 SPITSBERGEN
Sunday 27 June- Monday 5 July 2010
other dates available - please ask for details
Price from £ 3645pp (Singles willing to share pay no extra!)
Deposit: £800pp
Leaders: Oceanwide Expedition leaders and Kevin Shaw with more than 12 clients.
Flights: SAS Return scheduled flights from London - Longyearbyen via Oslo. It may also be possible to arrange flights from Oslo to Oslo. Please ask for further details.
The first adventurers setting foot in new Arctic lands must have been astonished by the dramatic scenery and rich wildlife. In 1596 the Dutch captain Willem Barentsz discovered a land he called ‘the new land of the pointed mountains’, which in Dutch was rendered as ‘Spitsbergen’, the former name of the whole of this remote northern land. Today, Spitsbergen is just the largest island in the archipelago of Svalbard - literally ’the cold edge’ as described in traditional Norse accounts of the area.
On this holiday you too can experience the majesty of these North Atlantic islands, only 800 miles from the North Pole, as we explore one of the last great wildernesses on earth. Spitsbergen is home to countless birds, nesting on spectacular cliffs where glaciers mirror the sunset, seemingly setting fire to the mountain tops. There is more too — nothing can prepare you for your first sighting on sea-ice of a Polar Bear, undisputed king of the Arctic and a key highlight of this fabulous wildlife adventure.
We visit in summer, taking advantage of long daylight hours when temperatures are not severe. Our voyage coincides with the height of the breeding season for most bird species, and you will never forget the wonderful wildlife of this harsh, beautiful landscape. Be sure at the end of the day to spend time outside on deck and marvel at the low sun, lighting the mountains as the sea turns a vivid orange-pink. It may be some time before you make it back to your cabin!
Our vessel will be the Plancius, a small ice-strengthened vessel ideal for this type of voyage. Our friendly and experienced Russian crew will be anxious to share their knowledge and enthusiasm, and we will navigate safely through pack-ice and narrow waterways. We will be flexible in our itinerary, paying close attention to weather and ice, changing course and using inflatable zodiacs amongst the ice-floes, spending as much time ashore as possible. Expect a friendly intimate atmosphere in a cosy and comfortable onboard environment.
Come and join us for the Arctic wildlife trip of a lifetime!
‘The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed free, we were the first that ever burst into that silent sea’.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’
OUTLINE ITINERARY
Sunday 27 June Day 1:
We fly London Heathrow – Oslo, then across the Barents Sea to Spitsbergen, arriving in the capital
Longyearbyen, spending our first night here in a comfortable hotel at a latitude of over 77° North. Hotel rooms are en suite.
Monday 28 June Day 2:
Longyearbyen is a former mining and scientific centre, named after an American mining engineer. Today we have some time to acclimatise in this fascinating and picturesque northern settlement of around 2000 people. We may enjoy our first sightings of King Eider, Ivory Gull, Glaucous Gull, Purple Sandpiper, ‘Svalbard’ Ptarmigan, an Arctic Tern colony, Snow Bunting, Barnacle Goose, Northern ("borealis") Eider, short-legged Svalbard Reindeer, Little Auk, Arctic Fox and Svalbard Poppy close to the town. Grey Phalarope may also be possible. There should be an opportunity to do some sightseeing, visit the Museum or go shopping. We join the Plancius late this afternoon, and after our safety drill and briefing, sail north up the west coast in early evening. ‘Blue’ Fulmar, Little Auk, Puffin, and Brünnich’s Guillemot can be expected.
Tuesday 29 June - Sunday 4 July Day 3 — Day 8:
Our itinerary will of course depend on weather and the presence of ice, though you will experience a thorough and rewarding exploration of the archipelago and all its wildlife. Here are some of the key things we will do:
In Krossfjorden we enjoy a Zodiac cruise along seabird cliffs with Kittiwakes and Brünnich’s Guillemots, then get up close to the impressive 14th July Glacier amongst floating ice and mini-icebergs. Later we land at Ny Ålesund, a small settlement mainly occupied by researchers, with the world’s most northerly Post Office. Here we see the airship anchoring mast used by Amundsen in 1926/8, in the spot used as a point of departure for several North Pole expeditions. Wildlife should include Ivory Gull, Grey Phalarope, Barnacle Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Long-tailed Duck, Purple Sandpiper, Red-throated Diver, Arctic Skua, Arctic Fox and Reindeer, with the possibility of Long-tailed Skua and Bearded Seal. Polar Bear chances increase from now, and we also begin scanning with good chances of the ghostly Beluga Whale, Harp Seal, Pomarine Skua and Sabine’s Gull.
