North Spitsbergen Explorer | Ortelius | IExpedition

North Spitsbergen Explorer - Into the pack ice

  • Overview

    This expedition focuses on the pack ice of north Spitsbergen and many opportunities to spot whales, polar bears, seabirds, walruses, and other such wildlife.

    Duration: 8 days
    Passengers: 108 passengers
    Embarkation Point: Longyearbyen
    Disembarkation Point: Longyearbyen
    Physical rating: Soft Adventure
    Fly/Cruise: Cruise only
    Single Supplement: 1.7x - 2.0x twin rate or share options
  • Itinerary
    • Day 1 - Longyearbyen

      You touch down in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. Enjoy strolling around this former mining town, whose parish church and Svalbard Museum make for fascinating attractions. Though the countryside appears stark, more than a hundred species of plant have been recorded in it. In the early evening the ship sails out of Isfjorden, where you might spot the first minke whale of your voyage.

    • Day 2/7 - Sailing along Svalbard

      This voyage will take you into the pack ice and along the remote shorelines of rugged north Spitsbergen. Places we might visit include the following:

      Raudfjord

      On the north coast of Spitsbergen, you can enjoy this expansive fjord spilling with glaciers – and maybe even visited by ringed and bearded seals. The cliffs and shoreline also support thriving seabird colonies, rich vegetation, and the possibility of polar bears. We will try to land at Alicehamna or Buchananhalvøya.

      Monaco Glacier

      Depending on the weather and sea ice, we could sail into Liefdefjorden, land at Texas Bar and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this precipitous glacier are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and the base of the ice is a popular polar bear hunting ground. If ice conditions prevent us from sailing here early in the season, we may sail along the west coast of Spitsbergen.

      The Seven Islands

      The northernmost point of the voyage may be north of Nordaustlandet, in the Seven Islands. Here we may reach 80° north, just 870 km (540 miles) from the geographic North Pole. At Phippsøya there is a walrus haul-out site, while Rossøya is the northernmost landmass in Spitsbergen. The vessel may sail deeper into the pack ice when wheeling around west again.

      Sailing in the pack ice

      While we retrace our route west, keep watch for polar bears, ringed seals, and elusive Greenland (bowhead) whales. This is also the habitat of ivory gulls. About 40 nautical miles (74 km) west of Spitsbergen, we’ll sail the edge of the continental shelf. Here fin whales forage during the summer in the upwelling zones (where cold, nutrient-rich water wells up from below the sea’s surface) that run along the Spitsbergen banks. At the mouth of Kongsfjorden, you have a good chance of sighting minke whales.

      Forlandsundet wildlife

      Walruses sometimes haul out in Forlandsundet, at Poolepynten. But if we cannot go there, we might sail to the mouth of Isfjorden, where we may see different species of rorqual whales. Our intended landing site is Alkhornet, where seabirds nest on the cliffs, Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze the sparse vegetation. Another possibility is the glacier front in Ymerbukta, where you can see congregations of various eider duck species.

    • Day 8 - Longyearbyen

      Even great adventures must eventually come to an end. The vessel arrives back in Longyearbyen in the early morning, and bus transportation to the airport will be provided.

    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.

  • Adventure Activities
  • Inclusions
    Inclusions / Exclusions

    Included in your Expedition

    - Comprehensive pre-departure material
    - Voyage aboard the indicated vessel as indicated in the itinerary
    - All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea
    - All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac
    - Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff
    - Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes
    - All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the programme
    - AECO fees and governmental taxes
    - Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen

    Not included in your Expedition

    - The customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided)
    - Excess baggage charges and all items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges
    - Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance (which is strongly recommended)
    - Pre- and post- land arrangements
    - Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter flights
    - Passport and visa expenses
    - Government arrival and departure taxes
    - Meals ashore
  • Map
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  • Gallery
  • Vessel

    ORTELIUS

    “Ortelius” was built in Gdynia, Poland in 1989, was named “Marina Svetaeva”, and served as a special purpose vessel for the Russian Academy of Science. The vessel is re-flagged and renamed “Ortelius”. “Ortelius” is classed by Lloyd’s Register in London and flies the Cyprus flag. The vessel has the highest ice-class notation (UL1 equivalent to 1A) and is therefore very suitable to navigate in solid one-year sea ice and loose multi-year pack ice. “Ortelius” is a great expedition vessel for 116 passengers with lots of open-deck spaces. The vessel is manned by 22 highly experienced international nautical crew, 19 international hotel crew, 8 expedition staff (1 expedition leader, 1 assistant expedition leader and 6 guides/lecturers), and 1 doctor. Ortelius offers a comfortable hotel standard, with a u-shaped, a bar and a lecture room. Our voyages are primarily developed to offer our passengers a quality exploratory wildlife program, trying to spend as much time ashore as possible. As the number of passengers is limited to approximately 116 on the “Ortelius”, flexibility assures maximum wildlife opportunities. “Ortelius” carries 10 zodiacs. The zodiac engines are 60hp Yamaha.

    Features & Facilities
    • Comfotable hotel standard
    • Bar
    • Lecture Room
    • Spacious Observation Decks
    • Open Bridge
    • Helipad
    • Small gym
    • Internet/Wifi
    Key Facts
    Luxury star rating: 3
    Guests #: 116
    Crew #: 52
    Ice Class: 1A
    Speed: 12
    Refurbished:
    Technical Specs
    Year built:
    Length: 91m
    Width: 17
    Draft:
    Tonnage: 4575
    Registry: Cyprus
    Elec Outlets: 220V / 2 Round Pin
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We understand that the trip of a lifetime takes planning, so we make the financial commitments easy to manage.

  • Confirm your booking today with just USD$ 1,000 per passenger.
  • Pay your 25% deposit 5 day later.
  • Final payment due 120 days prior to departure.
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Quadruple Porthole

05 Jun 2026 - 12 Jun 2026
- 2 portholes - 2 upper / lower berths - Private shower & toilet - Desk & chair - Flatscreen TV - Telephone & WiFi (supplemented) - Hair dryer - Safe deposit box - Ample storage space
USD$ 4,450pp
USD$ 4,450pp
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Twin Porthole

05 Jun 2026 - 12 Jun 2026
- 2 portholes - 2 lower berths - Private shower & toilet - Desk & chair - Flatscreen TV - Telephone & WiFi (supplemented) - Hair dryer - Safe deposit box - Ample storage space
USD$ 6,150pp
USD$ 6,150pp
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Twin Window

05 Jun 2026 - 12 Jun 2026
- 2 windows - 2 lower berths - Private shower & toilet - Desk & chair - Flatscreen TV - Telephone & WiFi (supplemented) - Hair dryer - Safe deposit box - Ample storage space
USD$ 6,700pp
USD$ 6,700pp
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Twin Deluxe

05 Jun 2026 - 12 Jun 2026
- 3 windows - 2 lower berths - Private shower & toilet - Desk & chair - Small sofa - Refrigerator - Coffee & tea maker - Flatscreen TV - Telephone & WiFi (supplemented) - Hair dryer - Safe deposit box - Ample storage space
USD$ 7,100pp
USD$ 7,100pp
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Superior

05 Jun 2026 - 12 Jun 2026
- 2 windows (minimum) - 1 double bed - 1 single (sofa) bed - Private shower & toilet - Desk & chair - Refrigerator - Coffee & tea maker - Flatscreen TV - Telephone & WiFi (supplemented) - Hair dryer - Safe deposit box - Ample storage space
USD$ 8,050pp
USD$ 8,050pp
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