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Itinerary
Franz-Josef Land Icebreaker Expedition
12 days - Jul - From US $ 8,400
Day 1: Your charter flight from Helsinki will arrive at the Murmansk airport and, after a bus transfer, you will embark the icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn. The first evening aboard, you will have time at your leisure. Please feel free to explore the ship, but listen to radio announcements carefully--your expedition leader will want to welcome you.
Day 2: The whole day, you will be at sea on the way to Franz Josef Land. You will spend this day getting to learn more about the icebreaker--you'll need to have a good idea of the inner layout of the vessel in order to get around well. Expedition staff members, helicopter pilots, and crew officers will be introduced to the passengers in the Lecture Hall. Mandatory lifeboat drill and instructions on how to use helicopters, zodiac type boats and rescue facilities will follow.
Day 3: The ship will hopefully reach the archipelago toward late evening today, should the weather allow for it. The officers on duty at the navigation bridge will keep a constant watch for the Arctic wildlife, so they can advise you in a timely fashion. Weather permitting, you will have a barbeque on the open deck. Today, you might also land on Bell Island for a hike to visit the house built by the Lee Smith expedition in 1881 that has remained in perfect condition up to now. It is a wonderful sight and a great picture opportunity.
Day 4: In the morning, the ship will attempt to land at Cape Flora on Nordbrook Island, which was discovered by the Lee Smith expedition in 1880. They had to winter on this island after the steam yacht Aira had been crushed by ice and sunk in the immediate proximity of the coast. The Jackson expedition (1894-1897) dwelled here longer than any other one, and made a major contribution to the exploration of the archipelago. A whole settlement was built by the expedition; its remains can still be seen there today. In 1897, a memorable meeting of Jackson and Nansen took place on the island. Several memorial stellas were erected on the island over past decades to commemorate the daring Arctic explorers. A huge seabird colony makes its home on the cliffs towering over the southern side of Cape Flora.
Today, the ship will also reach Tikhaya Bay on Hooker Island. There is a huge cliff in the bay, the famous Rubini Rock, home to thousands of seabirds. The ship will approach the cliff as close as possible, but very cautiously, in order to watch kittiwakes and other Arctic birds without disturbing them. There is a derelict polar station in the bay. Weather permitting, you will go ashore.
Day 5: During the night, the ship will sail to Cape Norway on Jackson Island. In 1895-1896, Nansen and Johansen wintered here for over 7 months after a failed attempt to conquer the North Pole.
Day 6: Today, you will be at Stolichky and Appolonov Islands. The main attractions of these islands are walrus rookeries; the ship will lower its zodiacs and get as close as possible to the rookeries.
Day 7: In 1899, two sailors, members of the Welle expedition, wintered here at Cape Heller on Wilczek Island, waiting for the core of the group that was trying to conquer the North Pole. As everywhere on Franz Josef Land, you are very likely to view polar bears and sea mammals. Attracted by unfamiliar smells, the bears will come to the very edge of the vessel and, rising to their hind paws, sniff the air.
Day 8: The goal today will be Champ Island, in the very center of the archipelago. The landscape is majestic: the cliffs and ice capped mountains are the highest on the archipelago. It will be planned to land on the island so you can see the remarkable creations of Mother Nature, including stones of ideal spherical shape up to 3 m (9.84 ft.) in diameter.
Day 9: You will be at Alger Island today. The goal today will be to land at the wintering place of the American Arctic expedition headed by A. Baldwin. If the weather is calm, the ship will lower zodiac crafts and dodge among the drifting icebergs in order to admire the view and allow you to take pictures of these majestic giants from sea level.
If the weather conditions are favorable, you might spend another evening at Hall Island, where an expedition headed by Weyprecht and Payer first saw this land (Cape Tegetthoff).
The island’s landscape is very impressive, including huge cliffs resembling dorsal fins of gigantic sharks submerged into the depths. The remains of wooden structures built by the Wellman expedition (1898-1899) are still here. With the sorrow that comes from good-bye, you will leave this awe-inspiring archipelago in the late evening.
Day 10: Although it might be a day at sea on the way to Murmansk, Franz Josef Land consists of more than 190 islands, so there will always be good opportunities for its further exploration. But once again, the unpredictable Arctic weather is the master over the Franz Josef Land archipelago. To cope with it somehow and to give you as many opportunities for exploration as possible, a night or early morning operation might be proposed (including a landing, zodiac cruise, or helicopter flight).
Day 11: The whole day you will be at sea and will get together for your farewell meeting and review your cruise experience. You can recall the unforgettable places you have visited and the wonderful wildlife of the islands--animals and birds--dwellers of these astonishing, though severe regions, which you have seen.
