Itinerary

Iceland to Spitsbergen by Small Ship
12 days - Jun - From US $ 2,990

DISCLAIMER:  All itineraries are for guidance only. Programs may vary depending on local ice and weather conditions and in order to take advantage of opportunities to see wildlife.  Flexibility is paramount for expedition cruises.

Day 1: Late in the afternoon, you will board the Professor Multanovskiy in the port of Keflavik, just a short way from Iceland’s international airport. The largest of the North Atlantic islands, Iceland’s volcanoes, icecaps, rugged glaciated mountains, fjords, coastal cliffs and beaches together form one of the most inspiring landscapes on earth. The ship will sail north to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, which is crowned by 1,442 m (4,731 ft.) tall Snaefellsjokull, a beautiful snowcapped volcanic cone. In the mellow evening light (at this time of year it is light all night), it will be worth staying on deck to watch for whales in this often very productive location.

Day 2: Today you will explore the Isafjordur Peninsula--geologically the oldest region in Iceland, its imposing basalt mountains were scoured out by Ice Age glaciers. The ship will then sail into Adalvik in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. Once farmed, this beautiful, sheltered fjord has been deserted for 50 years. As sheep no longer graze here and the human impacts are minimal, fauna and flora thrive on a scale unknown in other parts of Iceland.

The voyage will continue with the ship sailing along the Hornstrandir Peninsula, where you can spot the remains of other farmsteads along the coastline of golden sand beaches set between sheer basalt cliffs. The ship will land at Hornvik, where you can follow an old path, used by fowlers, to reach the top of 300 m (984 ft.) tall Hornbjarg. From the dizzy heights of this cliff, you can marvel at one of the biggest seabird colonies in Iceland with tens of thousands of Brünnich´s guillemots and kittiwakes.

Day 3: The ship will land at Grimsey today, an island off the north coast and the only part of Iceland which lies within the Arctic Circle (the Circle crosses the island). The island is home to huge colonies of kittiwakes, razorbills, puffins, fulmars and Arctic terns, who far outnumber the human inhabitants. Living in the island’s only village, this resourceful farming and fishing community would not dream of moving to the mainland. In the evening, the ship will sail across the Arctic Circle and circumnavigate Kolbeinsey, a tiny island north of Grimsey formed from a submarine eruption.

Day 4: On your way to Jan Mayen, situated 300 nautical miles (345 miles) northeast of Iceland, there will be plenty of time to devote to looking for whales. Humpbacks will be most likely but, as the ship approaches the pack ice, you may also encounter minke whales, which can sometimes be quite curious and approach boats such as the Professor Multanovskiy. You may also see harp seals.

Day 5: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island of breathtaking beauty and mystique, dominated by Mt. Beerenberg. From the slopes of the 2,277 m (7,470 ft.) volcano, impressive glaciers spill into the sea. Until recently, the island was off-limits, and was rarely visited by tourists, but with permission from the Norwegian authorities, you will hopefully visit the weather station. You 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.

Day 6-7: You will spend two days at sea looking for whales, dolphins, seals, and a variety of seabirds. As the ship approaches the sea ice at the southern tip of Spitsbergen, you may also encounter molting harp seals.

Day 8: At Bear Island, you will visit the remains of a whaling station active from 1905-1908 in Kvalrossbukta. Arctic skuas and great skuas can be seen during a walk across the desolate hills and tundra. The weather will decide whether the ship then sails along the west coast--where you can visit one of the North Atlantic’s largest seabird colonies teeming with little auks, Brünnich’s guillemots, common guillemots and kittiwakes--or whether you will sail along the east coast to visit Tunheim, an abandoned mining settlement.

Day 9: As the ship approaches the sea ice at the southern tip of Spitsbergen, you may encounter molting harp seals, and take a zodiac cruise among the ice floes. Later, the ship will attempt to land at Stormbukta--home to post-volcanic springs and a canyon with nesting kittiwakes.

Day 10: Depending on the position of the sea ice, the ship will cruise the maze of fjords in the spectacular Hornsund area of southern Spitsbergen, which is ringed by towering mountain peaks. Hornsundtind rises to 1,431 m (4,695 ft.), while Bautaen shows why early Dutch explorers gave the name Spitsbergen--“pointed mountains”--to the island. Along with 14 magnificent glaciers and the spectacular scenery that can be found, the area is also renowned for its abundant and varied Arctic wildlife. You will have a very good chance to see seals and, with a little luck, the very symbol of the Arctic--polar bears.

You may also visit the Polish research station where the friendly staff will give you an insight into their research projects. Behind the station, the mountains are home to thousands of pairs of nesting little auks and bearded seals often cruise the inner fjords, whose cliffs are lined with colonies of Brünnich’s guillemots and kittiwakes. On the tundra, you will have a good opportunity to observe foraging barnacle geese.

Day 11: Today the ship will 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 will be a good chance of spotting small groups in the area. You will then move to Recherchefjord, where a walk on the fragile tundra which backs the fjord may yield sightings of reindeer. The Spitsbergen reindeer is not as big as its mainland relative and is found in much smaller herds.

Alternatively, the ship may land at Midterhuken to explore the remains of 17th century English whaling sites. The weather will determine which options will be chosen in this area.

Day 12: Early in the morning, the ship will arrive in Longyearbyen, the administrative centre of Spitsbergen, for disembarkation and flights to Oslo and home. You may also stay onboard for the next voyage to North Spitsbergen.

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