ATD13 Northeast Greenland - North Spitsbergen
from 27.08.-08.09.2012
Trip Details
| Voyage code: |
ATD13 |
| Voyage: |
ATD13 Northeast Greenland - North Spitsbergen 2012 |
| Date: |
27-08-2012 / 08-09-2012 |
| Duration: |
12 nights / 13 days |
| Language: |
English |
| Embarkation: |
Akureyri |
| Disembarkation: |
Longyearbyen |
| Vessel: |
m/v Antarctic Dream |
Day by day Itinerary
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 - In the afternoon we arrive in Akureyri after a 6 hours drive through North Iceland from our hotels in Reykjavik.
Day 2
- We will spend the whole day at sea and we will have splendid
opportunities to see large whales and seabird migration and, in the
night, the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).
Day 3
- Today we reach the Scoresby Sund and sail in the morning along the
ragged and glaciated Volquart Boons Here we may organise a zodiac cruise
along one of the glacier fronts of this coast, and have our first
landing near for instance Maane Glacier. Later we land on Danmark,Ø
where we find the remains of an Inuit settlement abandoned around 200
years ago. The circular ‘tent rings’ of stones indicate the summer
houses, while the winter houses can be seen closer to a small cape. The
sites are excellently preserved, allowing entrances and even bear-proof
meat caches to be identified. There are also grave sites. In the evening
we continue our sailing through the beautiful fjords to the west,
choked with ice-bergs.
Day 4 - We go ashore at
Cape Hofmann Halvø, a reliable spot for viewing Musk Oxen. We may also
spot Rock Ptarmigans and Great Northern Divers at sea. The landscape
here is particularly beautiful, especially during autumn when the Dwarf
Willow and Dwarf Birch change colour. Arctic Blueberry and Crowberry add
their own colourful touch - the berries are tasty too! In the evening
we sail through the fjord towards Scoresby Land, enjoying the contrast
between the warm autumnal colours of the vegetation on shore, backed by
huge dark mountains, and the cold blue of the icebergs.
Day 5
- In Northwest fjord in Scoresby Land in the morning, we encounter huge
icebergs, some over 100m high and more than a kilometre in length. Most
of the bergs are grounded as the fjord is only about 400m deep here. We
land near Sydkap to view the remains of the Thule culture winter
houses. As many as 20 people lived in these tiny houses, hunting
Greenland Whales and using their vertebrae to build the houses. We may
also land at Gurreholm on Jameson Land. The landscape here is gently
undulating.
Day 6 - In the morning we land at
Illoqqortoormiut, the biggest settlement in the Scoresby Sund with about
500 inhabitants. At the post office you can buy stamps for your
postcards, or just wander around to see the sledge dogs and the drying
skins of Seal, Musk Ox and Polar Bear. After dinner we will sail south
passing the amazing landscape of the Blosseville Coast
Day 7 -
Today we land in Antarcticahavn, a wide and extensive valley where we
also could see groups of Musk Oxen. At this time of year the autumnal
colours of the sparse vegetation make the landscapes even more
beautiful.
Day 8 - In the morning we sail
along Teufelschloss and Ella Ø. We will land at Blomster Bugt to view
the beautiful geological formations. Arctic Hares are usually seen here,
and there is a lake with Great Northern Divers and their young.
Day 9
- We sail through Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord, a magnificent fjord with
towering mountains on both sides, its inner reaches choked with huge
icebergs. An alternative is Sofia Sund, which is much narrower, and
where we can see Musk Oxen from the ship. We may have a last landing at
Myggebugten. Beyond the old hunters’ hut (in the first half of last
century Norwegian trappers hunted here for Polar Bears and Arctic Foxes)
there is an extensive tundra populated by Musk Oxen. The small lakes
are home to geese.
Day 10 & 11 - At sea, on
our way to Spitsbergen, we may see the edge of the East Greenland
sea-ice. We keep watch for whales, and also for migrating seabirds.
Day 12
- We sail into Raudfjord on the north coast of West Spitsbergen, a
beautiful fjord with spectacular glaciers. It is home to Ringed and
Bearded Seals, seabird colonies and a surprisingly rich vegetation. We
have good chances to see Polar Bears, for instance near Hamilton
Glacier, or more to the head of the fjord. From there we continue to
Moffen Island on which Walruses haul out.
Day 13
- Arrive in Longyearbyen, on Spitsbergen, the administrative capital of
the Spitsbergen archipelago of which West Spitsbergen is the largest
island. Before embarking there is an opportunity to visit this former
mining village. The Parish Church and the Polar Museum are well worth
visiting. In the early evening the ship will sail out of Isfjorden.
.
N.B.
The chances that the sea-ice will
allow us to sail into the Kaiser Franz Josef Fjord and Scoresby Sund in
September (based on experiences from 1992 until 2010) is about 90 %. In
case we can not sail into the Scoresby Sund we will resort to a program
in the East Greenland fjords more to the south.