E-mail a friendShip: Akademik Shokalskiy
Itinerary: Spitsbergen Explorer 2008
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Arctic SunsetPhoto by: Paul Orenstein
cabins & deck plans | additional itineraries | cancellation policy
| Day 1 : | Embark in Longyearbyen |
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| Days 2-10 : | Around Svalbard |
| Day 11 : | Disembark in Longyearbyen |
| Click for full itinerary |
| Days | Dates | Deck + Cabin Type |
| Destinations : Arctic, Svalbard Activities : Nature Viewing, Photography, Whale Watching |
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The remarkable islands of the Svalbard archipelago are part of Norway, lying far to the north of the Norwegian mainland and high above the Arctic Circle. Together they total an area of about 62,000 square kilometres, about the same size as Ireland or Tasmania, mostly in the form of three larger islands, as well as a number of smaller outcrops. Wild and rugged mountains covered with ice and snow jut skyward on the larger islands, including Spitsbergen; the largest of all and leave us spellbound when we first glimpse their majestic beauty.
Our aim on this expedition is to undertake a complete circumnavigation of the major island of the group, making frequent shore stops to hike, or simply admire the spectacular scenery. We’ll also enjoy Zodiac cruises that take us in close proximity of sea cliffs and abundant wildlife. Our exact course will be dependant on the prevailing sea ice conditions, though we hope for smooth sailing along the west coast of Spitsbergen as a result of the comparatively warm North Atlantic current. Here, amongst these fjords we’ll witness wonderful scenery and often-prolific wildlife.
In other areas of the Svalbard our progress may be just as effortless but, the movement and location of sea ice will be an important factor in determining our exact route and landing locations. One thing however is certain - wherever we go, we’ll be rewarded with unparalleled exploration opportunities in the Arctic North.
Day 1 : Embark in Longyearbyen
You fly into Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen Island, the main settlement of Svalbard. Dependent on your airline schedule, you may have some time to visit the museums and investigate the shops of this town of just over a thousand inhabitants.
On Day 1 you will be met at Longyearbyen Airport or the meeting point at the Radisson SAS Polar Hotel and transferred to the pier, in time to board your ship, the Akademik Sergey Vavilov. Once on board, our expedition team will make introductions and provide an overview of our journey to come.
We’ll set sail from Longyearbyen in the evening, heading north from Adventfjorden. During the night the Akademik Sergey Vavilov will pass the long island of Prins Karls Forland and then turn east into Kongsfjorden in the early hours.
Days 2-10 : Around Svalbard
These days are spent exploring the coast, moving generally in a clockwise direction. There will be ample time for shore excursions where we can simply sit on the beach and take it all in or, enjoy energetic hiking, wildlife spotting and stunning Zodiac cruises.
Since our itinerary is difficult to predict due to ever-changing ice conditions, we’ve provided some samples of possible excursions we may undertake on Day 2 through Day 10. We won’t have time to visit all these spots but, no matter where we end up, it’s guaranteed that our explorations will be extraordinary. We may visit locations not named should their beauty or interest warrant it.
14TH OF JULY GLACIER / NY ÅLESUND
This is an almost certain destination. Lying on the west coast of Spitsbergen, we’ll drop anchor before breakfast in the 14th of July Glacier. Following a briefing on landing procedures and polar bear safety, we’ll board Zodiacs and steer toward the glacier. We’ll spend some time cruising near the spectacular ice-cliff face.
After lunch, we’ll visit the settlement of Ny Ålesund, one of the northernmost communities in the world. Ny Ålesund serves as a base station for international Arctic research, with a population of approximately eighty scientists and support staff. Everyone will have a chance to visit the station shop where we can send mail from the most northerly mailbox in the world!
Bird-watchers should see Arctic terns, Arctic and long-tailed skuas, purple sandpipers and chicks, common eiders, barnacle geese, long-tailed ducks, kittiwakes, glaucous gulls and snow buntings. Several reindeer are often seen on the periphery of the community.
