High Arctic Odyssey
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
IN COLLABORAZIONE CON HIGH ARCTIC ODYSSEY Remote Russian Archipelagos A Contents 1 Overview 2 High Arctic Odyssey: Remote Russian Archipelagos 2 22-Day Itinerary 6 Arrival and Departure information 8 Your Ship Options 10 included Activities 11 Dates & Rates 12 Inclusions & Exclusions 13 Your Expedition Team 14 Extend Your Trip 15 Meals on Board 16 Possible Landing Sites 19 Packing List Overview Explore the most enigmatic and extreme regions of the Russian High Arctic with our EXPEDITION IN BRIEF epic High Arctic Odyssey: Remote Russian Archipelagos voyage. In the spirit of a true arctic Experience a true expedition as we explorer, you’ll discover breathtaking ice-draped coastlines that are rarely visited by explore rarely visited Severnaya Zemlya even the most intrepid adventurers. From the heavily glaciated Novaya Zemlya and Encounter iconic arctic wildlife, such as Franz Josef Land to the isolated islands of the icy Kara Sea, this exclusive itinerary polar bears, walrus and seabirds was designed to spend more time exploring these pristine places, increasing your Explore glaciated Novaya Zemlya, where chances of encountering unique wildlife and visiting some of our favorite far-flung the earliest Arctic explorers overwintered destinations steeped in polar history. If weather and ice conditions allow, we will Visit significant sites at Franz Josef Land explore Severnaya Zemlya, the last major territorial discovery on the planet. and learn about the region’s storied history The Arctic has been inspiring explorers for centuries, and our expeditions offer the Discover rarely visited islands of the icy chance for you to discover why. We’re excited to host you on your unforgettable Kara Sea adventure! Feel free to reach out to our team of Polar Travel Advisers or your travel professional, who can answer your questions and provide assistance at any time. 1 High Arctic Odyssey: Remote Russian Archipelagos 22-Day Itinerary D AY 1 | HELSINKI, FINLAND DAYS 3 AND 4 | AT SEA Your arctic adventure begins in Today we sail through the Barents GREENLAND Arctic Ocean Helsinki, renowned for its extraordinary Sea, named for the great Dutch North Pole ° architecture and design scene and explorer Willem Barents, who led intriguing mix of eastern and western two expeditions to Novaya Zemlya Greenland Sea influences. If you arrive early, explore Severnaya in the 1590s. Your Expedition Team Franz Josef Zemlya Svalbard Land the many museums, galleries and will prepare you for the adventures ARCTIC restaurants, relax at a Finnish sauna that await. Learn about the storied CIRCLE Barents Sea or wander the vibrant Design District Kara history and politics of the region, its Novaya Sea Zemlya before retiring at your included hotel. fascinating wildlife, geology, ecology Murmansk and climate, and the incredible sights DAY 2 | EMBARKATION IN Helsinki MURMANSK, RUSSIA you will soon explore. Expedition Staff After breakfast, we will transfer to the will also keep a lookout for the seabirds, RUSSIA Scheduled route Flight route airport and board our private charter such as kittiwakes, skuas and fulmars, Areas where ice may be present flight to Murmansk, Russia. Once soaring above your ship. Whale and seal aboard, get acquainted with the ship and sightings may also be possible in this HIGH ARCTIC ODYSSEY Remote Russian Archipelagos crew and settle in for your voyage north. biologically rich sea. Onboard the Ocean Adventurer Flights to/from Oslo 2 DAYS 5 TO 7 | EXPLORING and Russkaya Gavan. walrus vies for a choice spot of coastline. NOVAYA ZEMLYA Encounters with whales and seabirds Boasting one of the most picturesque The largest of the Eurasian arctic are possible, as well as polar bears, a glaciers in the entire archipelago, archipelagoes, the rarely visited genetically distinct subpopulation here. Novaya Zemlya (“New Land”) is Inostrantseva Bay provides breathtaking the third-largest wilderness area in panoramic views of pristine arctic A significant site in polar exploration, Europe. This seemingly long, thin wilderness. If conditions allow, we may Novaya Zemlya also offers a number island actually consists of two main explore ashore, or Zodiac cruise along of opportunities for you to trace the islands, Severny (northern) and Yuzhny the face of the glacier, at a safe distance, footsteps of famous explorers and reflect (southern), separated by the imposing possibly witnessing the wonders of on the region’s history. Matochkin Strait. These islands are calving ice. Encounters with Brünnich’s pure, rugged arctic beauty at its best— guillemots (thick-billed murres) are DAYS 8 TO 13 | EXPLORING THE KARA SEA & SEVERNAYA ZEMLYA massive extinct volcanoes, jagged ice likely, owing to a small colony in the Say goodbye to Novaya Zemlya as we cliffs and the most isolated mountain coastal cliffs. cruise farther east, exploring the Kara range in the Barents Sea. To the east