HIGHLIGHTS
- Walk
on tundra colored with wildflowers and Musk oxen
- Visit
an old trappers’ hut and small lakes with geese
- Sail
through Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord with towering mountains and huge
icebergs
- Cruise
the front of glaciers in Scoresby Sund
- Explore
the remains of an Inuit settlement abandoned 200 years ago
- Land
near Sydkap to see remains of Thule winter houses
- Visit
a post office and watch sled dogs at Ittoqqortoormiut
DATES / RATES
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Aug 18, 2024 | Aug 31, 2024 | 7,000 |
7,475 |
Rates are listed per person
|
| Start Date | End Date | From EUR | From USD |
|---|
| Aug 18, 2024 | Aug 31, 2024 | 7,000 |
7,475 |
ITINERARY
Day
1: Embarkation in Longyearbyen
Arrive
in Longyearbyen, on Spitsbergen, the administrative capital of the
Spitsbergen archipelago of which West Spitsbergen is the largest
island. Before embarking there is an opportunity to visit this former
mining village. The Parish Church and the Polar Museum are well worth
visiting. In the early evening the ship will sail out of Isfjorden.
Day
2: Raudfjord
We
sail into Raudfjord on the north coast of West Spitsbergen, a beautiful
fjord with spectacular glaciers. It is home to Ringed and Bearded Seal,
seabird colonies and a surprisingly rich vegetation. We have good
chances to see Polar Bear, for instance near Hamilton Glacier, or more
to the head of the fjord. From there we continue to Moffen Island on
which Walrus haul out.
Days 3-4: At Sea
At
sea, on our way to Greenland, we may see the edge of the East Greenland
sea-ice. We keep watch for whales, and also for migrating seabirds.
Day
5: Myggebugten
Approaching
Greenland we will attempt to sail through the sea ice into Foster Bugt,
making our first landing at Myggebugten. Beyond the old
hunters’ hut (in the first half of last century Norwegian
trappers hunted here for Polar Bear and Arctic Fox) there is an
extensive tundra populated by Musk Oxen. The small lakes are home to
geese. We sail through Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord, a magnificent fjord
with towering mountains on both sides, its inner reaches choked with
huge icebergs. An alternative is Sofia Sund, which is much narrower,
and where we can see Musk Oxen from the ship.
Day
6: Blomster Bugt
We
will land at Blomster Bugt to view the beautiful geological formations.
Arctic Hare are usually seen here, and there is a lake with Great
Northern Diver and their young. In the afternoon we sail along
Teufelschloss and Ella Ø and may land at a beautiful spot in
the early evening.
Day
7: Antarcticahavn
The
first half of the Day we spend in Antarcticahavn, a wide and extensive
valley where we also could see groups of Musk Oxen. At this time of
year the autumnal colours of the sparse vegetation make the landscapes
even more beautiful.
Day 8: Scoresby Sund
ToDay
we reach the Scoresby Sund and sail in the morning along the ragged and
glaciated Volquart Boons Kyst. Here we may organise a zodiac cruise
along one of the glacier fronts of this coast, and have our first
landing near for instance Måne Glacier.
Later
we land on Danmark,Ø where we find the remains of an Inuit
settlement abandoned around 200 years ago. The circular ‘tent
rings’ of stones indicate the summer houses, while the winter
houses can be seen closer to a small cape. The sites are well
preserved, allowing entrances and even bear-proof meat caches to be
identified. There are also grave sites. In the evening we continue our
sailing through the beautiful fjords to the west, choked with icebergs.
Day
9: Cape Hofmann Halvo
We
go ashore at Cape Hofmann Halvø, a reliable spot for viewing
Musk Oxen. We may also spot Rock Ptarmigan and Great Northern Diver at
sea. The landscape here is particularly beautiful, especially during
autumn when the Dwarf Willow and Dwarf Birch change colour. Arctic
Blueberry and Crowberry add their own colourful touch - the berries are
tasty too! In the evening we sail through the fjord towards Scoresby
Land, enjoying the contrast between the warm autumnal colours of the
vegetation on shore, backed by huge dark mountains, and the cold blue
of the icebergs.
Day
10: Northwest Fjord in Scoresby
In
Northwest fjord in Scoresby Land in the morning, we encounter huge
icebergs, some over 100m high and more than a kilometre in length. Most
of the bergs are grounded as the fjord is only about 400m deep here. We
land near Sydkap to view the remains of the Thule culture winter
houses. As many as 20 people lived in these tiny houses, hunting
Greenland Whale and using their vertebrae to build the houses. We may
also land at Gurreholm on Jameson Land. The landscape here is gently
undulating.
Day
11: Ittoqqortoormiut
In
the morning we land at Ittoqqortoormiut, the biggest settlement in the
Scoresby Sund with about 500 inhabitants. At the post office you can
buy stamps for your postcards, or just wander around to see the sledge
dogs and the drying skins of Seal, Musk Ox and Polar Bear. After dinner
we will sail south passing the amazing landscape of the Blosseville
Coast.
Day
12: Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)
We
will spend the whole Day at sea and we will have splendid opportunities
to see large whales and seabird migration and, in the night, the Aurora
borealis (Northern Lights).
Day 13: Arrival and
Disembarkation in Akureyri
In
the morning we arrive in Akureyri and are taken by a chartered bus
during a 6 hours’ drive through North Iceland to our hotels
in Reykjavik.
Plancius (Expedition, 108-guests)
MV Plancius offers a restaurant/lecture room on deck 3 and a spacious observation lounge (with bar) on deck 5 with large windows, offering full panorama view. The vessel has large open deck spaces (with full walk-around possibilities on deck 4), giving excellent opportunities to enjoy the scenery and wildlife. She is furthermore equipped with 10 Mark V zodiacs.
(Click image to view Ship details)
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Voyage
aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary
- All
meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee
and tea
- All
shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac
- Program
of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced
expedition staff
- Free
use of rubber boots and snowshoes
- Transfers
and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for
those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen
- All
miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program
- AECO
fees and governmental taxes
- Comprehensive
pre-departure material
- Transfer
supplement for bus shuttle between Reykjavik and Akureyri (ship),
approximately 6 hours one way
- USD
180 pp return
- USD
100 pp one way
