Itinerary

N. Atlantic Islands & Arctic 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: After a train ride from Glasgow through one of the most scenic parts of Scotland, you will embark at Oban, a small and cozy harbor town in west Scotland. The channels between the Scottish islands will offer excellent possibilities to spot minke whales (a small baleen whale), white-beaked dolphins and harbor porpoises. Several other cetaceans, including orcas (killer whales), are also native to these waters.

Day 2: Out in the Atlantic, northwest of Scotland, lie the tiny islands of North Rona and Sula Sgeir. The boat will land at North Rona in order to see the seabird colonies and the grey seals. The island was inhabited in the 18th century, and some remains are still visible--Leach’s petrels can be heard calling from their nesting burrows in the ruined walls of a small church in the village.

As you sail around Sula Sgeir--the last island in Britain on which gannets are harvested annually--you will enjoy spectacular views of its cliffs. During the 2006 adventure, passengers saw the black-browed albatross at this island.

Day 3: Today you will arrive at Thorshavn, the capital and cultural center of the Faroes. You will be free to shop, visit the museum or just wander at will. In the harbor, the small Faroese boats will be a reminder of the Viking origins of the islanders. If you want, you can take an exciting two hour walk across the hills to Kirkjubøer, where you will find a medieval cathedral.

In the early evening the ship will try to land at Saksun. Tucked away at the head of a fjord which was once a superb natural harbor, it is home to a Natural Heritage Museum. Today the bay is full of sand and you can only enter by zodiac at high tide. Continuing along the north side of Streymoy, you will pass huge seabird colonies.

Day 4-5: You will sail north to the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen, situated 300 nautical miles northeast of Iceland. During these two days at sea, there will be plenty of time to watch for the blow of a minke whale, fin whale, or blue whale, which could herald a rewarding encounter with these gentle giants. The ship may also run across a pod of orcas, which can often be quite curious about boats.

Day 6: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island of breathtaking beauty and mystique, dominated by Mt. Beerenberg. From the slopes of the 2,300m (7,544 ft.) volcano, impressive glaciers spill into the sea. Until recently the island was off-limits, as it is a military base, and was rarely visited by tourists. But with permission from the Norwegian authorities, you will hopefully be able to visit the weather station. You can 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. The ship will also sail by Koksletta, where thousands of little auks and Brünnich’s guillemots breed close to a glacier, watched over by piratical glaucous gulls.

Day 7-8: These two days will be spent at sea. You should keep a lookout out for whales, dolphins, seals and a variety of seabirds.

Day 9: 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 will then sail along the west coast, where you can observe one of the largest seabird colonies in the North Atlantic teeming with little auks, Brünnich’s guillemots, common guillemots and kittiwakes.

Alternatively, the ship may sail along the east coast to visit Tunheim, an abandoned mining settlement. As you approach the sea ice at the southern tip of Spitsbergen, you may also encounter molting harp seals.

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 1,431m (4,694 ft.), while Bautaen shows why early Dutch explorers gave the name Spitsbergen--"pointed mountains"--to the island. There are also 14 magnificent glaciers in the area and, as well as spectacular scenery, the area is renowned for its abundant and varied Arctic wildlife. There will be a good chance to see seals and, with a little luck, the very symbol of the Arctic--polar bears.

You may 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, there will be a good opportunity to observe foraging barnacle geese.

Day 11: Today you 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. Their numbers are now recovering and there will be a good chance of spotting small groups in the area. The ship will then sail to Recherchefjord, where a walk on the fragile tundra that backs up to the fjord may yield sightings of reindeer and where, at Lagerneset, the remains of a 17th century Dutch whaling station can be seen.

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

Day 12: You will disembark at Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, for flights south to Norway and onward to home. Alternatively, you can stay on the ship and continue the voyage to North Spitsbergen.

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