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To the Edge of the Arctic

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To the Edge of the Arctic Discover Spitsbergen & the Arctic! TO THE EDGE OF THE ARCTIC ICE August 27–September 8, 2016 on board the M/V Plancius LEADERSHIP Leading the expedition will be Justin Gibson, a superb photographer and naturalist with a special interest in bears. Justin likes to travel and photograph the world’s beautiful places, adventures that have taken him to more than 25 coun­ tries, from China to Thailand, Alaska to Oman and Europe. Justin has been guiding visitors into the Alaskan wilderness for more than 15 years, and has been leading polar bear expeditions to Churchill in Canada the last several seasons. He looks forward to exploring the Spitsbergen archipelago with you, and to sharing his knowledge about polar bears, glaciology, birds, botany, and the changing Arctic climate. OVERVIEW We invite you to join us as we explore “To the We will then fly to Longyearbyen, the largest Edgef o the Arctic Ice,” August 27–September 8, 2016. town in Spitsbergen. We will start our exploration This is an outstanding itinerary for polar bears, with a visit to the research hub at the University glaciers and geology of Spitsbergen, and an excellent Center in Spitsbergen for an informative visit with opportunity to learn about climate change in the researchers. Then visit the North Pole Exploration Arctic first hand. Museum to learn of the early attempts to fly to the North Pole from Spitsbergen. With concern mounting around the world In Longyearbyen, we will board the excellent about the melting of the Polar ice caps and climate M/V Plancius for our 8-day and 7-night voyage to change, we invite you to come see the wildlife of the north of Spitsbergen and to the Edge of the the Arctic —polar bears, ringed and bearded seals, Arctic Ice above 81 degrees north, an excellent walrus, and feeding baleen whales—the spectacular route for polar bears. We will see bird rookeries, glaciers, and unique birdlife of the Arctic. historic encampments, sky blue glaciers, carved We will begin our adventure in Oslo. We will icebergs, scenic ice falls, and waterfalls—an Arctic have an afternoon walking tour in the historic paradise! wharf area. You may choose to visit the historic Come see the wonderland of the Arctic in 2016! vessels, Kontiki and Fram, across the bay, and to learn about Frijhof Nansen’s 5-year epic on the Fram to discover the North Pole starting in 1893. Bob Nansen, Naturalist Day 4 Longyearbyen & the M/V Plancius ITINERARY This morning we will visit the Svalbard Museum to continue our introduction to the history and Days 1/2 USA to Oslo natural heritage of the Arctic. The local church is Depart on flights from the USA to Oslo, a little further long the road and well worth a visit. Norway, arriving by late morning on Day 2. Lunch in Longyearbyen. Afternoon for last (Norwegian Air flights are suggested.) Transfer by minute shopping and then visit the entrance to train to an Oslo hotel. Then have an afternoon the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. This internationally walking tour of downtown Oslo. important seed bank houses thousands of seeds Day 3 Oslo to Longyearbyen of agricultural, ornamental, and other plants from Depart this morning on our flight to many different habitats from around the world. Longyearbyen, the capital of the Svalbard We will then board M/V Plancius and begin our archipelago of which West Spitsbergen is the voyage to the “Edge of the Arctic Ice.” Overnight largest island. Arrive in Longyearbyen and transfer we will cruise east of the Molloy Hole, the to your lodge. We will then begin our exploration deepest location in the Arctic at 18,399 feet. of the world’s northern most town settlement. We will begin with a visit to University Centre in Day 5 Raudfjord & Glacier to Moffen Svalbard (UNIS) for an introduction to the region Today we sail into the beautiful Raudfjord or and Arctic research projects by one of the Liefdefjord on the north coast of West Spitsbergen scientists. We will then visit the North Pole with both tidewater and hanging glaciers. As we go Exploration Museum which has two floors of ashore we see some of the seabirds flying along displays, photo graphs, and some historic equip- the shore and then have a short walk over Arctic ment from the first attempts to fly to the North tundrao t look for wildflowers. These are beautiful Pole. Overnight at the BaseCamp Lodge. (B,D) fjords dominated by spectacular glaciers, and where we often see polar bear. Later, we will cruise towards Moffen Island looking for ringed and bearded seals and seabirds. Moffen Island has a herd of walrus sometimes numbering over 100 adults and pups. Days 6 /7 Beverleysundet to Zorgdragerfjord Be on deck as we sail through Beverleysundet with massive mountains and glaciers and be on the lookout for whales. Beverleysundet was named by Parry in 1827 and also sailed by the Swedish-Russian Arc-of- Meridian Expedition in 1898. We will push east along Scoresby Island, into Rijpfjord, where in Wordiebukta the