Day 12: In the morning, you will arrive at Murmansk, disembark, and be transferred to the local airport for your charter flight to Helsinki.
Day 2: The whole day, you will be at sea on the way to Franz Josef Land. You will spend this day getting to learn more about the icebreaker--you'll need to have a good idea of the inner layout of the vessel in order to get around well. Expedition staff members, helicopter pilots, and crew officers will be introduced to the passengers in the Lecture Hall. Mandatory lifeboat drill and instructions on how to use helicopters, zodiac type boats and rescue facilities will follow.
Day 3: The ship will hopefully reach the archipelago toward late evening today, should the weather allow for it. The officers on duty at the navigation bridge will keep a constant watch for the Arctic wildlife, so they can advise you in a timely fashion. Weather permitting, you will have a barbeque on the open deck. Today, you might also land on Bell Island for a hike to visit the house built by the Lee Smith expedition in 1881 that has remained in perfect condition up to now. It is a wonderful sight and a great picture opportunity.
Day 4: In the morning, the ship will attempt to land at Cape Flora on Nordbrook Island, which was discovered by the Lee Smith expedition in 1880. They had to winter on this island after the steam yacht Aira had been crushed by ice and sunk in the immediate proximity of the coast. The Jackson expedition (1894-1897) dwelled here longer than any other one, and made a major contribution to the exploration of the archipelago. A whole settlement was built by the expedition; its remains can still be seen there today. In 1897, a memorable meeting of Jackson and Nansen took place on the island. Several memorial stellas were erected on the island over past decades to commemorate the daring Arctic explorers. A huge seabird colony makes its home on the cliffs towering over the southern side of Cape Flora.
Today, the ship will also reach Tikhaya Bay on Hooker Island. There is a huge cliff in the bay, the famous Rubini Rock, home to thousands of seabirds. The ship will approach the cliff as close as possible, but very cautiously, in order to watch kittiwakes and other Arctic birds without disturbing them. There is a derelict polar station in the bay. Weather permitting, you will go ashore.
Day 5: During the night, the ship will sail to Cape Norway on Jackson Island. In 1895-1896, Nansen and Johansen wintered here for over 7 months after a failed attempt to conquer the North Pole.
Day 6: Today, you will be at Stolichky and Appolonov Islands. The main attractions of these islands are walrus rookeries; the ship will lower its zodiacs and get as close as possible to the rookeries.
Day 7: In 1899, two sailors, members of the Welle expedition, wintered here at Cape Heller on Wilczek Island, waiting for the core of the group that was trying to conquer the North Pole. As everywhere on Franz Josef Land, you are very likely to view polar bears and sea mammals. Attracted by unfamiliar smells, the bears will come to the very edge of the vessel and, rising to their hind paws, sniff the air.
Day 8: The goal today will be Champ Island, in the very center of the archipelago. The landscape is majestic: the cliffs and ice capped mountains are the highest on the archipelago. It will be planned to land on the island so you can see the remarkable creations of Mother Nature, including stones of ideal spherical shape up to 3 m (9.84 ft.) in diameter.
Day 9: You will be at Alger Island today. The goal today will be to land at the wintering place of the American Arctic expedition headed by A. Baldwin. If the weather is calm, the ship will lower zodiac crafts and dodge among the drifting icebergs in order to admire the view and allow you to take pictures of these majestic giants from sea level.
If the weather conditions are favorable, you might spend another evening at Hall Island, where an expedition headed by Weyprecht and Payer first saw this land (Cape Tegetthoff).
The island’s landscape is very impressive, including huge cliffs resembling dorsal fins of gigantic sharks submerged into the depths. The remains of wooden structures built by the Wellman expedition (1898-1899) are still here. With the sorrow that comes from good-bye, you will leave this awe-inspiring archipelago in the late evening.
Day 10: Although it might be a day at sea on the way to Murmansk, Franz Josef Land consists of more than 190 islands, so there will always be good opportunities for its further exploration. But once again, the unpredictable Arctic weather is the master over the Franz Josef Land archipelago. To cope with it somehow and to give you as many opportunities for exploration as possible, a night or early morning operation might be proposed (including a landing, zodiac cruise, or helicopter flight).
Day 11: The whole day you will be at sea and will get together for your farewell meeting and review your cruise experience. You can recall the unforgettable places you have visited and the wonderful wildlife of the islands--animals and birds--dwellers of these astonishing, though severe regions, which you have seen.
Day 12: In the morning, you will arrive at Murmansk, disembark, and be transferred to the local airport for your charter flight to Helsinki.