We’ll get a taste of some remarkable Arctic history as we stand near the mast used by the famous airships Norge and Italia. The Norwegian, Roald Amundsen used the Norge in 1926 to fly over the North Pole from Ny Ålesund to Alaska. A few days earlier an American named Richard Byrd had also undertaken the journey and later returned claiming to have reached the pole before Amundsen. Next it was the Italian’s turn. Umberto Nobile decided to mount an airship expedition from Ny Ålesund with the Italia in 1928. However, this ended in disaster when the airship crashed on the pack-ice north of Spitsbergen. Many expeditions were sent out to find and rescue Nobile and his crew including Roald Amundsen, who disappeared during the search.
SMEERENBURG
Another history lesson can be had in Smeerenburg, located on the north-west corner of Spitsbergen. Also known as Blubber Town, Smeerenburg was once a settlement of Dutch whalers in the first half of the 17th century. We’ll explain the whaling techniques that were used in the 1630’s when almost 200 whalers spent the summers here. Blubber ovens, whalebones and other remnants can be observed in the shadow of the mountain that Basque whalers used as a lookout-point for the bowhead whale.
YTRE NORSKØYA / NORVESTØYANE, HAMILTONBREEN / 80ºN / MOFFEN ISLAND
It will get noticeably cooler as we near our northerly destination, Norskøya. After landing we’ll walk to a 17th century blubber-oven used by whalers to render the whales into valuable oil. Our guides will explain the history of whaling, methods employed, and the harsh life experienced by the early whalers, a point so clearly emphasised by the hundred whalers’ graves that stand nearby. Some of the group may wish to explore the lower area of the island, whilst others may climb to a cairn at the top.
Later on we’ll gather everyone on the bow as we cross 80° North, just 600 miles from the North Pole. Then after supper, we’ll visit a small atoll-like island further to the northeast called Moffen Island. This island is a protected walrus sanctuary and there are often walrus seen hauled out on shore and others usually come out to greet the ship. In the past we have been lucky in this area, spotting the Sabine gull and quite often polar bears on shore.
SPARRENESET, NORDAUSTLANDET
Sparreneset truly is a "polar desert" and our first landing here is on Svalbard’s second largest island, Nordaustlandet. Few plants or wildlife inhabit this barren site but, the scenery is fantastic nevertheless. We’ll walk up to the top of a gorge and then split up into different groups. You’ll have a choice of beachcombing or enjoying a short walk or, a longer invigorating hike.
PHIPPSØYA & MARTENSØYA, SEVEN ISLANDS
In the early hours we approach our most northerly landing and drop anchor close to Phipps Island. This is directly beside “Small Blackboard Island”, the termination point for the British Trans-Arctic Expedition led by Sir Wally Herbert in 1969. This is a great place for hikes and a good spot to see bears and walrus. Here, we’ll also find a small hunters hut with large whale vertebrae and bones strewn about, as well as an old boat that adds to the overall sense of antiquity in the area.
Later on we may try to land on Martensøya. The geology is Precambrian or, five hundred million to one billion years old. As staggering as that fact is, the thing that’ll strike you most about this place is not it’s age, but rather the large accumulation of driftwood on the beach. Many of the logs have originated from Canada or Russia travelling through currents and ice floes.
In 1890, adventurer Fridtjof Nansen conjectured, if the polar drift could carry articles across the Polar Sea, this drift “might also be enlisted in the service of exploration”. Using a specially designed ship, he mounted an expedition intentionally beset in the ice. After spending three years travelling the currents of the Polar Sea, the ship finally exited via the north-west side of Spitsbergen in 1896. It’s conceivable that some of those logs we see today travelled the same route as Nansen’s ship more than a hundred years ago.
KRAEMERPYNTEN & ANDREENESET, KVITØYA
Everyone should be on deck as we approach the breathtaking ice-domed island of Kvitøya. This remote outpost is actually closer to the Russian Arctic, being only 117 km away, than it is to Nordaustlandet.
