This cruise heads for the north-west coast of Spitsbergen, towards the pack ice, to explore the island's many fjords, each dominated by spectacular glaciers calving into translucent waters.
You will go ashore daily to discover the omnipresent flora and fauna of Spitsbergen, on fine polar hikes. The lord of these lands, the polar bear, will be the main quest of the cruise.
Day-by-day itinerary:
Day 1 - Departure for Spitsbergen
Flight to Norway.
Transfer and dinner at your own expense. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 - Longyearbyen
Arrival in Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen archipelago. Free morning and transfer to the port of Longyearbyen for boarding between 4pm and 5pm.
Tour of this former mining town, including the parish church and the polar museum (museum entry not included).
Day 3 - Raudfjord, the red fjord
Head for Raudfjord, or “red fjord”, named for the colour of the sandstone making up its eastern shore.
Fauna (ringed seals, bearded seals, seabirds…) and flora (mosses, lichens, algae…) are varied… and the polar bear is a regular visitor here.
Day 4 - Liefdefjorden and Monaco Glacier
Depending on weather conditions, a hike across the tundra of Andøya Island to approach a colony of common eiders. Sail up the Liefdefjorden to run alongside the impressive front of the Monaco Glacier, over 5 km long.
Day 5 - Hinlopen Strait
Coastal navigation along the north coast. Sailing towards the Hinlopen Strait. Possible encounters with bearded seals and harp seals, polar bears, and birds such as the ivory gull. The strait is lined with high cliffs where thousands of Brünnich's guillemots nest. Depending on ice conditions, navigation along the eastern slope by Zodiac, weaving through ice floes. Possible evening landing on the east coast of the Hinlopen Strait, at Palanderbukta. Reindeer and walrus herds are often present.
Day 6 - The Seven Islands
Conditions permitting, head for the northernmost point of the itinerary: the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet, home to polar bears and ivory gulls.
Day 7 - Heading west
The cruise brings you as close as possible to the pack ice, home to polar bears and bowhead whales. Fin whales and humpback whales may also make an appearance, especially at the mouth of Kongsfjorden.
Day 8 - Prince Charles Foreland
Landing near Fuglehuken, on Prince Charles Foreland. Numerous bird species nest in the cliffs, and the sole common seal colony in Spitsbergen inhabits the coast. The island still bears the marks of polar bear hunting, practised until the 20th century: old traps, weapons, and so on. The route continues into St Jonsfjorden, then to the mouth of Isfjorden, with a landing at Alkhornet, home to thousands of birds as well as Arctic foxes and reindeer herds, drawn by the lush vegetation.
Day 9 - Longyearbyen
Disembarkation at Longyearbyen and return flight to France. Free transfer to the airport.
