ARCTIC OCEAN – ICELAND, GRIMSEY, JAN MAYEN, SPITSBERGEN

Ship Offering This Itinerary

Plancius

The Plancius accommodates up to 108 passengers in 53 passenger cabins all with private ammenities. Built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy, she sailed for the Navy until 2004 when she was used as an expedition vessel. Offering a restaurant/lecture room on deck 3, a spacious observation lounge with large windows and a bar on deck 5 and a library on deck 5there is no shortage of places to relax. There are large open deck spaces on the Plancius, especially on Deck 4 with full walk-around possibilities for optimal wildlife spotting and enjoying the scenery. The Plancius carries 10 Mark V zodiacs, with 40 HP 4-stroke outboard engines and 2 gangways on the starboard side, guaranteeing a swift zodiac operation. Whilst the Plancius is comfortable and well equipped, the focus is on spending as much time on shore as possible.

Day 1 Keflavik, Iceland

Days 2 – 7 Northern Iceland

Land in Breidavik at Arnarstapi, with Snaefellsjökull, a glacier-capped volcano in the background. Walk southward, along cliffs with seabirds, to Hellnar.

Sail in the broad and shallow bay of Breidafjordur, peppered with hundreds of islands and skerries, and glimpse some white-tailed eagles. Land on Flatey and explore its traditional fishing village and the church. Black guillemots and vast colonies of puffins breed along the shores, and red-necked phalaropes are common in ponds just inland.

Pay a visit to Klofningur, a diminutive island featuring a lighthouse and extensive breeding colonies of shags, fulmars, and great black-backed gulls. Sail by the impressive Látrabjarg, featuring Iceland’s biggest seabird colonies.

Sailing into impressive Skutulsfjörður, home to the town of Isafjordur, visit Aedey, where an Icelandic family keeps an eider duck farm where the many hundreds of birds can breed protected entirely and where, at the end of the breeding season, all eiderdown is collected for trade. At the shores of the island, meet breeding puffins. Sail into Jökulfirdir or directly out of the fjord, looking again for whales, while you sail northwest and past the Arctic Circle.

North of Iceland, in the fringes of the southward-moving sea ice, sail northeast with your ice-rated vessel. Look for harp and hooded seals, which sometimes frequent the area in great numbers. The presence of a lonely polar bear can not be discounted, as they sometimes reach Iceland’s shores. Near and along the sea ice, see whales and seabirds as they migrate and forage along the productive edge of the sea ice. You will be in an impressive sea-scape with, to the west, sea ice as far as you see. This is a wild Arctic environment, constantly in motion and always changing.

Sail southward and pass Kolbeinsey, a tiny uninhabited islet rapidly being eroded by the fearsome surrounding ocean. Later, land on Grimsey, a small island that straddles the Arctic Circle. Grimsey features a small but friendly fishing village and is home to colonies of kittiwakes, razorbills, puffins, fulmars, and Arctic terns.

Day 8 Akureyri

Explore the historical fishing port known as the Capital of North Iceland. Sail north through Eyafjordur, one of the longest fjords in Iceland, where you may see whales as you reach the open sea.

Days 9 – 15 Arctic Circle, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen

Sailing toward the isolated Jan Mayen, look for humpbacks, fin, minke, blue whales, and even orcas. During the crossing, the ship will alter course to provide better viewing opportunities when wildlife is spotted.

Find yourself before Jan Mayen, a stark volcanic island crowned by the snow-capped summit of Mt. Beerenberg. From the slopes of this imposing 2,300-metre-high volcano, broken glaciers tumble out into the frigid sea. With permission from the Norwegian authorities, you can now visit the weather station. You can also walk to the remains of a 17th-century Dutch whaling station amid the thick moss beds of this stark volcanic landscape. This historic place is tied deeply to the Dutch whaling industry of the past and is intensely atmospheric.

Sail north along the edge of the sea ice in search of bowhead whales, harp seals, polar bears, and a variety of seabirds. You then change direction after about 79° north, cutting west to the rocky edges of the continental shelf of West Spitsbergen. Here, you have a good chance of seeing fin whales and – near the glacial mouths of the gaping Spitsbergen fjords – surfacing minke whales.

Forlandsundet, between the main island of Spitsbergen and the narrow Prins Karls Forland, is a place of great beauty and fascinating wildlife. Walruses sometimes haul out here. Alternatively, you might sail into St. Johns Fjord or head south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. These cliffsides are crucial for nesting birds. Many species build their nests here, while Arctic foxes search below for fallen eggs and chicks. On the surrounding slopes, reindeer graze sparse vegetation, creating superb photographic opportunities.

Day 16 Longyearbyen, Svalbard

With Arctic memories that will last a lifetime and cameras full of fantastic images, you disembark in Longyearbyen, the administrative centre of Spitsbergen, once more. While your journey is at an end, the pioneering spirit of Arctic adventure will stay with you, whatever comes next!