Our staff will go on a scouting mission to investigate the rarely visited Kraemerpynten on the east side of Kvitøya. Since there are often polar bears in the area, we may not be able to land but, we’ll hope to look for wildlife via Zodiac cruise. There are often large herds of walrus in the vicinity and if conditions permit, we’ll hope to see these animals on ice floes or in the water.
The entire island is 700 square kilometres and the 410 metre ice dome covers everything except for three small spits of barren polar-desert. One of these spits, Andreeneset, is where the Andree expedition came to its tragic end. We’ll walk to the monument where our guides will explain the history and significance of the spot. Andree’s balloon was launched in July 1897 and was only airborne for about 60 hours before it crashed on the ice north of Svalbard.
ISISPYNTEN & VIBEBUKTA, NORDAUSTLANDET
If we encounter sea ice, we’ll undertake a Zodiac cruise amongst the floes and attempt to land on one. We may drop anchor near the south-east corner of Nordaustlandet Island and go ashore at Isispynten. A magnificent view of the ice shelf, that stretches 128 miles around Nordaustlandet, is just across the bay. This is a great place for a hike or contemplative stroll.
After exploring the “headland” we’ll make an important geographical discovery; Isispynten is an island! The nautical charts and topographical maps both define Isispynten as a point of the mainland, but we’ll prove them wrong.
After lunch, we’ll cruise the magnificent ice shelf, a fantastic platform for viewing the glacial face. Time permitting; we may try to land on a barren stretch of beach called Vibebukta. The area is known for its plethora of fossils as well as raised beaches and strands.
SUNDNESET, BARENTSØYA/KAPP LEE, EDGEØYA
During the early hours we transit the Freemansundet. This sound is quite often clogged with ice, however, if we’re able to pass through, we’ll drop anchor on the south side of Barentsøya. We’ll break into small groups and experience the fantastic flora, fauna and scenery. It’s not unusual to have a close encounter with reindeer. There are often long-tailed ducks and red-throated divers on the ponds in the area as well as pink-footed geese, snow buntings and purple sandpipers. Very old whalebones are also found here; hundreds of metres inland, which help explain the theory of isostatic rebound (when land springs up after the weight of glaciation has disappeared).
After lunch we’ll land at Dolerittneset near Kapp Lee. After spending the last few days in the barren polar landscape of the north, you’ll see a noticeable change to the relatively lush vegetation “south of 79°”. This site has a large scattering of reindeer antlers but, the abundance of ancient whalebones makes the landing memorable. Some 400 years ago, whales were once slaughtered here having been hunted almost to extinction in the waters of Svalbard. Now nature has turned the decaying old bones into things of beauty. Time and the elements have altered their original shape and sculptured them into works of art. They are painted with luxuriant blankets of green mosses and grasses, spattered with blotches of black and orange lichen and framed with purple saxifrage, yellow cinquefoil and white sandwort. Now even after death, the noble whale supports life by robustly protecting the delicate flora from the harsh winds and providing nutrients to ensure their survival.
ÆKONGEN, TUSENØYANE (THOUSAND ISLANDS)
We may drop anchor near the small island of Ækongen, Tusenøyane in the Thousand Islands. Once on shore, we’ll quietly approach a small pond inhabited by several pairs of red-throated divers. We’ll also see a bowhead whale skeleton that has been reconstructed on the beach giving us a sense of the mammal’s gigantic size. Other bones including walrus and polar bear skulls may also be found littering the lower part of the island.
GÅSHAMNA/ HORNSUND
We’ll land on a gravel beach near a small hut in Gåshamna and walk around the area admiring the old whalebones. Some may wish to hike up to the face of a glacier to enjoy the fantastic views atop the moraines. After lunch, we’ll sail into Hornsund, a spectacular Sound with several glacier-filled bays. Seabirds, bearded and ringed seals, as well as bears are often spotted here.
