HIGH ARCTIC ODYSSEY Remote Russian Archipelagos A Contents 1 Overview 2 Itinerary 6 Arrival and Departure Details 8 Your Ship 10 Included Activities 11 Dates and Rates 12 Inclusions and Exclusions 13 Your Expedition Team 14 Extend Your Trip 15 Meals on Board 16 Possible Excursions 19 Packing Checklist Overview High Arctic Odyssey: Remote Russian Archipelagos One of Earth’s last regions to be discovered, and the newest destination in Quark EXPEDITION IN BRIEF Expeditions’ portfolio, the High Russian Arctic is a place of mystery, beauty and Experience a true expedition as we wonder. On this stirring voyage along Russia’s ice-draped coastlines, we invite explore rarely visited Severnaya Zemlya you to become one of the first passengers to visit this little-known region and Encounter iconic Arctic wildlife, such as encounter sights rarely seen by even the most intrepid adventurers. polar bears, walrus and seabirds From the breathtaking glaciers of Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land to the Explore glaciated Novaya Zemlya, where stark, secluded islands of the icy Kara Sea, the remarkable features of this isolated the earliest Arctic explorers overwintered wilderness will leave you awed and inspired. An incredible 22-day journey that Visit significant sites at Franz Josef Land will take you to far-flung landscapes unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed, High and learn about the region’s fascinating history Arctic Odyssey is exclusively designed to allow you to maximize your time exploring these pristine environments, appreciate the rich and dramatic polar history of these Discover rarely visited islands of the icy Kara Sea faraway destinations, and, especially, increase your chances of observing the region’s diverse and magnificent wildlife, such as whales, seals, muskox, walruses and polar bears. If conditions allow, this itinerary will also include Severnaya Zemlya, the last major territorial discovery on Earth. Come aboard and venture to one of the most remote corners of the globe with the most experienced expedition team in the industry. Call your Travel Professional or a Quark Polar Travel Adviser at 1.888.892.0073 | Visit QuarkExpeditions.com for additional details 1 Itinerary DAY 1 | ARRIVE IN HELSINKI, FINLAND DAYS 3 & 4 | AT SEA Your Arctic adventure begins in Today we sail through the Barents GREENLAND Helsinki, renowned for its extraordinary Sea, named for the great Dutch Arctic Ocean North architecture and design scene and explorer Willem Barents, who led Pole ° 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 restaurants, relax at a Finnish sauna that await. Learn about the intriguing Barents Sea or wander the vibrant Design District Kara history and politics of the region, its Novaya Sea before retiring at your included hotel. Zemlya fascinating wildlife, geology, ecology Murmansk and climate, and the incredible sights DAY 2 | FLY TO MURMANSK, RUSSIA Helsinki A & EMBARK you will soon explore. Expedition Staff RCTIC CIRCLE 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 Helsinki Call your Travel Professional or a Quark Polar Travel Adviser at 1.888.892.0073 | Visit QuarkExpeditions.com for additional details 2 DAYS 5 – 7 | EXPLORING Boasting one of the most picturesque A significant site in polar exploration, NOVAYA ZEMLYA glaciers in the entire archipelago, Novaya Zemlya also offers a number The largest of the Eurasian Arctic Inostrantseva Bay provides breathtaking of opportunities for you to trace the archipelagoes, the rarely visited panoramic views of pristine Arctic footsteps of famous explorers and reflect Novaya Zemlya (“New Land”) is wilderness. If conditions allow, we may on the region’s history. the third-largest wilderness area in explore ashore, or Zodiac cruise along Europe. This seemingly long, thin the face of the glacier, at a safe distance, DAYS 8 – 13 | EXPLORING THE KARA SEA & SEVERNAYA ZEMLYA possibly witnessing the wonders of island actually consists of two main Say goodbye to Novaya Zemlya as we calving ice. Encounters with Brünnich’s islands, Severny (northern) and Yuzhny cruise farther east, exploring the Kara guillemots (thick-billed murres) are (southern), separated by the imposing Sea. The westernmost Asian sea off likely, owing to a small colony in the Matochkin Strait. These islands are Siberia, the Kara Sea is known as the coastal cliffs. pure, rugged Arctic beauty at its best— “ice cellar” of the Arctic, as it is often massive extinct volcanoes, jagged ice To the east of Severny Island are the encumbered by trapped ice floes. Ice cliffs and the most isolated mountain Oransky