ARCTIC EXPLORER - FRANZ JOSEF LAND, SPITSBERGEN & EAST GREENLAND EXPEDITION Get away from it all on our 19-day Arctic Explorer cruise from Norway to Iceland via the remote Russian archipelago of Franz Josef Land in the Russian High Arctic where pioneers and scientists stepped ashore. This remarkable journey takes you past Spitsbergen’s towering glaciers calving spectacular icebergs across the Greenland Sea to Iceland, the land of fire and ice. Watch polar bears carrying their cubs and fluking whales in the icy waters. Join us on our voyage of discovery as we sail from ice-bound islands to hot springs, spouting geysers and gushing waterfalls. ITINERARY DAY 1, TROMSO Known as the Arctic gateway, Tromso is a remote Norwegian city at 69° north, 250 miles above the Arctic Circle, where you can take in the soft glow of the midnight sun. Make time to attend a midnight concert at Tromso’s distinctive Arctic Cathedral or learn more about early polar explorations at the Polar Museum. Famed for the Northern Lights on winter nights, you can find out more about this natural spectacle at the Science Centre. DAY 2 - DAY 3, AT SEA As you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring the ship’s facilities and learning about your destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some down- time in your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the options are numerous. DAY 4, ALEXANDRA LAND, FRANZ JOSEF LAND The Franz Josef Land archipelago is one of the planet’s last great nature reserves where polar bears, whiskered walrus and bowhead whales can be seen. Only accessible by icebreaker, 1,000 km from the North Pole, Alexandra Land is the gateway to the Russian High Arctic. The remote airstrip at Nagurskoye airbase recently gained notoriety when Russian scientists 0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com discovered a secret Nazi military base and weather station said to have stored Austfonna. Part of the Nordaust- Svalbard Nature Reserve, the coasts are some of Hitler’s looted gold. made up of rocky beaches and cliffs filled with seabirds. In the north, you may spot polar bears in their denning area and snorting Atlantic walruses hauling DAY 5 - DAY 6, ZEMLYA GEORGA, FRANZ JOSEF LAND out, while Svalbard reindeer roam the cushiony tundra of this polar desert. Prince George Island is the largest island in Franz-Josef-Land. Much of the DAY 11, ALKEFJELLET island is under an ice cap with tabular mountains and some ice-free lowlands where only mosses and lichens live on the sparse tundra. Cliff-dwelling birds The towering cliffs of Alkefjellet - meaning guillemot mountain - on the include little auks, Brünnich's and black guillemots, northern fulmars, northeast coast of Spitsbergen overlooking the icy Hinlopen Strait, teem with black-legged kittiwakes and glaucous gulls. Much of the area was mapped on 60,000 breeding pairs of Brünnich’s guillemots. Our Zodiacs will get up close the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition (1894-97) in the mistaken belief that to this incredible sight where arctic foxes and glaucous gulls hunt for chicks as Franz Josef Land extended to the North Pole. they hatch. The rocks are an excellent example of doleritic intrusion dating back to the Jurassic or lower cretaceous age, made more spectacular by DAY 7, MACKLINTOK ISLAND, FRANZ JOSEF LAND cascading meltwater waterfalls. Dominated by sea ice and almost completely glaciated, the sprawling land is DAY 12, BARENTS ISLAND very much the domain of some of the world’s most stunning wildlife. They share the real estate with colonies of ivory gulls, Brünnich’s guillemots and Uninhabited Barentsøya, or Barents Island, lies between Spitsbergen and little auks. Although one of earth’s least trodden chunks of rock, Cape DIllon, Edge Island to the south. Part of the Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve, barren to the west, reveals traces of the pioneering age from the Fiala Ziegler glacial areas dominate the eastern side of the island, while the west has large (1903–05) and the 1874 Tegetthoff expeditions who climbed Cape Brünn to flats covered in tundra vegetation where arctic fox skulk around and the map the island. once-declining Svalbard reindeer are thriving. Polar bears congregate at denning areas to the south at Freemansundet sound near Kapp Waldburg DAY 8, HOOKER ISLAND, FRANZ JOSEF LAND where a kittiwake colony nests on steep cliffs. Rubini Rock is the largest seabird rookery in Franz Josef Land where flocks of DAY 13, HORNSUND screeching seabirds - Brünnich’s guillemots, kittiwakes, black guillemots, little auks and glaucous gulls - create their nests. Formed from towering