German Wehrmacht had the weather station Haudegen until September 1945. The station itself is off bounds, but we can see the beautiful glaciers at the head of the fjord. In Zorgdragerfjord one group will walk at the eastern shore while the other group walks along the north side of Arkvatnet through Havsuldalen to the entrance of Duvefjorden. Day 8 Phippsoya in the Seven Islands relatively luxuriant vegetation. At nighttime we Today, we will reach our northernmost arrive back in Longyearbyen. point at Phippsoya, in the Seven Islands north of Nordaustlandet. Here we will be at 81 degrees Days 11/13 Longyearbyen & Oslo north, just 540 miles from the geographic North This morning, we disembark the ship and head Pole. Polar bears inhabit this region, along with to Base Camp again. We’ll have time at leisure in ivory gulls. The ship may sit for several hours in Longyearbyen the pack ice, allowing us to take in our spectacular to explore surroundings and look for a Ross gull before we further. On turn south again. the morning of Day 12, we will Day 9 Raudfjord fly back to Oslo Retracing our route westwards, our route for overnight. takes us through and along the pack ice, keeping Day 13 take watch for polar bear and the elusive Greenland interna tional whale (Bowhead). About 40 nautical miles west flights back to of Spitsbergen we sail along the edge of the the USA. continental shelf, where fin whales forage in summer in the upwellings along the Spitsbergen banks. At the mouth of the Kongsfjord we have also good chances to see minke whales. Day 10 Forlandsundet In Forlandsundet at Sarstangen is a haul out place for walrus. Alternatively we sail into St. Johns Fjord or south to the mouth of Isfjorden and land at Alkhornet. Seabirds nest on its cliffs and Arctic fox search the cliff base for fallen eggs and chicks, while Spitsbergen reindeer graze the • IGM THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SOCIETY RESEARCH SCIENTIFIC THE S The American Connection RESERVATIONS #1437 Quite surprisingly to most travelers, Longyearbyen is named for an American. Industrialist John Munro Yes! I/we want to join To the Edge of the Arctic Ice, A Longyear visited Spitsbergen in 1901 and learned August 27–September 8, 2016, offered by AAAS X about the small coal mining operation. With a fellow Travels, Sigma Xi, ACS & The Planetary Society. Please reserve _____ space(s). As a deposit, I/we enclose a investor, he founded the Arctic Coal Company. check for $_________ ($1,000 per person) payable to Betchart In 1906 they started exporting coal throughout the Expeditions Inc. Trust Account. I world. Much of the operations were destroyed • during World War II and Germans occupied the Name(s) _______________________________________ Age_________ area to provide meteorological data. The Germans A _______________________________________ Age_________ bombed most of the buildings. Longyearbyen now C hosts the interna- Address _____________________________________________________ tionally important S City ________________________________ State ____ Zip ____________ Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a • Phone: Home (________) ______________________________________ museum, and a Th satellite campus Work (________) ______________________________________ of the University of Norway as well as Email Address ________________________________________________ polar bears who e Membership: ___ AAAS ___ Sigma Xi ___ ACS ___ Planetary Society Planetar roam the surround- ing hillsides. Accommodations Preference: Accommodations aboard the M/V Plancius are per person RESPONSIBILITY based on share of cabin (indicate 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice): Quad cabin (Porthole). $5,795 Betchart Expeditions Inc., the American Association for the Advancement of Science Triple cabin (Porthole). $6,495 (AAAS), Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, the American Chemical Society (ACS), and The Planetary Society act only as agents for the passenger with respect to Twin cabin (Porthole). $6,995 transpor tation and hotels, and exercise every care possible. However, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, delay, loss, accident or irregularity in connection with Twin cabin (Window). $7,195 the services of any airplane, ship, motor coach, or any other conveyance used in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. We cannot accept any responsibility for Twin Deluxe cabin. $7,495 losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, Superior cabin. $7,995 sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, terrorism, acts of God, or other causes y beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger, as tour rates pro vide for arrange ments only for the time stated. We reserve the right to ___ Twin ___ Single Twin Share: ___ with a friend or Society substitute another leader of similar expertise or reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case the entire payment will be refunded with no further ___ Nonsmoker ___ Smoker ___ assign a roommate obligation on our part.
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