We reach Leifdefjorden, (you will need wellingtons or gaiters for most landings), having rounded the north-west corner of Spitsbergen, where we should see Pale-bellied Brent Goose. We land on the island of Andøya where Grey Phalarope and King Eider are found. A zodiac cruise along the 5km long face of the impressive Monaco Glacier is a favourite feeding place for thousands of Kittiwake, a photographer’s paradise, and a good area to see Polar Bear, Ringed Seal and Bearded Seal.
Continuing east to the Hinlopen Strait, we look for Walrus, Ringed Seal, Bearded Seal, Polar Bear and Ivory Gull. Conditions permitting, the ship goes close in to the massive, dramatic, seabird cliffs at Alkefjellet which holds a huge Brünnich’s Guillemot colony, giving some indication of the sheer numbers of these birds present around Svalbard - an estimated 1 million pairs!
The northernmost point of the trip is Phippsøya, north of Nordaustlandet (located at 81° North, and only 540 miles from the North Pole). Amongst the pack-ice we might see Ivory Gull and Polar Bear.
At Raudfjorden, on our voyage back south, we could see Polar Bear, Ringed Seal, Bearded Seal and one of the many breeding colonies which house some of the 1 million Little Auks found around the islands . To see clouds containing numerous individual auks against the towering, icy backdrops is one of the great images of Spitsbergen.
We land near Fuglehuken at the northernmost tip of Prins Karls Forland Island. Here is the most northerly population of Harbour or Common Seal, the only ones in Svalbard. Arctic Skua, and perhaps a few Common Guillemots amongst the Brünnich’s are also welcome, and Arctic Foxes scavenge along the foot of the cliffs. We also intend to land at the Walrus haul-out at Sarstangen.
Monday 5 July Day 9
We return to Longyearbyen, and will probably be ashore early morning to prepare for our early afternoon flight back to Heathrow, via Oslo.
Field Notes
Summer at this latitude features generally settled weather, with light winds and perhaps a little rain. Temperatures should be between minus and plus 5 degrees Celsius. Sea conditions are unlikely to be adverse. Days are long, and you can expect wildlife to appear at any hour. We expect more than one sighting of all key birds and mammals including Polar Bear, so you shouldn’t miss anything. You will need waterproof boots, gaiters and wellies, and can expect maximum walking distances of around three miles, over moderate terrain (though of course most of the holiday is spent on the vessel). Biting insects are not expected. Due to the light, the dramatic landscape, and the quality and quantity of wildlife, this is an ideal location for photography.
This itinerary is given as a guide only. Actual holiday content may vary according to the judgement of our captain and crew, and elements beyond our control, especially weather.
A quick note about Spitsbergen and Polar Bears
Polar Bears make their way across the arctic pack ice to Spitsbergen in winter, and our voyage to this northerly archipelago gives us excellent chances of seeing them. In 2006 the pack ice melted in summer, isolating bears on the islands, and there is an obvious danger to Polar Bears if this recent trend continues. Bears need frozen sea ice to hunt seals, and although none of us can be sure of the future, it seems very possible that the Polar Bear may become much harder to find if the Arctic Ocean continues to warm. If you haven’t been here yet, put Spitsbergen high on your wildlife holiday agenda!
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Bird and Mammal List
We expect to see most, if not all, these with a chance of Ross’s Gull too!
Red-throated Diver.
Great Northern Diver.
Fulmar.
Pink-footed Goose.
Barnacle Goose.
Pale-bellied Brent Goose.
Common Eider.
King Eider.
Long-tailed Duck.
Ptarmigan.
Ringed Plover.
Sanderling.
Purple Sandpiper.
Turnstone.
Grey Phalarope.
Pomarine Skua.
Arctic Skua.
Long-tailed Skua.
Great Skua.
Sabine’s Gull.
Glaucous Gull.
Great Black-backed Gull.
Kittiwake.
Ivory Gull.
Arctic Tern.
Common Guillemot.
Brünnich’s Guillemot.
Black Guillemot.
Little Auk.
Puffin.
Snow Bunting.
Polar Bear.
Arctic Fox.
Svalbard Reindeer.
Walrus.
Bearded Seal.
Ringed Seal.
Harp Seal.
Common Seal.
Beluga.
Please note: all itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual
holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and
elements beyond our control (eg weather).
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