cliffs of Considered by some as the most beautiful fjord in Spitsbergen, Hornsund is volcanic columnar basalt, the rock sits in Tikhaya Bay, or Tikhaya Bukhta, surrounded by spectacular landscape, mountains, glaciers and drift ice (bergs where visiting ships weigh anchor. On shore lie the ruins of a Soviet-era and growlers) due to a unique polar current that also attracts migrating polar research and polar expedition base. Polar bears roam free and the island’s bears. The climate creates a high-polar ecosystem drawing scientists to study cushiony tundra supports lush vegetation and lichens. the concentrated mix of subarctic and high arctic fauna in one small space. Part of the South Spitsbergen National Park, most of Svalbard’s little auks DAY 9, KVITOYA breed here and you can often see Svalbard reindeer. Almost completely covered by the Kvitøyjøkulen ice cap, Kvitøya (White Island) DAY 14, AT SEA is the easternmost island in Svalbard. Part of the Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve, the ice-free land is barren and rocky. Huge numbers of female Days at sea are the perfect chance to relax, unwind and do whatever takes Svalbard walrus calve at Kraemerpynten in the east, one of the archipelago’s your fancy. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, trying to spot greatest haul-out sites. It was also here in 1897 that a balloon expedition to a whale from the deck, reading a chapter or two, or simply topping up your the North Pole, led by Salomon August Andree, ended and all three tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to the green days spent passengers perished at Andréeneset. exploring on land. DAY 10, NORDAUSTLANDET DAY 15, JAN MAYEN ISLAND One of the three largest islands in Svalbard, separated from Spitsbergen by The snow-covered stratovolcano Beerenberg dominates the ice cap and the icy Hinlopen Strait, Nordaustlandet is mostly covered in ice caps including glaciers at the northeast end of Jan Mayen Island. Halfway between Svalbard 0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com and Iceland, the only residents on this Norwegian island are members of the Itineraries are subject to change. Norwegian Armed Forces or working at the meteorological station. During a nature walk to the station, and along the black sandy beach, you can see numerous plant species. Nesting northern fulmars, Brünnich’s and black guillemots and little auks make the island an important birding area. DAY 16, AT SEA As you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring the ship’s facilities and learning about your destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some down- time in your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the options are numerous. DAY 17, AKUREYRI In northern Iceland on Eyjafjördur, Akureyri is known for its colourful old town, heart-shaped traffic lights and woodlands. Nearby tours of Lake Mývatn, the most geologically active area in Iceland, include lava formations, hot springs, caves and rifts, boiling mud pools, volcanic craters, the roaring Godafoss waterfall and Game of Thrones locations. Puffins nest on the inhabited island of Grimsey that crosses the Arctic Circle, while Hrísey island is said to have powerful healing energies. DAY 18, ISAFJORDUR / VIGA ISLAND Surrounded by fjords in the Westfjords region, Isafjordur is a bustling fishing town in northwest Iceland with colourful wooden 18th- and 19th-century houses. Nearby is Sudavik, home to the Arctic Fox Centre. Iceland’s only mammal, the arctic fox lives on the lush tundra of Hornstrandir Nature Reserve - the northernmost peninsula in the Westfjords. Offshore, Vigur Island is a bird sanctuary popular for puffins but also arctic terns and eiders. You will also find Iceland's smallest post office. DAY 19, REYKJAVIK In the centre of Iceland’s sprawling capital city, the modern organ-pipe-shaped Hallgrimskirkja church dominates the top of town. Cosy bars, cafes and shops line the surrounding streets heated by Iceland's geothermal waters. The regenerated harbour is home to a striking modern concert hall. Popular trips include to the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa near the village of Grindavik, and the Golden Circle tour taking in Gullfoss Waterfall and the mighty Strokkur geyser in Thingvellir National Park. Please Note: 0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com YOUR SHIP: VEGA YOUR SHIP: Vega VESSEL TYPE: Luxury Expedition / Cruise Ship LENGTH: 115 metres PASSENGER CAPACITY: 152 BUILT/REFURBISHED: 2020-2021-2022 Our brand new ship has been designed to journey to off the beaten path destinations and remote polar regions in style and comfort.