Spitsbergen : Polar Encounters

Bare witness to unspoilt nature, polar bears and puffins on our Spitsbergen Arctic Polar Bear Cruise. This voyage from Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago on MS Nordstjernen will take us northbound from Longyearbyen to the remote Moffen Island, taking in fjords, glaciers and Arctic settlements along the way. Known as the ‘land of the cold coasts’, Svalbard is rich in wildlife and dramatic scenery and we will watch in awe as we sail aboard the Spitsbergen Arctic Polar Bear Cruise through the bays and channels of this starkly beautiful outreach of northern Europe. The Spitsbergen Arctic Polar Bear Cruise offers the unique opportunity to spot Arctic fox, reindeer, seal and walrus within their natural habitat. There is also an excellent chance of spotting whales, as well as the king of these Arctic regions: the polar bear.

Glaciers and Ice
Continuing south we enter the poetically named Smeerenburgfjord (meaning 'Blubbertownfjord') a stark land of barren mountains that was once the home to a whaling station. Passing Magdalenefjord and the Wagonway glacier we visit Moffen Island where we enter the realm of the walrus and the Krossfjord birdcliffs. We will stand beneath swirling, teeming flocks of Arctic tern, guillemot and puffin. Then we will explore the glacier walls which are towering ramparts of blues and turquoise that constantly roar as they calve into the frozen waters below. Finally we travel to Ny-Ålesund, the most northerly permanently inhabited settlement on Earth, with a rich history in polar exploration.

Coastal Settlements
Our journey begins in Spitsbergen's capital, Longyearbyen which once a coal mining settlement, but now a major centre for polar research. We will learn some of the history of the area and life on the island today before embarking on our voyage. After sailing to the Russian settlement of Barentsburg, we proceed through the Icefjord and along the coast of Prins Karl's Forland, before reaching the northwest corner of Spitsbergen. Passing magnificent glaciers, including the stunning Monaco Glacier and the 'seven icebergs', we travel beyond 80 degrees north and enter a world of ice sculptures and towering granite mountains.

Birdlife and Bears
As fierce as the wastes and weather, is the sole king of this realm, the polar bear, who shares this distant, beautiful wilderness with any number of kittiwakes, seals, Arctic foxes, whales and walruses. There are estimated to be some 3,000 polar bears in the Svalbard archipelago. Magnificent and solitary, these animals grow to a staggering 700kg and there is every chance that we will come across one of these awe-inspiring beasts as we cruise through the ice floes. There are also estimated to be more than 110 types of migratory birds in this region and our on board team of experts will ensure that, we get the best out of our wildlife viewing, both from the deck of MS Nordstjernen and from our daily shore visits by Polar Cirkel boats.