land at Texas Bar and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this precipitous glacier are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and the base of the ice is a popular polar bear hunting ground. If ice conditions prevent us from sailing here early in the season, we may sail along the west coast of Spitsbergen.

Highlights of Hinlopen

We aim to sail into Hinlopen Strait, home to bearded seals, ringed seals, and polar bears. At the entrance, there is even the possibility to spot blue whales. After cruising among the ice floes of Lomfjord in the Zodiacs, you can view the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet, with their thousands of Brünnich’s guillemots. On the east side of Hinlopen Strait, we may attempt a landing on Nordaustlandet. Here we may see reindeer, pink-footed geese, and walruses. We can take an alternate route if ice prevents entry into Hinlopen.

The Seven Islands

The northernmost point of the voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet at Chermsideøya or Phippsøya, in the Seven Islands. Here we may reach 80° north, just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, so the ship may park for several hours among the pack ice before wheeling around west again.

Sailing the continental shelf

While retracing our route west, keep watch for polar bears and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales. About 40 nautical miles west of Spitsbergen, we sail the edge of the continental shelf. Here fin whales forage during the summer in the upwelling zones (where cold, nutrient-rich water wells up from below the sea’s surface) that run along the Spitsbergen banks. At the mouth of Kongsfjorden, you have a good chance of sighting minke whales.

Forlandsundet, St. Johns Fjord, or Alkhornet

Walruses sometimes haul out in Forlandsundet at Sarstangen or Poolepynten. Alternatively, we might sail into St. Johns Fjord or south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on these cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation.

Even great adventures must eventually come to an end. The vessel arrives back in Longyearbyen in the early morning, and bus transportation to the airport will be provided.