In Brief:

• Spitsbergen.
• Eastern Greenland.
• Iceland.
• Zodiac cruising.
• Hiking.
• Ice edge wildlife watch.
• Optional kayaking.

Three countries, three versions of the Arctic – this is the expedition for travelers seeking contrasts of landscapes and culture.

Duration: 14 days
Embarkation Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway/Disembarkation: Reykjavik, Iceland
Staging point: Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway/Reykjavik, Iceland
July 22, 2010 - Longyearbyen – Embarkation

This three -country Arctic adventure begins on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen.
July 23 to 25, 2010 - Exploring Spitsbergen

Spitsbergen is the largest of the Svalbard Islands, an Arctic archipelago, first visited by Europeans in 1596. We’ll spend the next three days exploring, taking advantage of local weather and ice conditions to seek polar bear and walrus. Anticipate visits to the 14th of July Glacier, the settlement of Ny Alesund and Monaco Glacier. Sightings of Arctic Terns, Arctic Skuas, Long- tailed Ducks, Kittiwakes and Glaucous Gulls are possible.

The temperature drops as we continue northward, crossing 80° N, 965 km (600 miles) from the North Pole. Polar bear and walrus are known to inhabit the waters around Phippsoya, a small archipelago, the most northerly in Svalbard!
July 26 to 27, 2010 - Greenland Sea

While at sea, the Expedition Team will deliver illustrated presentations about the wildlife and cultures you will encounter in Greenland, the second of the three countries you will visit during this expedition. Greenland is under home rule, but its international relations are conducted by Denmark. The naturalists assist with seabird identification from the deck of the ship. You may participate in as many, or as few shipboard activities as you choose.
July 28 to August 2, 2010 - Eastern Greenland

The coast of eastern Greenland is wild, rugged and often ice -bound, an excellent habitat for wildlife that require ice floes to thrive. We’ll sail the ice edge searching for walrus and polar bear. We will lower Zodiacs from time to time to cruise at ocean level or to go ashore. We’ll compare cultures as we visit the remains of ancient Thule settlements and a remote modern-day village, the most northerly on Greeland’s eastern coast. At all times, we’ll be on the alert for musk oxen, because 40% of the world’s population lives on the eastern coast of Greenland. Before leaving Greenland, we plan to sail into Scoresbysund, the largest fjord complex in the world, and the birthplace of many icebergs.
August 3, 2010 - Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar)

The history of the Westman Islands is as shrouded by the mists of time as a Norse Saga. We know that westman was the name used by the Norse to refer to Irishmen. In the 1600s, a fleet from the Ottoman Empire that included Barbary pirates raided the islands, capturing 400 Icelanders.

You’ll learn more of the history of the islands on a walking tour of the town of Heimaey. You’ll see a documentary about the 1973 eruption of Eldfell. Like the rest of Iceland, the Westman Islands are volcanically active, creating, as recently as 1973, a new island, Surtsey.
August 4, 2010 - Reykjavik, Iceland

This expedition disembarks in Reykjavik, the capital of the third Arctic country you will visit, Iceland.

Important reminder: Embracing the unexpected is part of the legacy – and excitement – of expedition travel. There are no guarantees that we can achieve everything we set out to accomplish. A measure of flexibility is something all of us must bring to a voyage.