BOURBONHAMNA
Beluga whales often transit the narrow Sound near Bourbonhamna. The adults are pure white and the younger animals a mottled grey colour. They are the only whales that can articulate their heads to nod and turn sideways. It’s estimated that there are approximately five to ten thousand belugas in the Svalbard population. The beluga has no dorsal fin, which is a diagnostic feature of other whale species that live in the High Arctic, like the narwhal and bowhead. Since a dorsal fin could be damaged when the animal surfaces in areas with ice, it has been postulated that the lack of dorsal fin is an adaptation to living in waters that are frequently covered by ice.
We’ll search for belugas and then hope to go ashore to Bourbonhamna. A hunter’s cabin, grinding wheel and two overturned boats are points of interest a short walk away at Ingebrigstenbukta. However, it’s the massive piles of beluga whalebones that catch everybody’s attention. The bones and all the artifacts are protected by the Svalbard Government and can’t be removed. While wandering amongst these bone relics we may also expect to glimpse dozens of reindeer in the area.
Day 11 : Disembark in Longyearbyen
We conclude our journey, arriving back in Longbearbyen early this morning. After disembarking the ship after breakfast, you are transferred to either the Radisson Hotel or the airport.
-Additional fuel surcharge of $22/night on ship, per person, for Arctic departures between Jun - Sep 2008.
- Additional fuel surcharge of $58/night on ship, per person, for Antarctic departures between Oct 2008 - Mar 2009.
- Sea Kayaking Option: US$695 per person (2008-2009 season) and US$795 per person (2009-2010 season)
- Camping Option: There is no supplementary charge for this option for 2008-2009 season. $195 per person for 2009-2010. Participation will be confirmed at booking on a first come, first served basis.
- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double or triple occupancy. Request the Twin or Triple Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabinmate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.
- Single costs are 1.7 times the twin rate for all cabins except suites.
- Emergency medical evacuation coverage for a minimum of US$100,000 per person required. Contact us for details on arranging travel insurance.
Prices are based on a 3% cash discount.
Ship Description: Akademik Shokalskiy
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Walking the Arctic Ice to the Ship
Akademik Shokalskiy is a terrific expedition ship, sister ship to the Polar Pioneer. Built in Finland in 1983, she is ice-strengthened and has stabilizers for more comfortable travel. In 1998 she was refurbished to provide comfortable accommodation for 46 passengers, an ideal number for expedition cruising. On board are a combined bar/lounge and a dedicated lecture room/library (stocked with a good collection of reference books and videos). All cabins have outside portholes, plus ample storage space. The spacious bridge (always open to us) and the decks are ideal for viewing during your Antarctica travel.
The Russian captain and crew are among the most experienced navigators in the world and their enthusiasm for exploration is legendary. Akademik Shokalskiy is not a luxury vessel. Accommodation is simple yet comfortable and the meals, prepared by European chefs and served by Russian stewardesses, are wholesome and uncomplicated. A small fleet of inflatable Naiads with outboard motors enables us to make landings and explore magnificent places where few others have ever been.
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Triple Shared Bath Cabins with 2 lower and 1 upper berth, shared facilities, sink in the cabin and porthole window |
Twin Shared10 cabins with shared baths (106-124 sq. ft.) Cabins have two lower berths (except for 315 which has 2 lower, 1 upper), sofa, writing desk, bookshelf, 2 wardrobes, cabinets, and 1 square window/ porthole |
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Twin Private 12 cabins with private bath with shower (100-125 sq. ft.) Cabins have one lower and one upper berth (Some cabins have 2 lower berths), sofa, drawers, refrigerator, writing desk,bookshelf, 2 wardrobes, and 1 square window/ porthole |
Superior Cabins (171 sq.ft) with one double bed, 1 sofa bed, private facilities, and 3 opening windows |
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Suite Cabins (250 sq.ft) with one double bed, 1 sofa bed, private facilities, and 5 opening windows |