side of Severny Island are the Sea. The westernmost Asian sea off As we explore Novaya Zemlya, expect Oransky Islands. Wildlife abounds here, Siberia, the Kara Sea is known as the a new adventure every day. Each with a variety of animal and plant life to “ice cellar” of the Arctic, as it is often expedition will be unique, depending be discovered, Walrus have been sighted encumbered by trapped ice floes. Ice on the weather and ice, but a few here on many previous expeditions. conditions will be considered by your landing sites we strive to visit include Coming across a walrus haul-out is skilled captain during navigation— Inostrantseva Bay, the Oransky Islands, unforgettable. These giant pinnipeds luckily sea ice happens to be a great Cape Zhelaniya, Cape Spory Navalok of the Arctic create a raucous as each habitat for iconic arctic wildlife. There 3 are several sites and small archipelagoes station. Home to an ivory gull colony, the Strait, flanked by the massive Academy along the Siberian coast we hope island is also frequented by polar bears. of Sciences Glacier (which also runs to explore, tracing the path of polar along the eastern shore of Zhuravlev At the tip of the Taymyr Peninsula is explorers searching for the Northeast Bay) and the smaller Rusanov Glacier. As Cape Chelyuskin, the northernmost Passage. Weather and ice will determine one of very few people to ever explore point of the Russian and Eurasian where we explore, but some areas we this remote area in depth, you’ll want to mainland and the site of another active hope to visit include Russky Island, have your camera ready to capture these research station. Here, at “the edge of the Troynoy Island and Cape Chelyuskin. amazing sights. earth,” we hope to explore on foot. Both Russky Island and Troynoy Island DAY 14 | AT SEA Dependent on ice and weather are part of the Great Arctic State Nature There are several activities to keep you conditions, an exploration of Severnaya Reserve, the largest reserve in Eurasia. engaged while at sea. Attend dynamic Zemlya embodies the true spirit of Russky Island is the site of a former presentations by your Expedition Team, adventure. Dominated by glaciers and polar station, established, in part, to relax in our polar library or simply polar desert, the archipelago was not monitor navigation along the Northern spend some time on deck, admiring the discovered until 1913 and remained Sea Route, the Russian section of the sea and searching for wildlife. virtually unexplored till 1930–32, the last Northeast Passage. major undiscovered territory on earth. DAYS 15 TO 18 | EXPLORING Troynoy Island is the largest of the Amongst many possible destinations, FRANZ JOSEF LAND Izvesti Tsik Islands, about 90 miles we hope to visit a number of glaciers, This remote group of 191 islands, many (150 km) off the coast of the Taymyr including the Vavilov Ice Cap and ice covered, forms the most northerly Peninsula. The island is uninhabited, those at Marat Fjord. If conditions are archipelago in Eurasia and lies entirely except for the researchers at the weather favorable, we may cruise the Red Army within the Arctic Circle. A nature 4 reserve, it is part of the Russian Arctic Another possible landing site, if time and DAY 22 | HELSINKI National Park. Our exploration of the weather permit, is Cape Tegetthoff on After breakfast, spend time exploring region is highly determined by weather Hall Island, where we hope to visit the more of the Finnish capital or catch your and ice conditions, but we hope to Barents memorial. The scenery here is homeward-bound flight. explore historical sites, remote seabird spectacular, and we may be fortunate to colonies and walrus rookeries such as view polar bears and Atlantic walrus. Cape Flora, Cape Norway, Bell Island and IMPORTANT REMINDER DAYS 19 AND 20 | AT SEA Tikhaya Bukta. Polar bear encounters are Embracing the unexpected is part As your arctic expedition winds down, also possible. of the legacy—and excitement—of you have a couple of days to sail through expedition travel. When traveling On Jackson Island, Cape Norway is this wildlife-rich sea, where whales of in extremely remote regions, your where Norwegian explorers Fridtjof various species are often seen. Take in Expedition Team must allow the sea, Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen wintered a presentation, reminisce about your the ice and the weather to guide route from 1895 to 1896. The conditions were journey with your shipmates, relax in and itinerary details. This itinerary astonishingly difficult, but they survived the lounge while swapping stories and is a tentative outline of what you’ll until the summer and continued their photos or enjoy the solitude of the sea. experience on this voyage; please be journey south. The remains of their stone Expedition staff will be on hand to aware that no specific itinerary can be hut are still here today, with a memorial answer any questions and spot wildlife.