Svalbard Circumnavigation

Arrival to Longyearbyen, Capital of Svalbard – possibly the northernmost 'real' town in the world.

The Ocean Albatros is docked close to the town center. After embarking and enjoying a welcome drink, the Expedition Leader will provide information about the cruise, the ship's daily routines and the various security and safety procedures. Before sailing, there will be a mandatory safety drill. The Captain then sails out of Advent Fjord and your Arctic adventure commences.

A trip along the northwestern coast of Svalbard is always worth with the wildlife, the scenery, and the history. As far back as the 1600s his part of Svalbard was a huge center for whaling, including "Blubber Town" - with the main target being the oil-rich bowhead whale, the Arctic's only full-time resident baleen whale species.

The "town" of New Ålesund is on the shore of King's Bay ("Kongsfjorden") and well worth a visit. With a summer population of 120 and a hardy winter population of about 35, this is the most northerly permanent civilian settlement in the world. Originally the coal mining town of King's Bay, it played a key role in the history of arctic exploitation and exploration, especially flight.

Today it is at the center of Arctic and atmospheric research, and is one of the most northerly communities in the World. Don't miss the chance to send a postcard from the world's most northerly Post Office.

A trip along the northwestern coast of Svalbard is always worth with the wildlife, the scenery, and the history. As far back as the 1600s his part of Svalbard was a huge center for whaling, including "Blubber Town" - with the main target being the oil-rich bowhead whale, the Arctic's only full-time resident baleen whale species.

The "town" of New Ålesund is on the shore of King's Bay ("Kongsfjorden") and well worth a visit. With a summer population of 120 and a hardy winter population of about 35, this is the most northerly permanent civilian settlement in the world. Originally the coal mining town of King's Bay, it played a key role in the history of arctic exploitation and exploration, especially flight.

Today it is at the center of Arctic and atmospheric research, and is one of the most northerly communities in the World. Don't miss the chance to send a postcard from the world's most northerly Post Office.

If you can venture this far north and east, you're very much in the high arctic. Closed to exploration for parts of the season due to the density of the pack ice, that often lingers here, the northern and north east areas of the Svalbard archipelago are some of the least visited.

Here the terrain gives way to the so-called "polar desert" - permanent ice caps cover much of the land, and where it does melt, very little vegetation grows on a landscape that has been hewn by ice over millions of years.

Despite the lack of cover, this part of Svalbard is well-worth exploring if you can, as there is plenty of remarkable wildlife. Arctic ducks and geese nest here, and some of the biggest concentrations of walrus in the arctic gather on the shores. Polar bears and ringed seals are also common sights, as are minke and beluga whales.

The group of islands known as Sjuøyane are the most northerly in Svalbard and always a good location for Polar Bears.

Later in the season ships often head up to the pack ice edge from the north coast of Spitsbergen.

Hinlopen Strait (or "Hinlopenstretet" in Norwegian) is a narrow channel between Spitsbergen and the Svalbard island of Nordaustlandet, often accessed via Freemansundet. At only 6 miles wide in places, the channel is often filled with pack ice and is impossible to navigate in the early parts of the season.

When ice at the north end of Hinlopenstretet still hinders the complete circumnavigation of Spitsbergen, longer Svalbard cruises will attempt to the explore the mid and southern section of the strait before heading back around the southern end of Spitsbergen. Many expedition leaders are keen to get into the strait that has tow of the highlights in the whole of Svalbard.

The ice cliff of Bråsvellbreen and the bird cliff at Alkefjellet. Both featured in the opening credits of the BBC Frozen Planet series. When it does clear, it opens up the possibility for cruise ships to circumnavigate Spitsbergen and the neighboring island of Nordaustlandet. This is uninhabited, and part of the Svalbard Nature reserve. Heavily glaciated, and with permanent ice cover in parts all year round, it's a beautiful landscape eroded by moving ice over millions of years.

The areas that do melt are classic arctic tundra and are home to roaming herds of reindeer. The shores of Nordaustlandet and north-east Spitsbergen are also used by walrus, and it's a highlight of trips here to observe them hauled out on the beaches.

Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard Peninsula, and the only one to have a permanent population.

The southwestern part of Spitsbergen benefits from facing the warmer waters that the Gulf Stream carries into this part of the Greenland Sea. This means that the shores and waters here remain ice-free for much of the year except the coldest winter months. The one area that tends to retain 'fast ice' the longest (sea ice attached to the land) happens to be the most southerly fjord, Hornsund.

As well as a warmer arctic climate than many other places on the same latitude, Spitsbergen benefits from long months of the arctic "midnight sun", when the sun doesn't set at all between the 20th of April and the 22nd of August.

The combination of long daylight hours and a warmer climate means that Spitsbergen is a haven for birdlife with the chance to sail into the heart of this part of the island surrounded by glaciers, offering stunning and rugged vistas, with some amazing geology. There is tendency to try for landings in Bellsund, and combine landings and ship cruising and Zodiac cruises in Hornsund, with some impressive glacial fronts.

Spitsbergen is the largest island in the Svalbard Peninsula, and the only one to have a permanent population.

The southwestern part of Spitsbergen benefits from facing the warmer waters that the Gulf Stream carries into this part of the Greenland Sea. This means that the shores and waters here remain ice-free for much of the year except the coldest winter months. The one area that tends to retain 'fast ice' the longest (sea ice attached to the land) happens to be the most southerly fjord, Hornsund.

As well as a warmer arctic climate than many other places on the same latitude, Spitsbergen benefits from long months of the arctic "midnight sun", when the sun doesn't set at all between the 20th of April and the 22nd of August.

The combination of long daylight hours and a warmer climate means that Spitsbergen is a haven for birdlife with the chance to sail into the heart of this part of the island surrounded by glaciers, offering stunning and rugged vistas, with some amazing geology. There is tendency to try for landings in Bellsund, and combine landings and ship cruising and Zodiac cruises in Hornsund, with some impressive glacial fronts.

Isfjorden is the second-largest fjord in Svalbard at 66 miles long. An important anchorage and shelter from the earliest times of human habitation here, most of the largest settlements on Spitsbergen have grown up along its shore. The largest is Longyearbyen, that started as a mining town and is the transport hub for those flying in and out of Svalbard, and the Russian mining town of Barentsburg.

Another key attribute of this fjord is that it very rarely ices up, thanks to the warm current of the Gulf Stream that is able to enter the fjord from the west. This not only makes it attractive to human settlers, but also for the wildlife that can't feed under fast ice.

Zodiac trips over the calm waters are a highlight, exploring the glacier fronts, and landings to explore the tundra and the chance to visit some spectacular bird cliffs. Do bear in mind that many cruise ships spend less time in the fjord (often sailing out the first evening and doing landings and exploration of the are on the last full day).

Therefore, for those that spend some extra time in Longyearbyen, it is highly recommended to spend more time exploring the area around the town, and activities like dog sledging, and also to visit other parts of Isfjorden fjord system, from day tris to camping. If you did not visit it on the cruise (and quite a few chose not to), a real highlight is to visit to the eerie and disused Russian mining town of Pyramiden. It used to be the biggest settlement in Svalbard and it feels like it belongs in Siberia, having the most northerly bust of Lenin in the World!

Early in the morning the ship has returned to our starting point in Longyearbyen. After breakfast and farewell greetings to the expedition team and crew, disembarkation will take place. Transfer is arranged to the airport.