Spitsbergen Family Adventure

Day 1
The transfer to the ship takes place in the afternoon. Once on board there is a get together for introductions to the expedition team, to learn about the ship and its layout, talk about the itinerary for the next 10 days and participate in the obligatory lifeboat drill. Departure from Longyearbyen is normally around 6:00 p.m.

Day 2
North and west of Longyearbyen on the opposite shore of Isfjorden is Alkhornet, where we will make our first shore landing. The summit is 428 metres above sea level, and murres (also known as guillemots) nest in the mountain's cliff faces. There will be time to hike across tundra, which is not a stroll in the park, as tundra is rough and boggy.
Poolepynten, on an island off the west coast of Spitsbergen, is a walrus haul-out. The tusked marine mammals have been protected since 1952, their population growing from 100 to about 2,000 in more than half a century. We will go ashore to watch the huge creates loll or dive.

Day 3
At Smeerenburg, or Blubber Town as it was known, there are the remains of a 17th Century Dutch whaling station. Blubber ovens, whalebones and other remnants can be observed in the shadow of the mountain that the Basque whalers used as a lookout for the Bowhead whale, often called the Right whale as it was the right one to pursue, being a slow moving animal which could be approached closely. Unfortunately it was hunted to the brink of extinction.
At Fuglesangen, we will visit a colony of Little auks or dovkies. A backdrop of steep mountains dusted with snow will make this shore landing an excellent photo opportunity.
Early evening we will visit a small atoll-like island further to the northeast called Moffen Island. Moffen is a wide gravel plain with a lagoon in the middle, not more than a few metres above sea level. The island is a protected walrus sanctuary, and there are often walruses seen hauled out on the shore, and others usually come out to greet the ship! In the past, there have been frequent sightings of the Sabine gull and, quite often, Polar bears on shore.

Day 4
During the night we round the tip of Ny Frisland and enter the Hinlopen Strait. The goal today is to visit Alkefjellet on Spitzbergen's east side. Thick-billed murres or Brunich guillemots nest by the thousands in the cliff face. Arctic fox and Polar bears are often seen patrolling the base of the cliffs, waiting for a meal to drop from the sky - chicks that have fallen from the nest before they are ready to fly.
The ship will sail across Hinlopen to Torellneset on the island of Nordaustlandet. Few plants or wildlife inhabit this barren site, but the scenery is fantastic. This area gets so little precipitation that not even hardy tundra plants can survive. The bare, sandy hills are a strong contrast to the world's third largest ice cap, which plunges into the sea not far away. We'll walk up to the top of the gorge and then split into groups with the choice of an invigorating hike, a shorter walk or just beach combing.

Day 5
In the morning we sail into Liefdefjorden, cruising near the 5km long face of the impressive Monaco glacier. The waters of the glacier front are a favourite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes and on previous voyages Polar bears have been seen on the glacier, providing wonderful opportunities for photography. Later, we'll sail to Worsleyneset to hike and learn more about the human history of Svalbard.

Day 6
The ship sails westward along the north coast of Spitsbergen. At Raudfjorden, we'll cruise in Zodiacs, before visiting Norskoya. After landing we'll walk to a 17th century blubber oven used by the whalers to render the whales into valuable oil. The history of whaling will be explained, along with the methods employed, and the harsh life experienced by the early whalers, the last point emphasised by the hundreds of whaler graves. Some of the group may wish to explore the lower areas of the island, while others may climb to a cairn at the top.

Day 7
Sail on towards the 14th July Glacier, where on Zodiacs we cruise past the spectacular cliffs, home to a small population of Atlantic puffins, before reaching the front of the glacier. Often Bearded seals can be spotted in this scenic fjord. There will also be time to go ashore and the naturalists will help you identify the many species of plants. One of the reasons for the rich vegetation of this site is the large quantity of natural fertilizer supplied by the large kittiwake colony that nest in the cliffs above.
We continue on to Ny Alesund - one of the northernmost communities in the world. Once a mining village served by the world's most northerly railway, which can still be seen, Ny Alesund now serves as a base station for international Arctic research. There is a chance to visit the station shop where you will be able to send mail from the most northerly mailbox in the world! Visitors interested in the history of Arctic exploration will want to walk to the anchoring mast used by Amundsen and Nobile in the airship Norge in 1926 and Nobile in the airship Italia in 1928 before their flights to the North Pole. Bird-watchers should see Arctic terns, Arctic and Long-tailed skuas, Purple sandpipers, Common eiders, Barnacle geese, Long-tailed ducks, kittiwakes, Glaucous gulls and Snow buntings. Arctic foxes and reindeer are often seen on the periphery of the community.

Day 8
We arrive back into Longyearbyen early this morning and disembark after breakfast.