Islands. Wildlife abounds here, conditions will be considered by your range in the Barents Sea. with a variety of animal and plant life to skilled captain during navigation— be discovered, walrus have been sighted luckily sea ice happens to be a great As we explore Novaya Zemlya, expect here on previous expeditions. Coming habitat for iconic Arctic wildlife. There a new adventure every day. Each across a walrus haul-out is unforgettable. are several sites and small archipelagoes expedition will be unique, depending These giant pinnipeds of the Arctic along the Siberian coast we hope on the weather and ice, but a few create a raucous as each walrus vies for to explore, tracing the path of polar landing sites we strive to visit include a choice spot of coastline. Encounters explorers searching for the Northeast Inostrantseva Bay, the Oransky Islands, with whales and seabirds are possible, as Passage. Weather and ice will determine Cape Zhelaniya, Cape Spory Navalok well as polar bears, a genetically distinct where we explore, but some areas we hope to visit include Russky Island, and Russkaya Gavan. subpopulation here. Troynoy Island and Cape Chelyuskin. Call your Travel Professional or a Quark Polar Travel Adviser at 1.888.892.0073 | Visit QuarkExpeditions.com for additional details 3 Both Russky Island and Troynoy Island Dependent on ice and weather DAY 14 | AT SEA are part of the Great Arctic State Nature conditions, an exploration of Severnaya There are several activities to keep you Reserve, the largest reserve in Eurasia. Zemlya embodies the true spirit of engaged while at sea. Attend dynamic Russky Island is the site of a former adventure. Dominated by glaciers and presentations by your Expedition Team, polar station, established, in part, to polar desert, the archipelago was not relax in our polar library or simply monitor navigation along the Northern discovered until 1913 and remained spend some time on deck, admiring the Sea Route, the Russian section of the virtually unexplored till 1930–32, the last sea and searching for wildlife. Northeast Passage. major undiscovered territory on earth. Amongst many possible destinations, DAYS 15 – 18 | EXPLORING Troynoy Island is the largest of the we hope to visit a number of glaciers, FRANZ JOSEF LAND Izvesti Tsik Islands, about 90 miles including the Vavilov Ice Cap and This remote group of approximately (150 km) off the coast of the Taymyr those at Marat Fjord. If conditions are 200 islands, many ice covered, forms the Peninsula. The island is uninhabited, favorable, we may cruise the Red Army most northerly archipelago in Eurasia except for the researchers at the weather Strait, flanked by the massive Academy and lies entirely within the Arctic Circle. station. Home to an ivory gull colony, the of Sciences Glacier (which also runs A nature reserve, it is part of the Russian island is also frequented by polar bears. along the eastern shore of Zhuravlev Arctic National Park. Our exploration Bay) and the smaller Rusanov Glacier. of the region is highly determined by At the tip of the Taymyr Peninsula is weather and ice conditions, but we hope Cape Chelyuskin, the northernmost As one of very few people to ever explore this remote area in depth, to explore historical sites, remote seabird point of the Russian and Eurasian colonies and walrus rookeries such as mainland and the site of another active you’ll want to have your camera ready to capture these amazing sights. Cape Flora, Cape Norway, Bell Island and research station. Here, at “the edge of the Tikhaya Bukta. Polar bear encounters are earth,” we hope to explore on foot. also probable. Call your Travel Professional or a Quark Polar Travel Adviser at 1.888.892.0073 | Visit QuarkExpeditions.com for additional details 4 On Jackson Island, Cape Norway is DAYS 19 & 20 | AT SEA where Norwegian explorers Fridtjof As your Arctic expedition winds down, EXPEDITION SPIRIT Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen wintered you have a couple of days to sail through Embracing the unexpected is part from 1895 to 1896. The conditions were this wildlife-rich sea, where whales of of the legacy—and excitement—of astonishingly difficult, but they survived various species are often seen. Take in expedition travel. When traveling until the summer and continued their a presentation, reminisce about your in extremely remote regions, your journey south. The remains of their stone journey with your shipmates, relax in Expedition Team must consider the hut are still here today, with a memorial the lounge while swapping stories and sea, ice and weather to guide the route marking the event.