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The 12-day Spitsbergen Explorer: Wildlife Capital of the Arctic expedition gives you even more chances to connect with unique arctic wildlife. The archipelago is home to the iconic polar bear, as well as whales, walrus, Svalbard reindeer and tens of thousands of seabirds. Exploring the tundra is a breathtaking experience—the natural beauty of the landscape is exhilarating, surprisingly colourful and so striking. See the best that Spitsbergen has to offer you via the western edge of the island, plus a few outlying northern regions.
The Arctic has been inspiring explorers for centuries, and our expeditions offer the chance for you to discover why.
IMPORTANT VOYAGE INFORMATION: This voyage has a mandatory charter flight component with an additional cost of AU$1,800 per person.
Day 1 - Arrive in Oslo, Norway
Your arctic voyage begins in Oslo, Norway’s vibrant capital city. If you arrive early, there are many museums, restaurants and green spaces to keep you busy before retiring at your included airport hotel.
Day 2 - Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen: Embarkation day
This morning, the group will transfer to the airport and board our private charter flight to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen’s largest settlement, where you’ll have some time to explore before embarkation. As your ship sets sail, enjoy your first view of the island’s rugged, glacier-topped mountains rising
majestically from icy waters.
Day 3/11 - Exploring Spitsbergen
Explore western Spitsbergen as well as stunning fjords and outlying islands to the north. From polar deserts to immense glaciers, the natural landscape here is just as varied as the wildlife. You’ll cruise around this magical island located above the Arctic Circle, and your Expedition Team will be constantly searching for wildlife.
Each expedition presents new opportunities, so we have no fixed itinerary; however, we do hope to visit some of our favorite destinations, including the 14th of July Glacier, Smeerenburg, Phippsøya, Alkhornet and the Hinlopen Straight.
The destinations visited will be selected for optimum wildlife viewing and appreciation of the history and geology of Spitsbergen. Polar bear viewing is almost guaranteed, with Phippsøya being one of their preferred hunting areas, since the towering cliffs of Alkefjellet provide many free bird egg meals for both them and the arctic fox. Torellneset and Phippsøya are great places for walrus photography. Coming across a walrus haul-out is a moment you won’t soon forget. These giant pinnipeds of the Arctic create quite a noisy scene as each walrus vies for a choice spot of coastline.
If you’re itching to get a little closer to the action, you can book the kayaking option and take an excursion to the more isolated pockets of Spitsbergen. Smeerenburg is a great place for snowshoeing (optional and complimentary on select voyages), where you can visit a memorial erected in 1906. This historic site honors the whalers who lost their lives in the 17th and 18th centuries while working in extreme arctic conditions.
There is no shortage of natural beauty in Spitsbergen. The tundra can be surprisingly colorful in summer, with wildflowers bursting for a taste of sunshine. Each day, you’ll see something new, whether it is a rare bird species or an abandoned site from centuries ago.
Day 12 - Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen: Disembarkation day & fly to Oslo.
The time to say goodbye has come. Your Arctic adventure ends as it began, in the frontier-style settlement of Longyearbyen. From here, we’ll transfer you to the airport for your return group charter flight to Oslo.
Please consider that our voyages are expeditionary in nature. This means, that there are no concrete itineraries, your captain and expedition leader will utilise their vast experience to chart the best course for your expedition depending on the climatic and environmental conditions. Mentioned highlights and wildlife cannot be guaranteed.
MANDATORY TRANSFER PACKAGE INCLUDES: Spitsbergen
- One night’s pre-expedition hotel night at Oslo airport hotel, with breakfast
- Charter flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen
- Arrival and departure transfers in Longyearbyen
- Charter flight from Longyearbyen to Oslo
If you’re interested in kayaking and would like to try something less in depth than Sea Kayaking, you can still enjoy the benefits of adding an on-water experience to your expedition with a Paddling Excursion. Sign up for a onetime paddle on our sit-on-top kayaks, which are stable and unencumbered— perfect for anyone with little to no kayak experience. Expert guides take rotating groups of passengers on calm days to connect with the sea.
This rite of passage, experienced just once per expedition, sees you safely jumping into icy ocean waters under the watchful eye of our staff—and just about every single camera lens on board!
Daily chats with on-board experts—our guides, scientists and other special guests—let guests rub shoulders with historians, ornithologists, biologists, geologists and more.
Zodiacs are the workhorses of polar expeditions, safely transporting guests to remote shorelines and shallow inlets—places the ships can’t reach. Expedition staff make stepping in and out of them safe and comfortable.
There are options on most excursions for shorter walks, often to take advantage of excellent lookouts, that don’t require hiking boots and other equipment. Hiking participation is optional and your Expedition Team will advise you of what you can expect prior to each excursion.
Kayaking is probably one of the most intimate and inspiring ways you can explore the rugged coastlines and calm bays of the Polar regions.
Kayaking in the Polar Regions is highly weather-dependent, however we guarantee at least one outing throughout your voyage, but your kayak guides will take you out as many times as possible throughout your voyage.
Svalbard is the Arctic North as you always dreamed it existed. This wondrous archipelago is a land of dramatic snow-drowned peaks and glaciers, of vast icefields and forbidding icebergs, an elemental place where the seemingly endless Arctic night and the perpetual sunlight of summer carry a deeper kind of magic. One of Europe's last great wildernesses, this is also the domain of more polar bears than people, a terrain rich in epic legends of polar exploration.
To many people, the polar bear is the Arctic. The sight of such an impressive silky white bear wandering the frozen Arctic seas in search of seals symbolizes the cold, isolated nature of the Arctic so well. Polar bears are marine mammals because they spend so much of their lives away from land. In the high Arctic where there is always some sea ice to travel on, polar bears range over ice floes in the pack ice hunting seals all summer. In some areas (e.g. southern Hudson Bay, southern Svalbard) they are simply forced to come ashore. Polar bears rarely venture inland.
Comfortable expedition boots and a high quality expedition parka, specifically designed for the polar regions.
Transfers are included on your embarkation and disembarkation days, as well as the day prior to embarkation from the airport to your hotel, should you arrive early
OCEAN ADVENTURER
The new and improved Ocean Adventurer is designed to carry 132 travelers in comfort to the most remote corners of the world. Originally built in Yugoslavia in 1976, this nimble, ice-strengthened ship has become a passenger favourite over the years and underwent refurbishments in 1999 and 2002 with the most significant being in 2017. With the latest rounds of refurbishments guests will enjoy: A refreshed, contemporary new look and feel throughout the ship. - The addition of six new twin cabins and three new suites. - All existing cabins will be furnished with all new soft furnishings and brand new bathrooms. - Main common areas such as the Lounge and Dining Room will be remodeled as well as the Bar. - Major technical enhancements – include two new Rolls Royce engines, which will significantly increase fuel efficiency and minimized carbon footprint.
| Luxury star rating: | 4 |
| Guests #: | 132 |
| Crew #: | 87 |
| Ice Class: | 1A |
| Speed: | 14 |
| Refurbished: |
| Year built: | |
| Length: | 100m |
| Width: | 16 |
| Draft: | |
| Tonnage: | 4376 |
| Registry: | Bahamas |
| Elec Outlets: | 220V / 2 Round Pin |
We understand that the trip of a lifetime takes planning, so we make the financial commitments easy to manage.
